1. “His grace,...which He caused to abound to us... according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself” (Eph. 1:6, 8-9).
God’s grace is given to us according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself. According to the context of these verses, good pleasure refers to what God purposed before the foundation the world (v. 4). God purposed to give us grace before the foundation of the world. His intention was not an accident, nor is it temporary. Before the foundation of the world, God determined to give us grace. Grace was not added alongside, like the law. The law was added along the way; grace has always existed. God deals with us by grace because this is according to His original intention in eternity. Grace is not like the law, which God used only along the way in time.
2. “Grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages” (2 Tim. 1:9).
The grace of God was given to us before the times of the ages, that is, in eternity. We received the grace of God before the times of the ages even began.
3. “When the kindness and the love to man of our Savior God appeared”; “Grace...now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus” (Titus 3:4; 2 Tim. 1:9-10).
Although the grace of God was given to us in eternity, it was manifested in time when our Lord Jesus came to accomplish redemption, enabling us to know, obtain, and enjoy grace.
4. “The grace of God...has appeared” (Titus 2:11).
The grace of God appeared when the Lord Jesus came through incarnation to accomplish redemption. Now man can gain and enjoy grace in reality.
1. “Grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:9; see also Eph. 1:6).
The grace of God was given to us in Christ Jesus, unlike the law, which was given to man apart from Christ. The law was added by God apart from Christ. Grace was planned by God in Christ and was given by God in Christ. God’s giving of grace in eternity and our obtaining of grace in time were both accomplished in Christ.
2. “Grace...came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
The law was given through Moses, but grace came through Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is God who became a man, so grace came through God Himself when He became a man. Since the law is not God’s heart’s desire for us, it is not of central importance to Him. Consequently, He gave it to man through angels and a man, Moses. However, grace is fully related to God’s heart’s desire, and He considers it to be very important. Consequently, He came Himself to give it to us.
God expended great effort to bring the grace which He purposed to give. He was incarnated, born as a man, went to the cross to die for man, resurrected from the dead, and became the Spirit to enter into man so that grace could be realized, obtained, and enjoyed by man. This was His purpose in coming in the person of Jesus Christ. Grace came when Jesus Christ came to man.
3. “His grace, which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and prudence, making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself” (Eph. 1:7-9).
God gives grace to us in all wisdom and prudence. He considered, planned, and arranged. In order to give Himself to us as grace, God made a plan which He accomplished through creation and redemption, and then arranged a proper environment for us, including people and events, so that grace would abound to us. God did everything for us according to His wisdom and prudence so that His grace would abound to us. His giving of grace was according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself. This is quite different from His giving of the law to man.
1. “God so loved”; “In love”; “His great love with which He loved us” (John 3:16; Eph. 1:4; 2:4).
God gives us grace because He loves us. This fulfills the desire of His heart and brings us to the goal of His love for us.
2. “Making known to us the mystery of His will...unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him” (Eph. 1:9-10; see also 3:9-11).
God has given us grace in order to accomplish the mystery of His will to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, so that Christ would be the center and Head expressing God’s multifarious wisdom and shaming Satan and his angels.