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Ephesians 2:8-10
Paul has introduced the church in His general letter as a Body whose Head is Christ. Last week, we saw
how Paul traced the course of both the Jews and the Gentiles who have become members of that Body.
Paul showed them their past dead in trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of Satans world
system walking dead men. And Paul showed them their present saved by grace, alive together with
Christ, exalted with Him to the heavenlies, seated together with Him in glory thats the present, where we
live how? By faith.
And then Paul showed them the future of the Body of Christ as the resplendent Bride, the Wife of the
Lamb, reflecting the mercy and grace and love of the Lord in the Kingdom Age and for all Eternity.
Last week, I mentioned that Paul wrote a parenthetical clause as he reflected on Gods gracious act of
salvation in verse 5 of chapter two by grace you have been saved. Paul could not think on men who
were dead having been made alive without paying tribute to the God of grace, who saved them.
This week, well see that Paul now expands this clause in verse 5 into one of the greatest statements that we
find in Scripture concerning the basis of salvation. Were going to read this statement together with the
passage we looked at last week, because they are very closely connected.
Paul had laid out just what salvation does for men. He will now make it very clear that salvation is all
Gods doing.
[Read Ephesians 2:1-10]
Now, this is one of the most important statements on salvation that Paul makes in his letters but it is also
confusing to some people. I think as we move carefully through it, understanding the words that Paul
chooses, and how he put them together, we can clear up any uncertainty.
v. 8a For by grace you have been saved. In the Greek, it is actually, For by grace you are being saved.
Ours is a complete, and completed salvation; so why would Paul say we are being saved? Because in
eternity, our salvation is complete; but we live under time.
When we believed into Christ, we were washed from our sins in His blood, and we were delivered from the
penalty for our sins death. In this way, we were freed of all charges of sin and guilt, and declared
righteous in Christ we were justified.
We received the Holy Spirit, who began that work of sanctification in us delivering us from the power of
sin a process that is going on now, in the present. And in the future, we will be delivered even from the
presence of sin when we receive our glorified bodies, like unto our Lords body.
From our perspective under time, sanctification is ongoing; and being glorified is yet ahead. In those
respects we are being saved; delivered from the power and the presence of sin.
And how does Paul say we are being saved? By what? By grace. Remember that grace here is the
undeserved, unearned, unmerited favor of God; not based on anything to do with us, but based entirely on
the character of God alone.

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God loves His creation of mankind; it is His will to give them what they need, for their good. God is
merciful, compassionate, ready and able to help men, who cannot help themselves. Men, born in Adam,
born dead in trespasses and sins, cannot save themselves from the condemnation they are born under.
Can they make payment to God for their past sins? In themselves, they do not have the means of
propitiation a perfect, sinless sacrifice. Can they stop themselves from sinning? They have no power to
do that. Can they improve themselves, so that God can accept them? How can a perfect, holy God accept
anything short of sinless perfection? And what of their past sin, anyway? It still remains.
No, man is helpless, and hopeless apart from God. That is why Grace had to act, on mans behalf
saving him from what he could not save himself from, showing favor to undeserving sinners because God
so loves them. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died
for us (Rm 5:8).
Jesus is the Lamb of God, who has taken away the sin of the whole world (Jn 1:29). This means that the
work that Jesus did on the cross was sufficient for all sin, for all men, for all time.
But are all men saved? No. Why not? Because that great favor that God has done for men in Christ has to
be received by men, in order for it to be made effectual in their lives.
Paul indicates that salvation is the gift of God (v. 8). God extends that gift to every man; but it is only the
man who puts forth his hands, and receives the gift, who then has it in his possession. It is an individual,
personal decision; will you receive the salvation that God graciously offers to you, in His Christ?
And how does a man receive that salvation? By faith the man puts out his hands, and receives Gods gift
of salvation. By grace you are being saved, through faith. In the Greek, faith has the definite article
in front of it; it is the faith faith in Jesus Christ. John wrote in his gospel, to as many as received Him
[Christ], to them He gave the authority to become children of God (Jn 1:12a). And Gods born children
share the life of their Father everlasting Life. Theres Gods salvation; through receiving Christ.
So we have God, in His grace the Gift-giver; we have salvation, the free gift He offers; and we have men,
to whom God offers the gift each and every one of them. Some will not put out their hands to receive the
gift; some think they can get salvation in some other place, in some other way of their choosing. They
refuse to acknowledge that it is Gods gift to give; and Gods alone.
Only the Creator can make something out of nothing; only the Creator can make that which is alive, out of
that which was dead. And only the Creator has the say on what it takes for men can be saved.
There are some men who even think that they dont need salvation at all this life is their all in all. But
anyone, who for any reason does not receive Gods gift, will inevitably discover that they have deceived
themselves they have gone the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it (Mt
7:13).
For by grace you are being saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Some
are confused as to what that in verse 8 is referring to; what is it, that is not of yourselves, but is the
gift of God? Some think it is faith; the faith is not of yourselves, but is the gift of God. These people
assert that God has to give you faith, in order for you to believe into Christ, and be saved. Let me give you
three reasons why it is highly unlikely that Paul meant this.

