Ephesians 2:8-9

NASB	NLT	VOICE
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;	8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.	8–9 For it’s by God’s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple. You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing.
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.	9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Salvation Through Grace

In the biblical context, grace refers to God’s kindness and love extended to humanity, despite their sinfulness. God’s grace is shown through His covenant with Israel in the Old Testament (Exodus 34:6-7) and through Jesus who embodies God’s grace (John 1:14). Our effort cannot lead us to redemption, but it is a gift of salvation by God through grace. We receive God’s grace through our faith. We must trust and rely on Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. Hebrews 11:1 shows us that faith is the assurance of what he hoped for and the conviction of things we cannot see. It goes beyond our intellect. It’s a deep-seated trust in God. In the cultural context of Ephesus, various religious practices and philosophies promoted self-improvement and works-based righteousness. Paul saying that it’s nothing we could have done to be saved, it’s counter-cultural. Salvation was given freely to us by God. We didn’t earn it or deserve it. God gifts it to us because of His love and generosity. The gift is Jesus – the ultimate expression of God’s love and grace to humanity. 

Be Grateful for Being Saved

Our response to receiving grace should be a life of gratitude and obedience. Let’s admit something: we are not perfect. It’s hard to accept this fact, especially for me because I struggle with perfectionism, but it’s true. We are born into a fallen world, we learn different aspects of a fallen world, and we try to achieve success through the standards of the world. It’s adding fuel to an already burning fire. God knew that the world was a fallen, struggling place. The Old Testament sacrificial system was no longer working. It had to be a new sacrifice, a new spotless, sinless lamb. It’s Jesus. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, there is eternal forgiveness. We have the gift of salvation waiting for us, and it’s up to us to accept it. Through our free will, we have a choice to accept it or not, but we should. We must. The world we see before us is broken, and we have a free gift before us that can help make the world a more loving and compassionate place. The more that others accept it, the more we can share that love that we receive to each other. It’s all about following Christ, accepting that gift, and staying obedient to God’s teaching. 

Turning Our Salvation into Servitude

In the context of Ephesians, Paul is talking to both the Jewish and Gentile believers. He states that staying obedient to the law or anything we do following the law cannot earn us salvation. The cultural context of the time includes a strong emphasis on following the Mosaic Law among Jewish communities, and Paul is, again, making it clear that salvation is a gift from God and NOT a result of our works. It’s done this way to eliminate any chance of us boasting or becoming prideful. In the Greco-Roman world, boasting about one’s achievements was common, but Paul wants to be counter-cultural by emphasizing being humble before God. All glory belongs to God. God states that the only thing we should boast about is knowing and understanding Him. Even Jesus didn’t consider Him equal with God. He humbled himself as a servant. 

Be God’s Hands and Feet

While works do not save, they are the evidence of a living faith. This has been a long-standing discussion in different churches: are we saved by faith or through works? If we are saved by faith, then why do we still have to do good works? Our salvation, our rescue from the bondage to sin, was fulfilled through the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice. God didn’t have to send Jesus. God could have let us fall to pieces, or wiped us all out again, or something in between. God chose to send His son to the world to be the ultimate sacrifice that removes any boundary between us and God, enabling us to have a right relationship with Him. Because He did that for us, our response is to do the good works. To express our gratitude and fulfill our side of the relationship. We can acknowledge that it’s not fair for one person in a relationship to do everything and the other take advantage of all that. So our role is to be His hands and feet in the world, reflecting His love, grace, mercy, and compassion to all people we meet. Accepting this gift, and taking it for granted, can lead us down a dark and wrong path. Meet this gift with humility, share in worship and gratitude, and show by faith the importance of this gift to all you meet. 

Reflection Questions

1. We often see the success of this world being based on our works. How does it feel that our success is shown through our faith in Christ?
2. How do you combat the legalism of Christianity with our faith in Christ?
3. What are three ways you serve your community with the same grace and mercy of God?

Call to Action

Read Galatians 3:11. Express thanks to God for the faith we have in Him and the security that comes with it for eternity. Ask God to strengthen your faith in the different ways that lack. See what areas you are weak in and ask God for the strength to know that He will walk alongside you and guide you to victory.

Check out the next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #294