If you were to die today and stand before God and He asked, “Why should I let you into My heaven?”, what would you say?
The question gets to the heart of, “What are you trusting in for eternal life?”
Paul answers this crucial question in these verses (Ephesians 2:8-9). He wrote these truths to those who were already saved, to clarify and solidify their understanding of these vital matters.
When you share the gospel with others, their misunderstanding of God’s grace and the relationship between faith and works will be the major issues you will need to clarify.
When you include verse 10, Paul’s message is that salvation is by grace through faith apart from good works, but it inevitably “results” in a life of good works. But we are only going to focus on verses 8 and 9 today, where Paul says, “Salvation is by grace through faith alone, not as a result of good works, so that God alone gets the glory.”
To get a handle on this truth, you must understand these five concepts:
1. Saved (as opposed to “works”): To be saved means that the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued us from God’s wrath and judgment.
2. Grace: Salvation by grace alone means that we did absolutely nothing to earn or merit salvation.
3. Faith: Salvation through faith alone means that we receive salvation through trusting in what Jesus did for us on the cross.
4. Gift: Salvation is God’s free gift to us.
5. Boast (or, glory): Salvation gives all the glory to God and none to us.
If, as Paul here proclaims, salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for God’s glory alone, then there is hope for every sinner. Salvation does not depend on you, but rather on God, who is mighty to save.
Flee for refuge to Christ and these wonderful verses apply to you.
By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9