One suggestion for Ephesians 2:7 which says: “in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,” is that immeasurable could be translated as ‘his very, very great grace.’ The same word in 2 Corinthians 4:7 is ‘surpassing’ — “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” It could be translated to say that ‘God has very, very great power.’
However, the person who makes these suggestions says these expressions may not do full justice to the intensity of degree expressed in these verses. In several languages the closest equivalents might be: ‘He is gracious beyond anything we can imagine’ and ‘God has power beyond any words to describe.’
The immeasurable nature of God is described in the OT this way:
Psalm 103:11. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
Psalm 117:2. For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
Isaiah 42:13. The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.
These three OT verses compare God’s immeasurable attributes with vast distances, with forever, with a zealous soldier.
The NT verses are a bit different in their use of language to describe the indescribable. The first one compares the glory of God seen in His law compared to the glory of His grace by saying grace surpasses law:
2 Corinthians 3:10. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.
2 Corinthians 9:14 also points to His grace as seen in the God-given generosity of His people to a needy church who longs for and prays for them “because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.”
Two other NT verses also point to characteristics of our God that we find difficult to describe because we lack words to express them. These attributes are His power and His love:
Ephesians 1:19 speaks of our inheritance in terms of God’s power shown in the resurrection: “. . . what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might” demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection. And Ephesians 3:19 describes Paul’s prayer for the church “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Here is where the transforming process of becoming like the Lord by focusing on Him is not going to happen. Somethings are not only beyond words but beyond my capacity. The total glory of God’s greatness will never show up in me or anyone else who is being restored to the likeness of Christ — even after we enter eternity and are complete in Him. We are made in His likeness yet His grace, power and love surpass all reflections from mere mortals. Only Jesus demonstrates that immeasurable glory and because of the wonder and reality of His immeasurable grace, I must bow in awe and worship Him.
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