YesBut God

(by Wil Pounds)

Two of the most beautiful words in the Bible are but God. We are totally depraved sinners who cannot earn or merit in any way, a right relationship with God. Before I became a Christian, I was dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). I walked according to the course of this world, according to the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (v. 2). I too lived in the lust of my flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and of the mind and was by nature a child of wrath, even as the rest (v. 3). That is an ugly picture, but it is true of my life before Christ conquered me. It is the sad state of every person outside of Christ. We have each failed in the eyes of a holy and righteous God. We are sinners. Our lives do not bring glory to God. Because we are sinners, we cannot please Him with our self-righteousness and religious works, no matter how good our motives or our works. Yes, But God. How beautiful are those words to the depraved sinner. Yes, but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us (v. 4). That same holy and righteous God had mercy on us. The word means loving kindness, help in the time of need. It is Gods active intervention to help. He is the Helper of the helpless. He treats us in mercy because He loves us. We absolutely deserve eternal condemnation in an eternal hell. If you disagree with that statement, you do not understand free grace. You are not claiming Gods grace alone in Christ alone to save you. We are undeserving of Gods free grace. We deserve the death penalty (Rom. 3:23: 6:23). But God . . . loved us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6, 8). But God . . . loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions (Eph. 2:5). But God . . . made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus (v. 6). That is grace! We have a completely new relationship with God because of His rich love, mercy and grace. Dead in transgressions? Dead in sin? Yes. But God performs resurrections. He reaches down to sinners, and brings them to spiritual life again. He calls them, and His voice brings life to the dead. No one can take the credit but God alone. It is Gods sovereign, free grace that makes us right with God. But God . . . . in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (v. 7). Through out all eternity the redeemed will sing, Saved by Grace. We are trophies of Gods saving grace and will be to His honor and glory alone through out eternity (Rev. 4:8-11; 5:9-17).

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But God rich in mercy, loved us, with His great love, and made us alive with Him, raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in a vital union with Him and saved us by His grace. Apart from the quickening voice of God there would be no hope for anyone. We were the objects of His wrath, but God out of the great love with which He loved us had mercy upon us. We were dead, and dead men do not rise, but God made us alive with Christ. We were slaves, dead, powerless, but God has raised us up with Christ and set us at His own right hand, in a position of honor and power.

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