A Glimpse – The Gambia

Do you know God’s grace? Here are 7 Bible verses to inspire you to understand this grace.

Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

To understand God’s grace, we have to acknowledge that we have done what is wrong in God’s eyes. We have sinned. We are in need of forgiveness and redemption.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God’s grace is a free gift that doesn’t depend on any good deeds you have done. God’s grace is for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

James 4:6-7 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In humility we turn to God and confess that we have done wrong. In humility we receive God’s grace and he will lift us up.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God isn’t a distant God. He came to us and lived among us as one of us. Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

You can come to Jesus, just as you are. He knows our weaknesses. Because of the grace of God, we are forgiven our sins.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We don’t earn or deserve God’s grace by our good deeds, but it’s given according to God’s own mercy. By grace we are saved through our faith and even become heirs to the kingdom of God.

Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

This is the very last verse of the Bible and it reminds and expresses the wish for God’s grace be with you. “Amen” means “surely”, “truly” or “so be it.” We live by the hope and trust in God’s grace every day.

1 From Paul, who by God's will is an apostle of Christ Jesus—

To God's people in Ephesus, who are faithful in their life in union with Christ Jesus:

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. 4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Because of his love 5 God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose. 6 Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! 7 For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, 8 which he gave to us in such large measure!

In all his wisdom and insight 9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. 10 This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

11 All things are done according to God's plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he had decided from the very beginning. 12 Let us, then, who were the first to hope in Christ, praise God's glory!

13 And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised. 14 The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who are his. Let us praise his glory!

Paul's Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I remember you in my prayers 17 and ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him. 18 I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people, 19 and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength 20 which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world. 21 Christ rules there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in the next. 22 God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the church as supreme Lord over all things. 23 The church is Christ's body, the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere.

Adresse et salutation

V. 1-2: cf. Ac 18:19-21Ac 19; 20:17, etc.

1 Paul, apôtre de Jésus-Christ par la volonté de Dieu, aux saints qui sont à Éphèse et aux fidèles en Jésus-Christ: 2 Que la grâce et la paix vous soient données de la part de Dieu notre Père et du Seigneur Jésus-Christ!

Bénédictions de Dieu en Jésus-Christ, auteur de notre rédemption et chef de l’Église

V. 3-14: cf. (1 Pi 1:1, 2. 2 Th 2:13, 14. 2 Ti 1:9, 10. Ro 8:28-30.) (Ga 3:13, 14. Ro 8:15-17.)

3 Béni soit Dieu, le Père de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ, qui nous a bénis de toutes sortes de bénédictions spirituelles dans les lieux célestes en Christ! 4 En lui Dieu nous a élus avant la fondation du monde, pour que nous soyons saints et irrépréhensibles devant lui, 5 nous ayant prédestinés dans son amour à être ses enfants d’adoption par Jésus-Christ, selon le bon plaisir de sa volonté, 6 à la louange de la gloire de sa grâce qu’il nous a accordée en son bien-aimé. 7 En lui nous avons la rédemption par son sang, la rémission des péchés, selon la richesse de sa grâce, 8 que Dieu a répandue abondamment sur nous par toute espèce de sagesse et d’intelligence, 9 nous faisant connaître le mystère de sa volonté, selon le bienveillant dessein qu’il avait formé en lui-même, 10 pour le mettre à exécution lorsque les temps seraient accomplis, de réunir toutes choses en Christ, celles qui sont dans les cieux et celles qui sont sur la terre. 11 En lui nous sommes aussi devenus héritiers, ayant été prédestinés suivant la résolution de celui qui opère toutes choses d’après le conseil de sa volonté, 12 afin que nous servions à la louange de sa gloire, nous qui d’avance avons espéré en Christ. 13 En lui vous aussi, après avoir entendu la parole de la vérité, l’Évangile de votre salut, en lui vous avez cru et vous avez été scellés du Saint-Esprit qui avait été promis, 14 lequel est un gage de notre héritage, pour la rédemption de ceux que Dieu s’est acquis, à la louange de sa gloire.

V. 15-23: cf. (Col 1:3-6, 9-13. 1 Pi 1:3, 4.) (Ph 2:9-11. Col 1:18, Col 19. Ép 2:1-7.) Ph 3:10.

15 C’est pourquoi moi aussi, ayant entendu parler de votre foi au Seigneur Jésus et de votre charité pour tous les saints, 16 je ne cesse de rendre grâces pour vous, faisant mention de vous dans mes prières, 17 afin que le Dieu de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ, le Père de gloire, vous donne un esprit de sagesse et de révélation, dans sa connaissance, 18 et qu’il illumine les yeux de votre cœur, pour que vous sachiez quelle est l’espérance qui s’attache à son appel, quelle est la richesse de la gloire de son héritage qu’il réserve aux saints, 19 et quelle est envers nous qui croyons l’infinie grandeur de sa puissance, se manifestant avec efficacité par la vertu de sa force. 20 Il l’a déployée en Christ, en le ressuscitant des morts, et en le faisant asseoir à sa droite dans les lieux célestes, 21 au-dessus de toute domination, de toute autorité, de toute puissance, de toute dignité, et de tout nom qui se peut nommer, non seulement dans le siècle présent, mais encore dans le siècle à venir. 22 Il a tout mis sous ses pieds, et il l’a donné pour chef suprême à l’Église, 23 qui est son corps, la plénitude de celui qui remplit tout en tous.

Ephesians 1