Ephesians 2: 4 – 10
4 But God in his generous mercy, because of the amazing love he had for us 5 even while we were dead in our sins, has made us alive together with Christ. Trusting in him has saved you! 6 He raised us up with Christ, and in Christ Jesus seated us with him in heaven, 7 so that in all eternity to come he could demonstrate the amazing extent of his grace in showing us kindness through Christ Jesus. 8 For you’ve been saved by grace through trusting in him—it’s not through yourselves, it’s the gift of God! 9 This has nothing to do with human effort, so don’t be proud of yourselves. 10 We’re the product of what God does, created in Christ Jesus to do good, which God already planned that we should do. 1
Then and Now
Now
Paul looked at the THEN in Eph.2:2 and Eph.2:3, here he is looking at the NOW.
God’s Mercy is Rich
4 “But God in his generous mercy, because of the amazing love he had for us” Having told of the sons of wrath in Eph.2:3, we are brought back to the grace of God.
God’s mercy is not a little bit, not even a little bit Rich. It is RICH! Truly RICH.
Paul breaks his sentence (verse 4, “But God …” – Ephesians Chapter 2:1 – 10 Logical Flow), to introduce mercy and emphasise our human condition against just how rich His mercy is.
Note how he balanced the human condition of death with the mercy of new creation. It’s as if he gives you a little taste of mercy, reminding you of the death knell of death itself and then on into new creation.
Imagine going to someone’s house and asking for a little bit of something, and the reply comes, “sure, come with me.” They open the door and you see a room endlessly filled, to capacity, with what you have asked for. What you have asked for is not just available, it is more than you could ever imagine, let alone use.
God’s Mercy – Such Great Love
5 “even while we were dead in our sins,”
The immeasurable extent of God’s mercy can now be glimpsed. He had such great love for us that he took us at the very point where we were dead through our offences. We can but gain a glimpse because it is well beyond our finite capacity to grasp its full extent. But the glimpse we get is mind-blowing and mind-altering. Paul gives us that glimpse by showing it to us in contrast with God’s wrath.
When Jesus was crucified, something beyond huge and incredible happened. A shockwave swept through existence. We can only perceive this through faith, but it is there to be perceived. God will show us mercy if we give Him the opportunity.
God’s mercy is so rich that He has gone to every length to make sure that, even when we were more than terminal, dead through our offences, even though we were children of wrath, He had such great love for us that he took us at that very point and did so much more than posthumously pardon us. He made us alive together with Christ.
Grace and Royal Family
Royal Family – Resurrected by
“has made us alive together with Christ.”
We are made alive together with the king. We zombies, the living dead, and now we are more than merely bought back to life, we are made alive with others. The vast majority of whom we may have never met. A new family. Even more, a family bound together in The King. A Royal family, resurrected from the living dead by grace (gift).
Suddenly, like jigsaw puzzle pieces, we all fit together and are all Royalty. We have new life, bound and shared with all that are in Him. Not only in the present age, but the multitudes from every age that have been and are to come. Even though you have never met the vast majority of these brothers and sisters of every race and culture. You are part of this family that has been bought through death and out the other side.
“Trusting in him has saved you!”
That’s right, it is by sheer grace that you are saved! This is unconditioned. There is nothing anybody could have done to deserve it. This is yet another example of grace. It is “sheer grace”. It is all about God’s “great love”.
There are expectations, however, as we will see.
Royal Family Coronation
6 He raised us up with Christ, and in Christ Jesus (King Jesus) seated us with him in heaven (in the heavenly places),
This is what he says in chapter 1. It must be important since it is repeated. We have been taken from the lowest point we could possibly go and elevated to the highest of heights.
By sitting at the right hand of God, we have become true royalty. We now hold a position of true power, one that may express itself in authority but often does not. Rooted in the self-giving love of God through Jesus on the cross, He has placed us in a position of power to rescue and govern the world. This power, however, has been redefined through the self-giving of the cross. True power emerges through sacrifice.
We are placed in the position of giving of ourselves. To make the world better. It is the people of King Jesus giving themselves in love to other people. To those around them. Sometimes it will be done through political power and stand out leadership, but mostly it will be stealthy and in the background. Quietly helping others. It is too easy to discount the small things. Little things that make things better. But as a whole, a body, each activity becomes, bit by bit, the gradual building of the kingdom.
Royal Family Duty
What would happen if everyone stopped doing the small things and everything were left to the aforementioned “powers”. Do you truly think things would get better on their own? No, the result would be a degeneration of everything. Don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking that your small role in the kingdom has no significance.
Church history is full of how the poor mattered, medicine should be for all, not just the rich, education should be for all, and slavery should be abolished. When we think about these things, we immediately think of great leaders that headed these movements up, but you forget that you cannot have great leaders without people backing them.
This is why I say all Christians should vote. Well, all people should vote but particularly Christians. How can we expect to have a voice if we don’t use it? It doesn’t matter how you vote, but it matters that you do.
