Grace Versus Works
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Ephesians 2:8-9 are some of the most well-known verses in the Bible. When sharing the gospel, these are the verses we point to as a reminder that salvation doesn’t require work on our part – it’s a gift given entirely by the grace of God.
The problem that comes with these two verses is when we drag them into the faith versus works debate. Throughout Christian history, there has been a debate regarding whether salvation requires works. There seems to be two extreme camps regarding this topic – the “grace only” camp, which uses Ephesians 2:8-9 to back themselves up, and the “works required” camp, using James 2:26 to back themselves up:
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:26
In studying Ephesians 2:1-10 this spring, I’ve learned that this debate can be solved by taking a look at context. I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned.
Ephesians 2:1-10 is a passage of praise. It follows after Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians to know God’s calling, the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the greatness of His power toward believers. Paul prays that the Ephesians will know their salvation, and then in 2:1-10, he reminds them what the basics of salvation are:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10
In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul shows our need for God’s grace. We were enslaved to disobedience, and were by nature children of wrath, meaning we were born into sin and wrath is the response that sin and evil deserve from a holy God. And we couldn’t do anything about it because we were dead in sin. We were separated from the Source of Life, and we needed rescued. If verse 3 was the end of the story, this would be a depressing passage of Scripture. But God didn’t let our story end there.
Ephesians 2:4-7 explain how we were made alive through Christ. Because of God’s mercy, great love, and grace, despite our transgressions, He made us alive together with Christ. Through the death and resurrection of Christ we have been rescued from our sin and given access to the Source of Life! Not only are we given life, but we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. This means that we have a right to the kingdom of God and share in Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness. Why did God do all this? So that He can make known the riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ, and for generations to come God’s grace and kindness will be on display for all to celebrate.
Ephesians 2:8-9 highlight that we are saved by the gift of God’s grace. In Paul’s day, just like many believe today, many people believed that if their good deeds outweighed their bad deeds, then they would get into heaven. Paul is countering this argument, saying that we are saved not by our works but by God’s grace as a gift. This saving grace does require faith on our part in order for that grace to take effect in our lives. This faith is a response to what God has done, and the moment we put our faith in Christ, we are saved by God’s grace. I love how verse 8 says that our salvation is the gift of God; it’s awe-inspiring to me to think that God picked out this gift of salvation for us. Finally, verse 9 ends with the reminder that our salvation isn’t a result of works so that we won’t boast. We can’t earn our salvation. God is the one who saved us, and He deserves all the credit and glory for His awesome work in our lives.
If we stop our study here, we are left wondering how James 2:26 can be in harmony with Ephesians 2:8-9. How are we saved not as a result of works, and yet James says that faith without works is dead? The answer is found in Ephesians 2:10:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
God had a plan for our salvation, that we would live it out through our good works. These good works aren’t the means for our salvation, but rather they flow from what God has done for us. “Workmanship” means that we are the result of God’s work. By God’s grace, we have a new creation in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). God didn’t just save us to remove our sins, but to turn our lives around and give us a new purpose and way of life. The key to this verse is that the good works are a result of a changed life, which means that the good works couldn’t have come prior to our salvation – good works are the fruit of salvation. The second key here is that our salvation is supposed to bear the fruit of good works. Believing that works are required for salvation diminishes the cross of Christ, but saying that you can be saved from sin apart from living a changed life also diminishes the cross of Christ. Christ didn’t die on the cross to give you a ticket into heaven while allowing you to continue rotting in sin until His return. Christ has saved you to free you from the bondage of sin today! What’s also beautiful about this verse, is that God prepared these good works beforehand for us to walk in them. That means that God gives us the grace and strength we need to accomplish the good works He wants us to do, and He gives us that grace for each day so that each day we can live in that newness of life.
We are saved entirely by the grace of God, and as a result of that grace we are given a new life in which God has prepared for us to walk in good works for His glory. The question I’m asking myself is what good works has God prepared for me to walk in? How does God want me to grow in my relationship with Him and with others? How does God want to demonstrate His grace in me today? I pray that my heart will be open to God’s leading and grace so that I am not diminishing the cross of Christ.
I challenge you to ask how God wants to demonstrate His grace in you today. Maybe you’ve never placed your faith in Christ, and this is the time for you to allow God’s grace to transform you. Maybe God is calling you to a deeper relationship with Himself, or maybe He’s calling you to reach out to your next-door neighbor. Whatever God’s calling you to, walk in it, and know that His grace is sufficient to enable you to do good works.
With love,
Kelsey
