How God’s Grace Saves Us: A Reflection on Ephesians 2:8-10
One of the most important and comforting truths of the Christian faith is that we are saved by God’s grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor, his undeserved kindness and love toward us. Grace is not something we can earn or deserve through our own efforts or work. Grace is a gift that God freely gives to us because of his great love for us.
In Ephesians 2:8-10, the apostle Paul explains how God’s grace saves us. He writes:
“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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
There are three key points that Paul makes in this passage:
- We are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is not something we can achieve by our own efforts or merits. It is a gift that God gives us out of his grace and mercy. We receive this gift by trusting in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. Faith is not a work that we do, but a response that we make to God’s grace.
- We are saved not by works, but for works. Our good deeds cannot save us or make us right with God. Only God’s grace can do that. However, our good deeds are the evidence and result of our salvation. They are the way we show our gratitude and love to God and to others. They are also the way we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. God has created us in Christ Jesus to do good works, which he has prepared in advance for us to do.
- We are saved to glorify God. Our salvation is not for our own benefit or boasting, but for God’s glory and praise. We are his handiwork, his masterpiece, his work of art. He has made us new creatures in Christ Jesus, who reflect his image and character. He has saved us by his grace so that we can live for him and honor him with our lives.
God’s grace is amazing and wonderful. It saves us from our sins and gives us a new life in Christ Jesus. It empowers us to do good works and glorify God with our lives. Let us thank God for his grace and live by faith in him.