This is what it means to be seated with Jesus. We have Royal duties to perform by the power of love. In this way the world will be a better place.
Royal Family – Riches – The Ages To Come
7 so that in all eternity (the ages) to come he could demonstrate the amazing extent of his grace (gift) in showing us kindness through Christ (the messiah, the anointed one) Jesus (the king).
He did all this to show how unbelievably rich the kindness of His gift is. God gives us access to the Royal treasury of unfathomable wealth. Wealth of grace/giving more valuable than… well, there is no comparison because everything else pales into insignificance by comparison. This wealth so vast that we couldn’t even use a subatomic position. We must do so to advance His Kingdom. A Kingdom which we rule on His behalf.
Imagine a new creation, as it was in the Garden of Eden before the fall—where there are no economic restraints, and no suffering. Humanists like Gene Roddenberry, through works like Star Trek, envision a version of Eden where humanity progresses toward utopia through its own efforts. While I appreciate Star Trek and its hopeful outlook, humans alone cannot achieve such a world. No matter how much we dream of a perfect society, true paradise is beyond our reach without Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. Still, visionaries like Roddenberry offer valuable perspectives, a contrast to the biblical vision of the new kingdom.
The full extent of God’s grace and kindness remains beyond our comprehension in this life. Even as recipients of His gift, we can only glimpse what awaits. Yet, that glimpse is enough to inspire hope. One day, in the fullness of His kingdom, we will witness His grace in all its richness and beauty.
This is what Paul comes to in verses 8,9,10.
Grace Our Salvation
Grace Through Faith
8 “For you’ve been saved by grace through trusting in him (faith!) —it’s not through yourselves (your own initiative), it’s the gift of God!”
“For you have been saved by grace”
It is important to note the “you” here is plural, as in y’all. It is important because this grace is for anyone and everyone in Him. Jew, Gentile, Master, slave, king, servant, priest, congregant, male, female, red, yellow, black, white, prince, pauper, boss, worker, leader, follower, or any other category. No matter who you are or what you have done, this gift (grace) is ours. Simply by submitting ourselves to Him and so being received into Him.
“through trusting in him (faith!) —it’s not through yourselves (your own initiative)”
Only faith can inherit the riches of God. Faith given only by God. He offers it freely to all willing to choose to be in Him.
You can’t talk yourself into it. Living as though you have it, being a good person. Doing or saying anything cannot bring about this faith. You can’t manufacture this faith.
Grace – by God’s Grace (Gift) alone
“it’s the gift of God!”
It’s not something we have earned. We have no entitlement to it in any way, shape, or form. It is God’s gift, and we cannot appreciate, enjoy, or benefit from any gift unless we accept it.
Yes, only the faith to receive this grace (gift) is the gift. But the grace (gift) of salvation and even the grace (gift) itself is God’s gift. It is initiated by Him and through Him. We had no input to it whatsoever.
More than that, this gift belongs to everyone in Him. We are alive together with Christ. We are all included in this corporate relationship. It affects our social relationships because it was given to us, not just you or me, but all of us together. It is a package deal. It’s a gift.
Grace – No Boasting
9 “It isn‘t on the basis of works, so no one is able to boast.”
Everyone is in the same position. A position of grace that no one has earned. It is a gift, you can’t earn it, you can’t master it, you can’t steal it or obtain it by your own will or actions. You can never hold it over anybody or consider yourself better than anybody for having it. All you can do is accept and receive it.
One thing often not considered about verses 8 & 9 is that this gift is so unique that, by implication, if you do not have grace or faith, even if you do not believe in God, you can ask Him for it. It is counterintuitive but because it is not a gift of this world, should we expect anything else?
This gift does not give us status, rank or privilege. He offers the gift of rescuing us from ourselves to everyone in Him. You can’t boast about something you have to someone who also has it. It does not mean we are better than anybody, inside or outside the church.
And why does God do this? Paul tells us next.
The Explanation
10 We’re the product of what God does, created in Christ Jesus to do good, which God already planned that we should do.
or
“For God has made us what we are.”
Or “For” As in … “This is the explanation:”
The word translated Product here is the Greek word “poiema” (ποίημα), from which we get the word poem. Therefore the phrase in Greek is “for we are God has made us his poem.” We are His handy work, a work of Art.
THE KINGDOM NEW TESTAMENT puts it this way:
“God has created us in King Jesus for the good works that he prepared, ahead of time, as the road we must travel.” 2
Have you noticed that this passage does not stop at, “For you’ve been saved by grace”? Too many people do stop there. But it continues, “it’s not through yourselves, it’s the gift of God! 9 This has nothing to do with human effort, so don’t be proud of yourselves. 10 We’re the product of what God does,”
But it doesn’t even stop there. It goes on.
Created in Messiah
“created in Christ Jesus”
We are created “in Messiah”.
