It may be good to address a popular idea about being a
Christian. As I have traveled around I have heard many sincere people quote
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This
has been quoted to prove that God has done it all for our salvation and there
is nothing for us to do. I sincerely believe that this is an error that has
been allowed to grow in people’s understanding because they have not taken the
time to search the scriptures diligently. And because it sounds very pleasant
to hear from “The Bible” that I have nothing to do. When I look at the whole
book of Ephesians (It was written as a single letter to an individual assembly
of believers) the passage in 2:8-9 is part of a larger statement. As part of
that larger statement it is absolutely true and correct. But it is not the whole
statement or intention of what is being communicated. In this case I had to
read the entire epistle to get the fuller meaning of what is being said and how
this passage relates to the whole. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are a sort of
introduction to the message of the letter. In chapter 1, Paul expresses his
prayer for the saints (Christians) in Ephesus; that they will realize all that
God wants to accomplish in each of their individual lives. In chapter 2 he does
speak extensively about the grace of God, and that it has made us alive (vs. 5)
so that we will be able to actually accomplish good works (vs. 10). Without God
we could do nothing of any eternal value. In chapter 3, Paul goes into some
detail to explain that God has made him an apostle, in spite of his own
unworthiness, in order to show to those who will see, the amazing scope of all
that God desires to accomplish in each individual child of God. Then the meat
of the message which has been well prepared by the first 3 chapters is
presented in chapters 4,5 and 6. Here we find practical instructions for
realizing more and more of the wonderful benefits that are ours as the children
of God, because of the redeeming power of Jesus’ cross and the tremendous
working of God’s grace in our life.
