“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.“
How are you with receiving gifts?
Most people are comfortable with the idea that grace helps us. What is harder to accept is the idea that grace is necessary from beginning to end.
We often assume there must be something we contribute. Maybe not perfectly, maybe not enough to earn salvation entirely, but surely something. A better attitude. A stronger faith. More consistency. Some evidence that we are worth saving.
But Paul leaves no room for that kind of thinking in Ephesians 2.
After describing humanity as spiritually dead and trapped under sin, he writes two words that change everything:
“But God…”
The turning point is not human effort. It is God’s mercy.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us… made us alive together with Christ.”
Notice the direction of the action. God is the One acting. God is the One making alive. And He does this not when people are improving themselves or moving toward Him, but while they are still dead in sin.
That is what grace actually means.
Grace is not God helping people who are almost able to save themselves. Grace is God bringing life where there was none. Grace is God’s unearned favor.
Paul wants us to see this clearly, which is why he repeats it:
“By grace you have been saved.”
And then he goes even further:
“This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works.”
Many of us struggle with receiving gifts. We can give gifts easily enough, but receiving them feels like we aren’t enough or we are a burden.
Yet, there is something freeing about hearing that again. Your salvation does not rest on the strength of your faith, the quality of your obedience, or your ability to hold everything together. It rests on Christ and what He has done for you. It’s freeing because, when we take an honest look at ourselves, we know we don’t measure up.
That does not make good works unimportant. Paul will speak about those soon enough. But he puts them in the right place. They are the fruit of salvation, not the cause of it.
The foundation is grace.
So when you begin to wonder whether you have done enough, or whether God’s love for you depends on how well you are doing spiritually, come back to these words.
Also, when you feel like you are doing pretty well and that you’re a pretty good person, maybe worthy of contributing something towards your salvation…
Grace is a gift and your salvation is by grace alone.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving me even when I could not save myself. Forgive me for the times I try to base my standing with You on my own efforts or accomplishments.
Help me to rest in the gift of Your grace and to trust fully in what Christ has done for me.
Let my life today flow not from fear or striving, but from gratitude for Your mercy.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
