By Grace You Were Saved Pt 2

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God’s grace has been Paul’s theme since the beginning of this letter. Starting right back in Ch 1 vs 2 with “Grace to you and peace from God from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

All the spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ is grace from God to us through Christ.

By grace he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

By grace He predestined us to adoption

By grace He made us accepted in the Beloved

By grace we have redemption through the blood of Christ the forgiveness of our sins

By grace we have obtained an inheritance

By grace we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance

And all this is to the praise of His glory and grace.

When Paul says that it is by grace it is in direct contrast to works.

In Romans Paul tells us when speaking of the remnant Israel who is saved says, Rom 11:5-6

Romans 11:5–6 NKJV

5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

So we know that for Paul nothing can at the same time be of grace and of works.

Grace, by deffiniton, is a gift that is unmerited. That means it is a gift that has been given to an underserving recipient. Not only have they not earned the gift they are undeserving of it.

To prove his point Paul has just described our condition is Ch 2 as dead, sons of disobedience, conducting ourselves in the lust of our flesh, by nature children of wrath.

This description makes us both undeserving as well as unable to earn any good thing.

This is why Paul makes the point in

Ephesians 2:4–5 NKJV

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

It must be grace that saves us because we are both undeserving “in trespasses” and unable “dead”. But God, who is rich in mercy and because of His great love with which He loved us, made us alive together with Christ. So- “by grace you have been saved”

Paul has been building up to this wonderful and powerful truth in Eph 2:8

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

So we see then that our salvation and therefore all the spiritual blessings in heavenly places -

It Is The Gift of God

It is the gift of God because it is by grace and grace alone that you are saved. But how did you receive this grace? It didn’t just come upon you while you were unaware. No, it came to you through faith. The Ephesian saints must have been well acquainted with Paul teaching that justification is by faith. This was one of Paul’s key doctrines that he taught wherever he went. In his letter to the Romans he gives us the doctrine in its fullest expression. However, Paul always gives us the connection between faith and grace as in Rom 5:1-2

Romans 5:1–2 NKJV

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

So faith is our access into this grace which saves. But Paul is familiar with our nature and knows that if there is anything left on the table that we can find some way to take credit then we will do it. And even though it is evident that we are saved only by the grace of God because we were dead in our trespasses. It come to us through faith and so we will grab onto that and say ah, I had faith, it was my faith that saved me.

To which Paul says yes you were saved through faith and that was not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Even your faith is grace. Remember you were dead, dead people don’t believe in anything. Before God came to you and gave you the grace of faith you were without hope.

Why is this so important? Isn’t this just Theology? It’s this just things for Bible scholars to argue about? Well, Paul thinks it’s important. He spent a great deal of time and effort writing to teach this truth.

You see the thing is, this has implications that go far beyond your conversion. Your conversion is only the beginning of the work of salvation in you. But this principal applies you the whole work of God in you.

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

It is God who started the work in you by grace through faith which is the gift of God and it is God who will complete it by grace through faith which is a gift of God.

If the work was started by your faith and your works then you will continue trying to perfect yourself through your faith and your works.

Which brings us to the next point...

Not Of Works But For Works

Ephesians 2:9 NKJV

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

One of the main takeaways from Paul’s teaching on salvation by grace is that boasting is excluded

Romans 3:27 NKJV

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NKJV

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

God has chosen you because you were weak. The disciples said to Christ after He had told them that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, “who then can be saved?” To which Christ replied “with men this is imposable, but with God all things are possible.” With men, any men, whether rich or poor male of female, Jew or Gentile salvation is impossible. Only by God’s sovereign grace is is possible for any to be saved.

So there is no boasting, nothing for us to be proud of in ourselves. By if we boast we must boast in God who saves by grace through faith which is a gift of God.

So if God does all the work for our salvation do we just do nothing? Do we just keep sinning? This seems to be the greatest objection to this truth. Paul faced it when he was teaching these things and we will face it today when we teach that salvation is by grace alone. Our salvation has nothing to do with our works yet God saves us for good works. Not of works but for works.

Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

for we are His workmanship not our own. And we were created in Christ Jesus.

Before he said that God made us alive together with Christ now we are created in Christ. In both of these pictures we are helpless and the work must be totally God’s. The dead cannot raise themselves and no one creates themselves.

But what were we raised to life for and what were we created for?

Good works.

Which God prepared beforehand or He ordained, predestined that we should walk in these good works.

Christ calls this fruit in John 15:1-5

John 15:1–5 NKJV

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

God has saved you and predetermined that you will bear fruit. and even that fruit is by grace through faith and that is not of yourselves but it is the gift of God.

Philippians 2:12–13 NKJV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Through the faith that God gives you abide in Christ and by His grace you will have both the desire to do the works that God has prepared for you and the power to do it. But give all glory to God.