"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
We have sometimes used, as an illustration of the regenerating work of the Spirit, the picture of a ragged urchin creeping up to the window of a big house, and gluing his eyes to the scene within - a lovely, sparkling, and infinitely desirable Christmas party in progress. What a marvellous, yet poignant and wistful sight for a poor, outcast child. And then - wonder of wonders! - the master of the house sees him, comes out and invites him in to share in the festivities. It was good to look in - but infinitely better to go in! Now, in chapter 1 of Ephesians, we were looking in, as it were, gripped, stirred, hungering for the Word of life, and longing somehow to get in. And here in chapter 2 we get in, and just as the opening verses (1-3) underline the poverty-stricken state to which sin has reduced mankind, and are well described and illustrated by the picture of the poor urchin child, so also does his 'welcome to the party' illustrate the wonderful divine intervention by which the plight of man is changed and transformed into an experience of infinite hope and realisation. Such is the wonder of the gospel.