Chapel Recap: Grace That Leads to Glory

Today in chapel, Sophomore Class Chaplain Zeke Klenzman taught from Ephesians 2, focusing his message on the call to recognize God’s grace for His glory and praise. Additionally, Klenzman wanted to answer two key questions: How and why does God enable us to take part in His mission?

Klenzman began by reminding the audience of where we were before Christ. We were spiritually dead and walking in sin, following the influence of three destructive forces: the world, Satan, and our own sinful desires. “Our God is rich in mercy and loves us with a great love,” Zeke said, quoting Paul’s words to the Ephesians. It is precisely in our helpless state that God intervened, not because of anything we did but because of who He is.

From there, Klenzman unpacked what God has done for us through Jesus. Though we were dead, God made us alive with Christ, raised us with Him from the grave, and seated us in heavenly places far above all powers and authorities. “It’s too easy to forget where we were, who God is, and what He has done,” Klenzman reminded listeners. “God has looked upon our sinful, hopeless state and has saved us through the blood of His Son, giving us every blessing in Christ and preparing for us good works to walk in.”

In verses 7–10, Paul explains that this salvation is for God’s glory and praise, demonstrating His immeasurable riches of grace. Because it is a gift, there’s no room for boasting. Everything about our salvation points back to God’s mercy, not our merit.

Klenzman then challenged us to respond to these truths by remembering God’s grace. When we regularly remind ourselves of what Christ has done, it produces humility, peace, freedom, joy, hope, and trust. “Remembering God’s grace gives you the confidence to draw near to God’s throne of grace with boldness,” Klenzman said, “not because you’ve earned it but because you don’t have to.”

He then closed with a profound reminder of our relationship to the Father through Christ: “Christ's intimate, loving relationship with the Father is now your intimate, loving relationship with the Father.”

We are saved by grace for God’s glory to join His mission in the world. Grace not only rescues us but sends us.