Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us.
The grace of God is focused in Christ. All spiritual blessings come to sinners by grace and only because of Christ and that grace is in Christ. All grace is given without cause in the sinner but instead all the reasons and causes of grace are found in God Himself. Because all the reasons and causes of grace are found in God, this means that sinners can be saved regardless of who they are because God saves to the praise of the glory of His grace.
The previous paragraph can be believed by the intellect and admired in many ways, but when God visits the soul with sore afflictions and the evil one accuses that poor soul, it is a battle to believe that God saves sinners by grace alone. It is one thing to believe with the intellect that God redeems sinners by the blood of Christ, but it is quite another when the soul is afflicted with sin and accusations. The soul will have a great sense of its own sin and the accusations of the evil one will make it worse. The despairing soul will see nothing good in itself and will begin to look to itself for a reason or ground for why God would save such a wretch and grant forgiveness to such a wretch. It is true, sinner, that you are not worth Christ dying for you. However, God is worthy for Christ to save sinners for God by His blood. This great and glorious grace is for the worst of sinners! This grace has been purchased by the blood of the Lamb and not because any human is worthy of anything but the wrath of God. This grace has been purchased because God is worthy to save sinners.
What or whom can the worst of sinners look to for redemption and forgiveness of sins? What can the worst of sinners find that they can have confidence in? They know that they merit nothing but the wrath of God. They know that if the Gospel is according to them they will perish. Forgiveness of sins is not based on how much faith we have, not how much we have repented, and not based on any good works. The forgiveness of sins is in accordance with the riches of His grace. All poor sinners who are afflicted with trials and inward sin need to consider this passage. They are forgiven in accordance with the riches of His grace. This is reason for sinners to forget themselves and look to Christ! This is reason for sinners to know that they can be forgiven based on another. Oh the glory of such a grace that can forgive the worst of sinners of the worst of sins!
But, says the vile sinner, I have profaned the name of God and I have cursed Him in my heart. But, says the vile sinner, I have sinned against Christ and against knowledge of Christ. But Christ is the Savior of the vilest of sinners. Christ is the Savior of those with horrid thoughts and hearts that have born horrible enmity toward God. Christ died for those who were at enmity with God. Why did He do that? It was not because they were worthy to die for, but it was in accordance with the riches of His grace. How rich is the grace of God? The poor doubting sinner must know that the riches of God’s grace is far greater than the spiritual poverty of the wretched sinner. It is not just that God saved out of His riches of grace, but in accordance with the riches of His grace. This is to say that the riches of grace are infinite because God is infinite. This is to say that sinners should know that regardless of the vileness and wickedness of their own hearts, God saves in accordance with the riches of His grace and not in accordance with the wickedness of their hearts.
Sinners, take hope. This grace has been lavished upon you if you are in Christ. God the Father does not show just enough grace to take care of the most of your sins, but indeed He has lavished grace upon you in Christ. The Father has not shown you just enough grace to take care of all your sins, but instead He has lavished you with His grace in Christ. For the poor sinner who just cannot lift up his head to behold Christ, know that this grace has been lavished upon the poor in spirit and the contrite in heart. God does not just barely save sinners, but He lavishes them with His grace. God abounds in grace and lavishes His grace upon the poor in spirit and those who are weak in themselves. Yes, you have no ability, but He has all ability. It is true that you are not worthy, but look to the wonder and the glory of grace. Poor and wretched sinners, Christ died to save those like you and not the proud and the strong and the holy in their own eyes. Forgiveness is according to the riches of His grace which He lavishes on His people in Christ. There is no room for hope in yourself, but there is a full and abounding hope in His grace which is infinitely rich and is lavished upon poor sinners. Look to Christ.
God Loves... Himself 
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