Ephesians 2:8-9

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For 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.”

Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for saving me. We both know there is nothing I can do or say that would be good enough for You. Thank you for taking me just as I am.

How great is this verse? What a gift we have been given. None of us is righteous, not one of us. God, in His graciousness, has said: “Come to me just as you are.” It is My gift to you.

No matter what we do for God, we would not be excepted by those works. This is a gift beyond expectation because we know ourselves very well. It is a divine gift. It is God’s grace and has nothing to do with human effort.

Godsbless.ing: When Paul writes, ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith’ he emphasizes that salvation is a gift from God, not something we earn. The word ‘grace’ here signifies unmerited favor, a gift that is given without any expectation of return. ‘Through faith’ underscores our response to that grace—trusting and believing in God’s promises . . . The phrase ‘and this is not your own doing’ serves as a humbling reminder. Our deeds, no matter how good, cannot earn salvation. ‘It is the gift of God’ reinforces the idea that salvation is a divine gift, freely given out of God’s abundant love . . . Paul continues with, ‘not a result of works, so that no one may boast.’ This statement eradicates any grounds for personal boasting. It draws our attention away from human effort and redirects it to divine grace.”

We only have to believe. No matter what we have done or how bad we think we are, if we believe, it is given to us. Hallelujah!

Enduringword.com: “Paul cannot speak of this glorious work God does without reminding us that it is a gift of grace, given to the undeserving. We are not even saved by our faith (though faith itself is not a work), but by grace through faith . . . God did it not of works simply so that no one could boast. If salvation was the accomplishment of man in any way, we could boast about it. But under God’s plan of salvation, God alone receives the glory.”

Charles Spurgeon: “Our new life is as truly created out of nothing as were the first heavens, and the first earth. This ought to be particularly noticed, for there are some who think that the grace of God improves the old nature into the new. It does nothing of the sort.”

I know how thankful I am that God took me just as I was. I didn’t have to change anything to be saved because He loves me. I just had to believe. I continue to be thankful as He now works in my heart and brings about changes in my life for the better. One day I can thank Him in person.

By His Grace . . .