“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”(Ephesians 2: 4-10)
I call this – the exchange. Actually it is the GREAT exchange. One could feast on these verses and when we look at what happened in the exchange, we are so incredibly blessed. This whole exchange transaction is founded in HIS love for us. Though we didn’t deserve any of this, He chose to not only save us … but more! We act in faith and give up fear.
The first part of this chapter (verses 1-3) tells us what we’ve exchange:
Who and what we were
1,. … dead in trespasses and sins
2. … walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
3. … by nature children of wrath
Who we become: (read again verses 4-10 because this is what we receive)
1. … He made alive
2. … sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
3. … His workmanship created for good works – already prepared
This rich chapter continues with other insights:
“…For He Himself is our peace, … having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,” (v 14-15)
We need to grasp what Jesus did, what He accomplished according to the Law that held us and exchanged all that for our current position – heirs and joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), conquerors (Romans 8:31-39), a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). And these exchanges only begin to scratch the surface of what He has accomplished for us.
What do we bring? Our selves, our lives, all that we are, in faith in Him who provided. It is our faith that trumps everything and is the path to this exchange. We all come – ‘just as we are’ – but He doesn’t leave us in that state because He continues to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). He wants us to be all that we can be. Our future is extraordinary.
