"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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."
Ephesians 2:4-6
Such is the human predicament, then, which is answered by the grace and mercy of God in the gospel. What a glorious word Paul utters in 4, "But God ...." The word 'but' is in English grammar only a connecting particle - but what a connection it makes here! For it links the plight of man with the power of God; it links the degradation and despair of the sinner with the love and compassion of the Saviour; it links the helplessness of the lost with the Strong Name of the Trinity. And it is the special delight of God so to do, in His Word, and by the mighty operation of the Spirit to make it a reality in our lives. We need to set this wonderful reality over against every conceivable human situation. Let our situation be as dark as could be - but God! Let circumstances be as difficult and doom-laden as they could be - but God! Let the magnitude of your sin be as insuperable as possible - but God! Let your weakness, your disability, your background, your track record, or whatever, be as problematic and intractable as possible - over against all that stands God in the riches of His grace - rich in mercy, ready to pardon, mighty to save, able to do exceeding abundantly above all you could ask or think, able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before His Presence with exceeding joy! The truth of the matter is that if God spared not His Son, but freely gave Him up for us all, how shall He not also, with Him, freely give us all things. If He is able to deal with the extremest of needs, and bring life out of death in His atoning and reconciling work, then all and every lesser need will yield to His blessed touch. That is our God and that is our gospel. Blessed be His Name!