Tag: Grace

Rescued – Ephesians 2:1–10

Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Paul reminds his readers of who we once were. We lived according to our own desires, without regard for God or what was right. Nothing about our behavior earned God’s favor. Salvation was not a reward for improvement or effort. It was an act of grace. What is striking is that God did not simply rescue us from something, but raised us up with Christ himself. Our new position was not achieved alongside Jesus, but because we are united with him.

That truth cuts against how easily I think about myself. It is tempting to believe that I deserve God’s blessing because I have behaved better, given more, or tried harder than someone else. But this passage removes all of that. There is nothing about me that separates me from anyone else apart from God’s grace. The only reason I stand where I do is not because of something special in me, but because of what God has done.

The right response to this is not pride, but purpose. Grace does not lead to arrogance. It can’t. It leads to obedience. God saved me for a reason, not just from something. He prepared good works for me long before I was aware of them, and my life is meant to be shaped around that calling. I was not created to prove myself worthy. I was created to live out the will of God with humility and gratitude.

Saved for a Purpose – Ephesians 2:8–10

Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV) – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

This passage is carefully structured to make one central point clear. We are saved by faith, not by works. Our own behavior, no matter how well intentioned, cannot earn salvation. Scripture is blunt about that elsewhere, comparing our righteousness to filthy garments in Isaiah. If salvation depended on our performance, every one of us would fall short. Paul removes that possibility entirely. Salvation is a gift, given by grace.

At the same time, Paul does not dismiss good works. He places them in the right order. We are not saved by good works, but we are created for them. God has plans, prepared ahead of time, for how his people should live and serve. That distinction matters. Good works are not the entrance requirement. They are the result of a life already changed by grace.

This passage is a strong reminder for me. I do not do good things to earn God’s favor. I do them because God has already shown me grace and has intentionally placed opportunities in front of me. That means I should be paying attention. God created me for this purpose, and I need to be more focused on recognizing and stepping into the good works he has already prepared.