The Glory Of His Grace

Passage: Ephesians 1:6

“…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” 

There is a controversy in Christianity, albeit, a minor one, concerning The attributes of God. Some maintain that the chief or highest attribute of God is His holiness. Others would argue that other attributes of God are more central and more important. Paul, here, underscores for us the grace of God.

The word “praise” refers to that which is worthy of commendation. Something is “praiseworthy” when the characteristics of it make it worthy of a favorable evaluation.

“Glory” is the generic Greek word that refers to splendor or magnificence.  The two words are closely related in concept, though they are not so related morphologically.  Glory is in the genitive case and is often, when found thus, refers to that which is glorious, or magnificent in its very nature, or in and of itself.

“Grace” is kindness, mercy, or goodwill and is the common word in the New Testament for what is most often referred to as the “undeserved favor” of God.  It refers to having the favor of  and suggests a special manifestation of the divine presence, activity, power or glory; a favor, expression of kindness, gift, or blessing.  We ought to note that it is specifically “His” grace that is in view, and not any gracious act of any other person.  It is God’s grace of which Paul is speaking.

“To” suggest a purpose idea, that the phrase will define for us the purpose of the material that was given before it.  We could translate it “To the end of…”.  The actions described in the prior verse have the end of being to the praise of the glory of the grace of God.

But we must ask – what does this mean?  In order to answer that, we must first look and remind ourselves of the context of the statement.  Verse 3 began the current section after the opening introduction and greeting.  Paul has spoken of the blessings we have in the Heavenlies in Christ.  He has told us that this is because of God’s choosing of His people before the foundation of the world, and of His predestining us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will.  That brings us, context-wise, to the current statement.

All of that, then, the giving of every spiritual blessing, the calling of His children and their consequent predestination to adoption as the expression of His good pleasure, is designed and intended by God to serve the purpose or the end of bringing praise to the inherent magnificence of His grace.

The contemplation of the Grace of God is a glorious thing in itself.  That God would condescend to come in person and live, and then go to the cross is a magnificent thing. It was something that He did not “have” to do in that there was any compulsion upon Him to take such action from outside of Himself.  He is the ultimate authority in the universe and there is no power or authority that can force Him to act. 

It was His character that compelled Him to be gracious to undeserving creatures.  He is, by nature, gracious.  It is His desire to show approval and favor to His people.  He does not, in this sense, wish to judge, though He will certainly do so when the time comes form judgment.  God acted in the fashion that He has acted in salvation, doing it in the way He has done it, because He wished to show that nature, and show that He was a God Whose greatest desire and greatest attribute, manwardly speaking, is His grace!