![]() ![]() Undoubtedly, the meaning is true as well. The reason is that the gender of the word this (in Greek) does not match the gender of the word faith, which would normally be the case if this was a pronoun referring to faith. Undoubtedly, this is true, but it may not be the best interpretation of this particular verse. ![]() Thus, the verse could be paraphrased, “You have been saved by grace through faith, and even this faith is not from within you.” Those who accept this interpretation emphasize that, without the work of God in our lives, we could not even believe the gospel in order to be saved. Some interpreters think that it refers to faith. The next clause in Ephesians 2:8–9 is a little more difficult to understand: “And this is not from yourselves.” The interpretive issue is what the word this is referring to. Faith is simply casting our unworthy selves on the mercy of a kind and forgiving and gracious God. Furthermore, we must understand that faith is not a good work in itself that God rewards. The response is simply trusting (having faith in) God to save on the basis of Christ’s goodness. The response is not trying to be “good enough” to be saved. Second, we are saved “through faith.” In order to be saved, there is a necessary human response to God’s grace. First, “it is by grace you have been saved.” If we are saved by grace, this means that it is not because we are good or deserving rather, it is because God is good and gracious. What God has done for believers in Christ is going to bring Him glory, and Ephesians 2:8–9 further explains how He gets all the glory. By definition, grace is a blessing that is undeserved and unwarranted-grace is a gift freely given based on the kind intentions of the giver to a recipient who has no claim to it. He does this to demonstrate His grace-that is to say His undeserved favor. The whole book of Ephesians rejects this premise, and Ephesians 2:8–9 specifically refutes it: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”Įphesians 2:7 says that God has given incredible blessings to those who are in Christ “in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” In other words, God has chosen to save sinners, not based on their goodness but on His kindness. ![]() Most people, whether in Christianized countries or those steeped in other religions, usually operate under the idea that God accepts or rejects people based on some level of goodness and/or religious performance. The popular notion is that God accepts good people and rejects bad people. Rather, they follow these guidelines as a natural part of living out their position in Christ. Importantly, people do not obey these guidelines in order to become Christians or to become acceptable to God. These three chapters contain some of the most pointed and practical behavioral guidelines for Christians. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Paul then thanks God for all the Ephesian believers, whether Jew or Gentile.Ĭhapters 4–6 encourage the believers in Ephesus to live up to their position in Christ. This unity is something that most people did not expect. In Christ they have been reconciled to God, and Jewish and Gentile believers have been reconciled to each other.Ĭhapter 3 further elaborates on God’s plan to include Gentiles and Jews together in Christ. He also prays that they will fully understand all of the spiritual blessings they have in Christ.Ĭhapter 2 begins by contrasting the believers’ current position in Christ with their condition outside of Christ-they had been dead in their sins. He tells them how they have been chosen and sealed with the Holy Spirit. Paul spends Ephesians chapter 1 telling them of the incredible blessings they have in Christ. Ephesians was written by Paul to the Christians in the city of Ephesus, which had a significant population of Gentile believers. ![]() Ephesians 2:8–9 is a familiar passage dealing with God’s grace in the matter of salvation: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”īefore looking at the meaning of an individual verse (or two), it is important to get a feel for the context. ![]()
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