If the apostle repeats something, it is to let us know it is important. If he repeats something ad nauseam, it must be super important. The term “in Christ (Messiah)” repeats endlessly. He is making it clear that we are not just God’s handiwork but we are God’s handiwork “in Messiah”. We are handiwork to fit in a specific place, Messiah. Outside of the Messiah, the body of Christ, the church, instead of being a useful part, a cog in the wheel, alive together with Christ, we are just a spanner in the works. Remember this for what comes next.
The Messiah has brought everybody together.
Created in Messiah – The Church, The New Creation
Imagine going to this little house church Paul is writing to. There are some Jewish people, a Macedonian or two, this… well, we don’t know where that guy’s from. There’s also a master who comes with his slave. If it weren’t mindboggling enough to have this mix of people fellowshipping together, when it comes to food and drink, you see the master serving the slave. In a world where cultures mix socially only with like cultures, your preconceptions just went into meltdown.
Paul says the things that define your identities outside the gathering are irrelevant in the new creation. Such things make no difference to your status or worth before God and therefore, before each other.
That’s the new creation right here.
Good Works
Good Works Prepared Earlier
“to do good, which God already planned”
We are saved by grace/gift from ourselves. Not by our good works. Nothing we can do or have done can ever bring about our salvation from ourselves. We should not sit and relish in it.
The nature of being in Christ means we are made to do “good works”. This is the purpose of our salvation. God created us to bring about His Kingdom in both the present and the future. He intends for us to participate in bringing justice and righteousness, drawing the rest of the world to Him. This righteousness does not stem from the loudest voice, as in secular society. Instead, God has planned our good works. That’s what being alive together with Christ means.
We can never merit God’s favour. But being alive together with Christ results in the outflow of this favour in our lives, attending to social and economic issues as they affect each other. That in turn will overflow to the world around us. It’s the birth of a new creation, by us as new human beings, relating to each other better than ever before. Where the things that define and divide people, assigning different levels of status, are irrelevant because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are all Royals in Him and we have Royal duties to perform.
Good Works – Not The Same as A Good Person
Not just good works, however, but good works that he prepared ahead of time in King Jesus. This is not the same as being a ‘Good Person’. We can appear as good to others, but it is an illusion. If we do not reflect God’s grace, being alive together with Christ, we reflect the opposite of goodness. Because only He is good, it is only by being in the Messiah can we expect to be good. Even the fact that we can do that is an act of God’s Grace/gift.
Whatever our vocation, we are co-creators with God through King Jesus. God has set us tasks. To celebrate that He is the God of Love who makes things out of celebration and delight. Who wants us as rescued, graceful and grateful human beings, to share in the work of new creation.
It is more than us being alive from the dead. That in itself is so amazing. It isn’t only that we have a guaranteed wonderful future ahead of us; that is additionally beautiful and staggering. That would be more than enough. But if you are not already reeling, there is even more. Something that even the best sales pitch can’t beat. It is that in the present time we are to be co-contributing parts of God’s new life project. We are alive together with Christ.
Good Works Road
“that we should do.”
or
“as the road we must travel”. 2
or
“so that we may walk in them”3
Paul will expand on the “walk,” but God prepares the good works as the path we must travel after He saves us. We are not just to be God’s work of Art but co-creators in King Jesus.
God intended all humans to follow the path of good works from the very beginning in Genesis 1. Now, in Jesus, it becomes a reality. The Covenant empowers the Jews to fulfill their intended role, making it a reality. It becomes a reality for the Gentiles because they are now for the first time, inducted into that role. He empowers everyone in Him to fulfill it. Paul is starting to paint a picture of believers, alive together with Christ, stepping into a divine vocation to ‘re-humanise the world.’
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Grace: Paul And The Work
God saves us to do His work. Paul thinks that even our motivation power and energy for good works is a grace/gift. In Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it. He will perfect it.” So there is all divine initiative. God begins it, God completes it.
In Phil.2:12 he says, “So then just as you’ve always obeyed, not just when I’m around, but even much more when I’m gone, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Not, work at, “work out”. Salvation is mine by grace. But that creates an obligation for me and a motivation in me to respond.
Something To Think About:
What can I give?
Really, what can I give?
My life? Yes, of course.
What is the worth of my life to the value of this gift?
Am I reciprocating appropriately if I can only offer my life as value and others expect me to dedicate it?
Is my reciprocation based on my own work or His grace?
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Questions:
- Ephesians 2:8 is often understood primarily as individualistic. Is that how you’ve read it in the past?
- Has seeing this verse applied to the social relationships within a church community changed your understanding, and if so in what way?
- For Paul, grace is a gift given to someone who is not worthy, but it comes with an expectation of reciprocity or response. How does this affect your understanding of grace? Does it transform you or cause you trouble? Try to write out your thoughts and conflicts on grace and works.
======================================================== 1English: Free Bible Version Provided by: Free Bible Ministry, Inc. and open.bible, licensed under CC BY ND Published: 
2THE KINGDOM NEW TESTAMENT: A CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATION by N.T. WRIGHT. Copyright (c) 2011 by Nicholas Thomas Wright. Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers.
3W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Eph 2:10.
