1 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 not of works, lest any man should boast.
Lets take a closer look at this verse. Clearly it states that we are saved by God’s grace. The word saved in this verse is the Greek word “σῴζω (sōzō – Strongs# G4982). It is a verb found to be in the Passive Voice in the Greek. The Passive voice always indicates that it is a source other than oneself that is doing the action of the verb. In this case the one doing the action of the verb in regards to our salvation, is God. He does it all. The phrase “and not of yourselves” makes that abundantly clear. So what is the gift spoken of in this verse. Many believe that the gift is salvation. But salvation is not a gift, but rather it is God’s REMEDY to save man from the Adamic curse, that every human being inherits, the moment that they are conceived in the womb. Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection form the dead, when believed by unsaved individuals, will save them and will make them a part of the body of Christ, and they will postionally receive the righteousness of Christ at that very moment. So if salvation is not the gift, what is the gift? Verse 8 says that we are saved through faith, and the next sentence states the it is the gift of God. Therefore, it is the faith that God gives to us in order that we might believe, apart from any works that we may have done in the past, do in the present, or that we will do in the future that is the gift.
Verse 10 goes on to say:
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We are His workmanship created in Christ unto good works. The Greek word for created is “κτίζω” (ktizō – Strongs# G2936) and like the word saved in verse 8, this word is also found to be in the Passive voice in the Greek, which means that the action of the verb create, was done by someone other than ourselves. In this case it was God who has created the good works for us to walk in, and not through any doings of ourselves. God has ordained these good works for us. God created these good works that we are to be walking in before the foundation of the world. Finely God desires for us to be consistently walking in these good works throughout our lives. The Greek word for walk in this verse is “περιπατέω” (peripateō – Strongs# G4043), and means to set ones lifestyles by, and to live consistently under it’s control.
Therefore, our salvation is totally predicated upon the grace of God, and the gift of faith that He gives to us in order for us to believe, apart from any works that we have done in the past, or do in the future. Finely the good works which God has provided to all that have believed the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) is the RESULT of our salvation, and NOT the cause of it.
KEEP LOOKING UP (Titus 2:13)
GOD BLESS – FRED