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First of all, it is not supported by the Greek grammar. The word rendered that in verse 8 is in the neuter
gender; while the word rendered faith is in the feminine gender. According to Greek grammar, this
makes it unlikely that the word that refers to faith. The obvious grammatical construction according to
Greek scholars is for that to refer to being saved; the salvation is not of yourselves; the salvation is the
gift of God; His gracious gift.
Secondly, there is a symmetry in the Greek, a parallelism seen through verses 8 and 9. Salvation [being
saved] is the gift of God theres the first parallel. It is not of yourselves, not of works theres the
second parallel. You cannot work for your salvation; whereas faith does require human initiative.
This leads to the final point. God does not give anyone faith to believe into Christ. Now, I am not speaking
of the spiritual grace known as faith (Rm 12:3, 1 Cor 12:9) this is one of the charismata with which the
Body of Christ was anointed on Pentecost (Acts 2:4).
The Holy Spirit gives the spiritual graces to whom He will, for His ministry of reconciling men to God.
The spiritual grace of faith is not faith to believe into Christ; you have to have already believed into Christ
before you would receive this spiritual grace and then only to those whom the Spirit wills it.
The gospels bear witness to the fact that God does not give anyone faith. Again and again, Jesus
commended and rewarded the man (or woman) who has faith.
Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! (Mt 8:10). Your faith has
made you well (Mt 9:22). O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire (Mt 15:28).
Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction (Mk 5:34). Your
faith has saved you. Go in peace (Lk 7:50). Why would Jesus say this, if God had given faith to these
individuals?
God does not give anyone faith to believe into Christ, because faith is a choice; to believe into Christ, or
not to believe into Him. God will not deprive men of their ability to freely choose, because He created
them with that ability (Gen 2:16-17). He would not compel a man to believe into Christ, by giving him
faith, any more than He would withhold faith from any man, resulting in his destruction.
The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). It is up to
each man to choose to believe into Christ, and be saved. That is where man must take the initiative; it is his
responsibility to believe God.
So God does not give men faith, but men must choose to put their faith in God in order to receive the gift of
salvation that He desires to give every man. Faith is that metaphorical putting out of the hands to the Giftgiver, to receive the gift. God offers you salvation in Christ; faith is putting your hands out to receive that
salvation.
Why do you put your hands out? Because you are convinced that you dont have salvation; you are
persuaded that you need salvation; you have come to the realization that only God can give you salvation;
and you are trusting that Christ is that salvation. And so you receive Him and you are saved by grace,
through faith.
If you were to ask people to define the word faith, they would likely have different ideas. Its important
for us to understand what God means by faith what true faith is as it is the means by which we receive
His gift of salvation.

