ODB MESSAGE FOR TODAY

In Ephesians 1–2, Paul paints a beautiful picture of God’s wonderful plan of salvation. His original readers (the Ephesian church) were already believers in Jesus (1:1), who had received the Holy Spirit (v. 13). But they were at the beginning of their journey and were babes in Christ. Paul prayed that “the eyes of [their understanding] may be enlightened” (v. 18).

According to pastor and writer D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (God’s Way of Reconciliation), Paul longed for them (and us) to be certain of “the [great] power of God toward all that believe. . . . Nothing is more vital than that we should be clear about the power of God that is manifested in this Christian salvation.” Because of God’s grace (2:5–10), nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8:35–39).

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Is that how God looks at us? Ephesians 2:10 says that we’re His “handiwork”—His masterpiece. Aware of our own failings, it may be hard for us to accept how much He loves us or to believe that we could ever be of value to Him. But God doesn’t love us because we deserve love (vv. 3–4); He loves us because He is love (1 John 4:8). His love is one of grace, and He showed the depth of it when, through Jesus’ sacrifice, He made us alive in Him when we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:5, 8).

God’s love isn’t fickle. It’s constant. He loves the imperfect, the broken, those who are weak and those who mess up. When we fall, He’s there to lift us up. We’re His treasure, and we’re so beautiful to Him.