Ephesians 2:4 interrupts the hopelessness of this world by simply saying, "but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us." These seventeen words can change the way you look at this life if you will let them.
Just for a moment, imagine the lowest part of your life. The time you were choosing to be the furthest away from God. Imagine the decision you made that was the turning point to cause you to rebel. Do you have that picture squarely in the front of your mind? Now allow it to be interrupted by the powerful words... "But God."
Every one of us has sinned. We've all chosen to go our own way and practically spit in the face of the God who died for us, "but God" does not allow the story to stop there. He is the only one with the power to change that story and restore that hope.
The next five words in that verse are so beautiful. Ephesians was written in approximately A.D. 62. The Ephesians had had the Old Testament to read and knew who God was for probably their entire lives. Christ had pretty recently died and risen again for all of the people who would be reading this letter. They knew who He was. Yet Paul adds these sweet words, "who is rich in mercy."
You know who God is. Odds are you probably knew who He was during that lowest point in your life, but isn't it so nice to hear it again? It is mind boggling that God ever repeats Himself really. We have His word and everything He says or does should be taken to heart. Yet He is gracious enough to reexplain or repeat a command. In this verse it is as if God is saying, "just in case you forgot exactly who it is that is changing this story, I am rich in mercy" and clearly He is.
Now that we have established that God is not going to allow our story to end there and we've been reminded of who He is, we get the next ten thrilling words: "because of His great love that He had for us." The beautiful thing about this verse is, no matter how many mistakes you make it will always be there. The verse stops there, mid sentence; because it is not done. This is the beginning, the turning point. It's like the start of Star Wars movies where the words float across the screen they explain what conflict is taking place and who we are depending on. They set the stage for everything that is going to happen.
That is what our God does. He will not allow our story to end there.
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us."
