Ephesians 2:1–10 ‘By grace you have been saved…’ (v8)
This passage is an enthusiastic endorsement of grace: saved by God’s free, unmerited favour, we are raised up with Jesus Christ, ‘seated’ with Him in ‘heavenly realms’ (v6)! Why? Because of God’s love, mercy (v4) and kindness (v7)!
We were in effect ‘dead’ before we received the life of God (v1), and ‘deserving… wrath’ (v3) – a sobering thought – but ‘made… alive’ through Christ, the gift of God (v5).
We’re not saved by our own good works, but receive salvation ‘through faith’ (v8). If we haven’t understood that, we may be relying on our own good works to get right with God.
But we can never get right with our holy, righteous Creator through our own efforts (v9), only by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (2 Tim. 1:9).
While good deeds don’t save us, they are evidence of our new birth. It’s exciting to read in this passage that God created us to do good things, which He has ‘prepared in advance for us to do’ (v10).
But God’s work must be carried out in God’s power; our lives should change as we begin to display the fruit of the Spirit who has come to live in us, producing the life of God (Gal. 5:22–23).
When we understand the gift God has given us, forgiveness, favour and acceptance into His family as sons and daughters through Jesus’ sacrifice alone, we will want to please Him out of gratitude.
Let’s not fall into the trap of thinking that we have to rely on our works to gain or maintain what He has already freely given us, but remember that works flow from grace.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Jesus, I can do nothing to save myself. But coming to You, and accepting Your sacrifice as a covering for my sin, I know that I am cleansed. Thank You, Lord. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
What is your understanding of ‘grace’? Spend some time thinking about it. Write, draw, or even sing a response.
Scripture To Consider:
Isa. 59:1–21 & 64:1–9; Rom. 3:9–20; Heb. 2:5–18
