Eph 2:4-7 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 4. But God, who is rich in mercy . On the use of the word rich by Paul, . It is a beautiful expression. "God is rich in mercy;" overflowing, abundant. Mercy is the riches or the wealth of God. Men are often rich in gold, and silver, and they pride themselves in these possessions; but God is rich in mercy . In that he abounds; and he is so rich in it he is willing to impart it to others; so rich that he can make all blessed. For his great love . That is, his great love was the reason why he had compassion upon us. It is not that we had any claim, or deserved his favour; but it is, that God had for man original and eternal love, and that love led to the gift of a Saviour, and to the bestowment of salvation.

Ephesians 2:4-7

Verse 4. But God, who is rich in mercy. On the use of the word rich by Paul, Eph 1:7. It is a beautiful expression. "God is rich in mercy;" overflowing, abundant. Mercy is the riches or the wealth of God. Men are often rich in gold, and silver, and they pride themselves in these possessions; but God is rich in mercy. In that he abounds; and he is so rich in it he is willing to impart it to others; so rich that he can make all blessed.

For his great love. That is, his great love was the reason why he had compassion upon us. It is not that we had any claim, or deserved his favour; but it is, that God had for man original and eternal love, and that love led to the gift of a Saviour, and to the bestowment of salvation. Verse 5. Even when we were dead in sins. Eph 2:1. Comp. Rom 5:8. The construction here is-- "God, who is rich in mercy, on account of the great love which he bare unto us, even being dead in sin, hath quickened us," etc. It does not mean that he quickened us when we were dead in sin, but that he loved us then, and made provision for our salvation. It was love to the children of wrath; love to those who had no love to return to him; love to the alienated and the lost. That is true love--the sincerest and the purest benevolence--love, not like that of men, but such only as God bestows. Man loves his friend, his benefactor, his kindred --God loves his foes, and seeks to do them good.

Hath quickened us. Hath made us alive. Eph 2:1.

Together with Christ. In connexion with him; or in virtue of his being raised up from the grave. The meaning is, that there was such a connexion between Christ and those whom the Father had given to him, thai his resurrection from the grave involved their resurrection to spiritual life. It was like raising up the head and the members--the whole body together. Rom 6:5. Everywhere in the New Testament, the close connexion of the believer with Christ is affirmed. We are crucified with him. We die with him. We rise with him. We live with him. We reign with him. We are joint heirs with him. We share his sufferings on earth, (1Pet 4:13;) and we share his glory with him on his throne, Rev 3:21.

By grace ye are saved. Marg., by whose. Rom 3:24. Paul's mind was full of the subject of salvation by grace, and he throws it in here, even in an argument, as a point which he would never have them lose sight of. The subject before him was one eminently adapted to bring this truth to mind; and though, in the train of his arguments, he had no time now to dwell on it, yet he would not suffer any opportunity to pass without referring to it.

(a) "when we were dead" Rom 5:6,8,10 (*) "quickened us" "made us alive" (1) "by grace" "by whose" (b) "ye are saved" Rom 3:24 Verse 6. And hath raised us up together. That is, we are raised from the death of sin to the life of religion, in connexion with the resurrection of Jesus, and in virtue of that. So close is the connexion between him and his people, that his resurrection made theirs certain. Comp. Col 2:12. Rom 6:5.

And made us sit together. Together with him. That is, we share his honours. So close is our connexion with him, that we shall partake of his glory, and in some measure do now. Mt 19:28, and Rom 8:17.

In heavenly places. Eph 1:3. The meaning is, that he has gone to the heavenly world as our Head and Representative. His entrance there is a pledge that we shall also enter there. Even here we have the anticipation of glory, and are admitted to exalted honours, as if we sat in heavenly places, in virtue of our connexion with him.

In Christ Jesus. It is in connexion with him that we are thus exalted, and thus filled with joy and peace. The meaning of the whole is, "We are united to Christ. We die with him, and live with him. We share his sufferings, and we share his joys. We become dead to the world in virtue of his death; we become alive unto God in virtue of his resurrection; in heaven we shall share his glory and partake of his triumphs."

(c) "us up together" Col 2:12 Verse 7. That in the ages to come. In all future times. The sense is, that the riches of Divine grace, and the Divine benignity, would be shown in the conversion of Christians and their salvation to all future times. Such was his love to those who were lost, that it would be an everlasting monument of his mercy, a perpetual and unchanging proof that he was good. The sense is, we are raised up with Christ, and are made to partake of his honour and glory, in order that others may for ever be impressed with a sense of the Divine goodness and mercy to us.

The exceeding riches of his grace. The abounding, overflowing riches of grace. Eph 1:7. This is Paul's favourite expression--an expression so beautiful and so full of meaning that it will bear often to be repeated. We may learn from this verse,

(1.) that one object of the conversion and salvation of sinners is to furnish a proof of the mercy and goodness of God.

(2.) Another object is, that their conversion may be an encouragement to others. The fact, that such sinners as the Ephesians had been, were pardoned and saved, affords encouragement also to others to come and lay hold on life. And so of all other sinners who are saved. Their conversion is a standing encouragement to all others to come in like manner; and now the history of the church for more than eighteen hundred years furnishes all the encouragement which we could desire.

(3.) The conversion of great sinners is a special proof of the Divine benignity. So Paul argues in the case before us; and so he often argued from his own case. 1Timm 1:16.

(4.) Heaven, the home of the redeemed, will exhibit the most impressive proof of the goodness of God that the universe furnishes. There will be a countless host who were once polluted and lost; who were dead in sins; who were under the power of Satan, and who have been saved by the riches of Divine grace--a host now happy and pure, and free from sin, sorrow, and death--the living and eternal monuments of the grace of God.

(d) "kindness" Tit 3:4