Grace through Faith

If there were ever a passage of Scripture to memorize, Ephesians 2:8-10 would be it: "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not of your own doing; for it is the gift from God, not by works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, that He has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

These brief sentences hold a wealth of theological truth to chew upon.  For starters, the first phrase, "For by grace you have been saved through faith," speaks immeasurably about the transaction of salvation.  It had always been assumed that salvation was bestowed by God only on those who were deserving.  Thus grace was to be understood as a conditional affair, dependent on one's obedience to Torah.  Now, Paul makes this radical assertion that salvation is a matter of grace that is acquired by faith.  The simplicity of the statement is only overshadowed by its profundity.

The follow up, "And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift from God, not by works so that no one may boast," is equally as provocative.  Beware that we overlook the depth of Paul's declaration: not only is salvation a matter of grace that is appropriated by faith, but no human deeds can merit it.  Moreover, this is by design.  God intends that no one may boast because of salvation.  Think about the effect of this statement.  Because of its content, pride, then, has no place in any conversation of salvation, for nothing could earn it.

Understanding the previous verses as such, then the next phrase, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, that He has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them," takes on a different tone.  This passage is clear to indicate that we have been give the gift of God, which is is grace and salvation assigned by faith.  Additionally, faith is coupled with good works that are the actions of faith, not to merit faith but to act out faith.

The purpose of this discourse has been not only to highlight this important passage but also to offer an insight into some study methodology.  This is one method of many to employ when dissecting Bible passages.  Through the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit the wealth of the Word may permeate our lives.  Let us then press into the Word as to press into God!