| SAVED BY GRACE |

Ephesians 2:1-10 form the heart of this short letter. These verses can be broken into four parts.

  1. Who we are and what we did
  2. Who God is and what He did
  3. Why God did it
  4. What is the result

Who We Are and What We Did

Ephesians 2:1-3: The passage begins with what is known as the bad news of the Gospel. The bad news is that we are dead in sin. Insofar as we have walked according to our own desires, ignoring the good command of God, we are separated from the life that can only be found in connection with God. Remember from John 1 that Jesus is the light and life of the world.

Who God is and What He Did

Ephesians 2:4-6: The passage turns on two words, from bad news to good news: “But God ….” God is rich in mercy. God has actively loved sinners through the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. This is grace and the only means by which a person can be saved.

Why God Did It

Ephesians 2:7-9: God did not have to intervene on behalf of sinners. He could have left everyone in their sin, under the curse of death. Instead, God did the work of the Gospel, sending Jesus, dying in the place of sinners, rising victorious with the promise that all those who trust in him would be forgiven of sin and given the perfect hope of resurrection and eternal life. Why did he do it? “So that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” God is showing us himself. The Gospel puts the perfection, love and mercy of God on display for all to see. No one may boast that they have saved themselves. Salvation is the work and gift of God alone.

What is the Result

For all who have trusted the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “we are his workmanship.” The result is that, as a people rescued from the works of sin, we are now free to walk in the way of Jesus. Every good work of the believer is a sign that God has done something miraculous. God has taken a dead sinner under a curse and transformed him into a saved lover of God.

Ephesians 2 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It is a beautiful, clear and profound statement of the Gospel. I encourage you to read it a few times and consider these questions. Have you trusted in the Gospel of Jesus? Have you asked God to forgive you for what you have done, trusted in what he has done, given thanks for his grace, and begun to walk according to his will? Surely, this can be the only suitable response to such good news.