Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
1. What is God’s grace to us?
2. What is faith? What does faith look like in our lives?
3. What is the gift of God?
4. What is this teaching us about works?
I believe that verses 8-9 here are some of the most misquoted and misunderstood passages of Scripture in the Bible. And many people are using these verses out of context to excuse away their sinful lifestyles and to convince themselves that they don’t have to repent of their sins, and that they don’t have to obey God, and that no works are required of them, and that they don’t have to do anything at all to be pleasing to God.
But go back and read all the verses prior to these verses, and then read verse 10, also, which I have quoted here along with verses 8-9. For, in context, it speaks of how those of genuine faith in Jesus Christ are those who once (past tense) walked in sin, and who once (past tense) followed the course (way) of this world, and once (past tense) followed the ways of the devil in the passions of the flesh and in walks of disobedience to the Lord.
So, what is God’s grace to us? It is not freedom to keep living in sin. For, God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, instructs (trains) us to renounce (say “NO” to) ungodliness and fleshly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ gave himself up for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (see Titus 2:11-14; cf. Ephesians 2:10).
For Jesus died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness and that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin so that we would now honor him with our lives. For by faith in him we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. This IS GRACE!
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
And what is faith? It is divine persuasion, the persuasion of God as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need to repent of our sins and to follow him in obedience. And it comes from God and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing, not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of the will of God according to his purposes for our lives. So we don’t get to decide what that faith looks like. God does.
[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44]
So, how is our faith described in Romans 6:1-23? We were crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Therefore we are to let sin no longer reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God.
So, what is God’s gift to us? It is all of the above and more. Everything we have that is good and upright and holy and godly comes from God and not from ourselves – our faith to believe in him, his grace to us, his love, his forgiveness, our deliverance from slavery to sin, the empowerment of God to live godly and holy lives to the praise and glory of God, etc. But when we receive the gift, we put it into practice in our daily lives, in the power of God.
And what is this teaching us about works? It is good for you to do a study in the Scriptures on that subject for works are mentioned in three different ways, two of which come from the same source. There are the works of the flesh which come from our sin natures and these can be sinful practices and they can be “good deeds” done in the flesh to try to gain God’s approval while we continue living in sin, which is what the Pharisees did.
But then there are the good works that God requires of his followers, i.e. of all those of genuine faith in him, which he prepared in advance that we should walk in them and which we are to pursue and to put into practice and be zealous for. And these are listed for us all throughout the New Testament to include walks of obedience to him, the forsaking of our sinful practices, loving others with the love of God, and living holy lives pleasing to him.
[Jn 15:1-11; Rom 8:8; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 5:9; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Gal 6:8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 5:10; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Thes 4:1; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:4,21; Tit 2:11-14; Tit 3:8; Heb 11:6; Heb 13:6; Jas 2:17; 1 Jn 3:22]
So, if anyone is telling you that you can believe in Jesus Christ, have all your sins forgiven (past, present, and future), be on your way to heaven, and that nothing can take that away from you, regardless of how you live, he is lying to you. And if he is telling you that God requires nothing of you other than to “believe,” which they rarely define biblically, he is lying to you. And if he tells you that no works are required of you and that you don’t have to do anything to be pleasing to God, he is lying to you. Do not believe him!
Instead, read the Scriptures for yourselves, but please read them in context. For the Scriptures make it real clear that if we live in sin, and if sin is our practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips have professed. For not everyone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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