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First and foremost, true faith has everything to do with the One in whom the faith is placed. The object of
your faith must have the power to save you; if it does not, all your believing will be in vain. True faith can
only be in Christ. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved
(Acts 4:12).
Now lets look at faith itself. Lets start with what true faith is not. True faith is not based on what you do;
conforming to rituals, to religion; going to church, to Bible Study; denying yourself, performing pious acts
of charity it is not a faith of the body.
And true faith is not something that is merely voiced, whether in song or in creed or by declaration or
prayer; it is not a faith of the lips. Nor is true faith a mere mental assent; its not just knowing the facts; or
agreeing that the Scriptures are reasonable, logical, historically accurate, filled with wisdom; it is not a faith
of the mind.
True faith is a faith of the heart of the inner man the being inside your body you and true faith
involves a decision; an act of the will.
How does true faith differ from all others? The difference is submission to Christ. Jesus gave His life in
order to save you; and by faith, you make the decision to give yourself to Him; you entrust yourself in His
keeping.
You become His; all of you. What you do, what you say, what you think all becomes subject to Him. It
is an offering of the life that God created, and died for offering that life back to Him.
If you truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who became the Son of Man in order to lay down His life
in your stead, and rose again to give you everlasting Life, you then recognize that He is in fact Lord that
makes Him the Lord of you. And you place yourself under Him, as His bondservant; submitting yourself to
the will of Him, your Master.
And what a blessed Master He is! Having given our lives into His possession, the Lord directs the course
of our lives, ever separating us from this worldly system that we have been born into; ever drawing us
closer into His embrace, always working through His Spirit in us to sanctify us, preparing our being for that
body of glory that will fit us for our heavenly home.
Having submitted ourselves completely to Him by our faith, He now works to bring us into perfect
submission to Himself, fitting us for our role as His wife the wife of the Lamb. Well talk more about
that later.
So salvation is granted by God to those who place their faith in Jesus, submitting to His as their Lord. As
Paul continues, he makes it emphatically clear that salvation is the gift of God; that it is not of yourself
you cant save you, or anyone else. And further, Paul says it is not of works you cant earn your
salvation; you cant work your way to heaven. As we said before, how could you ever be good enough to
enter into the presence of holy God?
In fact, because God is God, He cannot allow anyone to have a part in his own salvation other than to
believe Him for it. If man could work for his own salvation, then he would have something to boast about;
something to glory in. And because God is God, He must receive all the glory.

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Its His creation, His plan, His salvation and so it must all be to His glory. The whole creation exists for
the purpose of reflecting the glory of God (Ps 148) so that God may be seen. All must be to the glory of
God including the salvation of His creation of mankind.
In contrast to the false notion that we can work for our salvation, Paul states that we are His
workmanship. This is the word poiema in the Greek. It is unrelated to the word for work in verse 9,
and works in verse 10 (ergon, erga). That word generally has more the sense of a deed or action;
something done. But workmanship refers to something that is made; the result of work. In its only other
usage in Scripture, in Romans 1:20, it refers to Gods created works; that is, His creation.
The Body of Christ, the true church, is Gods creation, which He created in Christ Jesus. The word
create here means to makes something out of nothing. The Body of Christ is an entirely new order of
creation, formed by God out of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
And Paul states one of Gods purposes for this creation in Christ Jesus: for good works. This is the same
word for works as in v. 9, but here it is qualified with the word good. These are not the works of the
sons of disobedience, trying to earn their salvation. These are the good works of God; works that He
prepared beforehand; that is, works that He foreordained.
What does this mean? It means that God has already determined ahead of time all the good work that He
intends to do, through the members of Christs Body. It clearly follows that the only good work that
believers can do is work done in submission to the will of God; His work, done through them.
Turn to Second Corinthians chapter 5. Paul wrote to the assembly in Corinth about this new creation and
its work on the earth.
[Second Corinthians 5:17-20]
v. 17 old things have passed away, because you no longer have your being in Adam. All things have
become new, because now you have your being in Christ; a whole new creation.
v. 18-19 having agreed with God concerning our sin and our need for Christ, we now have been reconciled
with God. In place of our former enmity with God is a new love relationship with Him, in which we share
His interests and concerns.
And what would you say is His greatest concern, for mankind? That men not perish, but have everlasting
Life (Jn 3:16). So having reconciled us to Himself, God now works through us to reconcile others, by
means of His Christ.
And God gives us the necessary tool to do that; what has He committed to us (v. 19)? The word of
reconciliation; the gospel. This shows us our essential work on earth; to share the gospel with others, so
that they can be reconciled to God.
v. 20 There is our job description: ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador was an experienced man who
served as the representative of a king from one country to another. We represent our King, Jesus, from our
heavenly country, to those who are still in this world system. The gospel is the Kings message, urging men
to accept Gods peace terms through Christ, who is their rightful King.
How we share the gospel; by word, or by deed, or simply by how we live our lives is in accordance with
whatever the Lord shows to do; His work, in us, to reconcile men to Himself.

