Lord’s Library editors offer an Ephesians 2:8-9 meaning with commentary and supporting Scriptures for your edification.
Ephesians 2:8-9 makes an imperative declaration: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Written by the Apostle Paul, These Scriptures encapsulate the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by explaining that salvation is entirely a gift from God, received by faith and not earned by works righteousness. Understanding these verses provides insight into the nature of salvation and the key role of faith.
The phrase “by grace are ye saved” immediately points to God’s unmerited favor. Grace in the Biblical sense, means kindness and favor extended by God to those who do not deserve it. Romans 3:23 reminds: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Every person has fallen short of God’s perfect standard, meaning that no one can achieve righteousness on their own. Since all humanity is stained by sin, salvation cannot be achieved by religious works but only through God’s merciful intervention. Romans 6:23 adds that: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This shows that grace offers what sin would otherwise destroy.
Ephesians 2:8-9 Meaning
The next part of Ephesians 2:8, “through faith,” explains the means by which grace is received. Faith is the channel through which believers accept God’s gift of salvation. This faith is not mere intellectual assent but a wholehearted trust in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. See Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Faith, therefore, is essential to entering into a relationship with God and receiving His grace. It is by faith that believers accept Christ’s finished work on their behalf and trust in His righteousness rather than their own.
Paul goes further in Ephesians 2:8-9, stressing that salvation is “not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” This phrase reinforces the idea that salvation is entirely outside human achievement. See Paul again in Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
The following phrase, “not of works,” addresses the common misconception that good deeds or “adherence to the law” can save. This concept is further explained in Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The law serves to reveal sin, not to save from it. As the Apostle Paul reveals to us, any attempt to earn salvation by works is futile because it contradicts the very nature of grace.
Paul’s statement, “lest any man should boast,” underscores that salvation excludes all human pride. Since salvation is purely an act of God’s grace, there is no place for boasting. See 1 Corinthians 1:29: “That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
By eliminating the possibility of earning salvation, God ensures that all glory goes to Him alone. Believers can boast only in the Lord, not in their own accomplishments because salvation is entirely His doing.
Ephesians 2:8-9 also aligns with the Gospel of Jesus Christ offered in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This gift of eternal life is made possible through Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, which satisfies God’s justice and extends His mercy to all who believe. Faith, therefore, is not a work but a response to God’s grace and an acceptance of what Christ has already accomplished.
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