Ephesians 2:6-7

6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Paul continues detailing the actions of God toward us. First He made us alive with Christ (resurrection); He saved us (v5). In v6, we see that He also raised us up with Christ (ascension) and seated us with Christ (session of authority and reign). It’s all about our union with Him. Though we wait for this reality to happen (Colossians 3:1-4), we now have a new mind (1 Corinthians 2:15; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:23-24), a new identity (Romans 8:14-17), and a new freedom from sin (Romans 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17). It’s already but not yet. Paul’s past-tense language signifies that it’s as good as done because of the One who has done it and is doing it. And that’s part of what salvation is – being made alive, being exalted, and being made to reign over all things – all with Christ and by Christ and in Christ and for Christ. And it’s all by grace, for you died doing everything to fight against it.

In v7, Paul notes that salvation (life) is founded in God’s love and mercy for the goal of His glory – the exaltation of His character, namely His grace and kindness. Because of His mercy (His compassion toward us, His pity on us), His love (His own self-generated concern for our well-being), His grace (His undeserved favor to us), and His kindness (because of that spirit of generosity and overflowing that wells up from the heart of God), God did all of this for us. It had nothing to do with us. God didn’t save us because we believed the gospel; rather God brought us to faith as the channel through which we are saved. We love God – with saving faith – because He first loved us (1 John 4:10,19) – in a saving way. The latter causes and guarantees the former. In other words, our salvation is due not to anything in us, but to God. It’s Him reaching out to us – when we were dead (Romans 5:6,8) – in mercy, love, grace, and kindness.

John Stott tells a story in his commentary on Ephesians: one of his professors at Cambridge, Dr. Gibson, upon his retirement was honored by the board and faculty with a beautiful portrait of his likeness that would hang in the hall where he had taught for most of his life. When Dr. Gibson was giving his words of appreciation at the unveiling of this beautiful portrait, he said, “In the future, when people see this painting they will not ask the question, ‘Who is that man?’ but ‘Who painted that portrait?’” It was an expression of his appreciation for the artistic skill of the portrait maker. He had done such a wonderful job that his work would draw attention to itself. That’s a solid illustration of what God is doing in us. God’s grace has been manifested to us not so that we are the center of attention, and that people are asking ‘What about him? Who is he? What’s his name?’ but ‘Who did that work of grace in him? Who saved that man?’ We are the display of God’s workmanship in salvation. He is glorified in our salvation.