Ephesians 2:8-10

Saved By Grace

Notice salvation is not by grace, nor faith alone. There is no way man could earn his salvation, so it is said here to be by the unmerited favor of God. God's grace is extended to all men who will accept that which is offered (Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 22:17). Man's acceptance comes through faith. Coffman suggests this actually may be "the faith". Since "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," we conclude that faith is God's gift to man whether it is the sum of all that is believed or it is the response to what God has said (Romans 10:17).

Therefore, it is not by works of merit that we are saved and we have no reason for a feeling of personal accomplishment in our salvation. Our salvation was procured by the death of God's Son on Calvary and we must do God's will to receive it. God outlined the works we are to perform to receive his great gift. Clearly, we do not act so as to save ourselves but to satisfy the Father's requirements (2:8-9).

It is through God's working that we become Christians. We are made new creatures in Christ to perform the good works he has designed for us to do. He prepared works for Christians to do even before the first Christian was created in Christ. If we want to be what God intended for us to be, we must do his bidding. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). A living faith is a faith that works (2:10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:17-18).