God's Grace For Future Generations
Daily Scripture
Ephesians 2:4-7
4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
“God is rich in mercy.” “You are saved by God’s grace.” That was (and is) the beating heart of our faith, said the letter to the Ephesians. God saved us FROM a broken, self-seeking way of life. But far from being the end of the story, it was just the beginning. God saved us FOR serving what Jesus called “the kingdom of God.” He aimed to restore not just individuals, but this whole broken world to God-given wholeness. God’s grace in your life isn’t just about making you feel better—it’s about something much bigger. Ephesians said, “God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace.” If God’s saving grace hadn’t had that future focus, you wouldn’t have heard of it today! That future focus clearly calls us to respond, not just by gratefully accepting salvation (the vital starting point, of course), but also by choosing to play a role in showing future generations how good God is.
- A specialized guide for world Bible translators said of Ephesians 2:7, “What God has done now will for all time to come be a demonstration of his great grace. The meaning may sometimes be expressed by “for generation after generation” or “for days that never end” or “for years that no one has ever yet thought of.” * Whether you accepted Christian ideas early or late, you might assume they were “just there.” But we know about Jesus due to ages of faithful work by countless Christians. “By the sixth century, an illiterate Europe had no libraries left. Thomas Cahill relates in How the Irish Saved Civilization how monastic communities copied every ancient text they could get their hands on. For many centuries, monasteries were the only institutions in Europe for acquiring, preserving, and transmitting knowledge.” ** Maybe someone like a parent or grandparent kept the faith alive for you. Now it’s your turn. How will you, whatever age you are, join in God’s purpose of “showing future generations the greatness of his grace”? ***
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for all that you have saved me from. Guide me and those I influence, day by day, into a way of living that carries out the purposes you saved me for, now and in the future. Amen.
GPS Insights
Faith Khumalo
During 2025 we are introducing you to writers from our global Missions partners every few weeks. They add perspective to our understanding of Resurrection's reach around the world.
Faith Khumalo, who serves as the Managing Director at Ditshego House of Laughter, wrote today's Insights. She is a dedicated Social Worker with vast experience in serving vulnerable populations. She became Managing Director in November, 2024, and oversees the development, implementation, and monitoring of programs aimed at promoting the well-being of children and their families. She is passionate about restoring a person’s dignity, building meaningful relationships, and celebrating cultural diversity. Faith is married with 2 sons who she loves to spend time with doing outdoor activities, gardening, and listening to music.
When I read today’s GPS Scripture, I learned that we are spiritually dead to sin and deserving of judgement. But God saves us by showing his unwavering love and mercy through Jesus Christ where we are given a new purpose which is to model/teach future generations how good God is.
Romans 5: 1-2 reminds me of God’s grace in Salvation: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into his grace in which we now stand”.
Today’s message reminded me of God’s Love, faithfulness and peace that extends to all generations. Living in a world with uncertainty, trials and tribulations it is comforting to learn and know of God’s promise as written in Exodus 20:6. This promise encourages me to trust in God ‘s promise for his provision in my life, my family and future of the children I serve in my work space.
As I look at my role at Ditshego and as a mother to my boys, I am more determined to passing on the lessons of faith. This particular Scripture resonates with me as it is a clear indication of God’s grace (which is his love for humankind). My mother in so many ways played a big influence in me seeking a deeper relationship with God. As I paved my way through life challenges, she always says, “Yesterday, today and forever Jesus is the same,” and that God’s word, guidance and comfort will always sustain me. Now more than ever as a parent, I am determined and committed to sharing the legacy of faith with the children I serve by modelling prayer and worship in our daily activities, encourage children I come into contact with to always seek God’s guidance and wisdom in every decision they need to make, and continuously pray for the children’s spiritual growth and development.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene A. Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. New York: United Bible Societies, 1982, p. 46.
** Ortberg, John. Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus (p. 65). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
*** For ideas, visit Resurrection’s Student Ministry.
