Ephesians 2:7

“that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”

“In the ages to come”: “Lit., the ages, those which are coming on” (Vincent p. 376). “The timeless eons of eternity have come” (Lenski p. 420). “He would have all future ages see” (Knox). “He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness”: “The boundless wealth of His loving-kindness” (TCNT). “The tremendous generosity of the grace” (Phi). “How immense are the resources of His grace” (NEB). Bruce put it well when he said, “It implies one age supervening on another like successive waves of the sea, as far into the future as thought can reach. Throughout time and in eternity, the church, this society of pardoned rebels, is designed by God to be the masterpiece of His goodness” (p. 288). Our present salvation is just the tip of the iceberg. God, in the ages to come, desires to demonstrate the generosity of His kindness. God will never tire of us. Even in heaven Christians will continue to experience the wealth of God's kindness. “While manmade religions have men trying to appease the wrath of their angry gods, this text shows how eager God is to display His lovingkindness. It must be noted, however, that God's eternal kindness is available only in Christ Jesus” (Boles pp. 225-226). We need to remember that God's kindness has always been conditional (Genesis 6:8; Lamentations 2:25; Isaiah 2:4). “It excels men's kindness. Men tend to sulk and withdraw from those who violate their trust, but God offers grace out of His kindness” (Caldwell p. 80). “Toward us in Christ Jesus”: Yet this tremendous mercy is only available to Christians.