“You Are Saved By Grace Through Faith”

Ephesians 2:8-9 is a passage often misunderstood. It says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Some take this to mean that we are saved by grace alone, although Paul says that salvation is by grace through faith. The “gift” that Paul is referring to here is salvation. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). This gift is offered to mankind through God’s grace, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). It is through faith that we accept the gift, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). While some would agree that grace alone does not save, they would argue that faith excludes works of any kind; after all, Paul said, “not of works, lest anyone should boast.” However, to say that works that we can boast about are excluded, does not eliminate works of all kinds; after all, James was quite clear that saving faith requires works. In James 2:14 James said, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” In verse 24 he continues, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” God’s grace offers us the gift of salvation, we accept that gift through faith by doing the works of obedience which God requires of us. All of this is evident in the broader context of Ephesians 2:8-9. In Ephesians 1:13 Paul said, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”. So the Ephesian brethren had to hear the word, believe the word, and trust in God. In Acts 19:5 while Paul was preaching in Ephesus, it is said, “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” In Acts 20:20-21 while speaking to the Ephesian elders, Paul said, “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” When viewed through the broader context of Ephesians 2:8-9, we see then that salvation, the gift of God given by God’s grace, acts through our obedient faith, which comes about through our hearing the word and believing it, and trusting God, which moves us to repentance and baptism.