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Turn to Philippians chapter 2. Paul would write this letter to the assembly at Philippi during his first
Roman imprisonment, sometime after the general letter we are studying was written. The assembly at
Philippi had been faithfully walking with the Lord, even while experiencing some persecution (Phil 1:2730). Paul wrote to encourage them to persevere in their faith.
[Philippians 2:12-17]
v. 12-13 What a commendation, that they had always obeyed, even more so in Pauls absence! Still, Paul
tells them to work out their own salvation, which means to continually work to bring it to fulfillment or
completion.
Now, Paul is writing to believers. Is he speaking of them working for their salvation? No. He is speaking
of the works that are to flow out of that salvation, now that they have the mind of Christ, and the Holy
Spirit. These are the works of God, that can be worked in them, and through them.
With what are they to work out their own salvation (v. 12)? With fear and trembling; that is, with a holy
awe of God, a recognition and a reverence of Him as their Lord. Thats the right position of a bondservant
with his master; submission.
Even the believers part, submission, is indirectly a product of the Lords work. He works to bring about in
the heart of the believer a willingness to yield himself to God, and to yield his members to God as
instruments of righteousness (Rm 6:13), so that the Lords will can be done through the believer: to will
and to do the good works that the Lord has prepared beforehand.
v. 14-16 Holding fast in verse 16 is more accurately translated holding forth. There are two distinct
ideas in these verses: talking the talk, and walking the walk. Which one does Paul mention first in verse
14-15? Walking the walk; first you must walk the walk, if you are going to talk the talk (v. 16).
Paul gives a profile of the believer who is walks in the Spirit: one who is satisfied with Gods will in and
for his life, who doesnt question it, or doubt Gods goodness. As the believer continues in this, he
becomes increasingly sanctified, and the view of those on the outside is that he is increasingly above
reproach his light shines very brightly indeed.
That bright light illuminates the gospel to others, reinforcing the words of life with the testimony of a life
lived by those words. This is the good work that flows out of the believer; Gods work being worked
through them.
Turn now to Titus chapter 2. It is most likely Paul wrote this letter between his first and second Roman
imprisonments a brief period of freedom and more ministry. Paul write to Titus, his true son in the faith,
who was ministering on the island of Crete. This was Pauls exhortation to Titus concerning the assembly
he was overseeing.
[Titus 2:11-14]
v. 11 Here Paul is alluding to Jesus as the personification of the grace of God, that appeared to all men in
His first coming to the earth, bringing salvation.
v. 12 We who have received Christs salvation are no longer ungodly, but have reverence for God, and have
self-control. Through the Spirit, we can now lead sanctified lives.

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Notice in the next verse where we are to set our minds.

v. 13 the blessed hope speaks of the glorified body, which we will receive when Jesus returns for us His
glorious appearing. We are to look for this; to keep the eyes of our heart focused on it; to set our minds on
the things above.
v. 14 He gave Himself for us to loose us from our sins, to sanctify us to Himself. Now we are the
sanctified members of His Body His own special people. And what are His own special people zealous
for? Good works.
The bondservant is always eager to do the will of his Master; he desires to please his Master. Having been
sanctified, set apart unto God for His purposes, God can now use us for His good purposes, in the work of
reconciliation. We have become vessels of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every
good work (2 Tim 2:21).
Lets return to Ephesians. Well read that last verse again.
[Ephesians 2:10]
Now, to walk in these works means that the good works are involved in the new life in Christ as an
inseparable condition. And of course that would be so; created in Christ, we are a righteous creation; a
righteous creation will produce righteous works. Gods good works should characterize our entire way of
life.
The Greek word for prepared beforehand is considered the equivalent of the word we encountered in
chapter 1 for predestinate. Both mean to determine beforehand; to foreordain.
In chapter 1, verse 5, what did we learn believers were predestined to? To adoption as sons. And in verse
11, what did we see was predestined for believers? An inheritance speaking particularly of the body of
glory believers will receive.
Now we also learn that good works have been foreordained for believers. All of these are the work of God;
our part is to believe God for them. And as we do, these things will be made real in our lives, even in the
here and now; we will walk by faith, as glorified sons of God, in the good works that God has prepared for
us. How else would we do the good works of God, but through a glorified body?
I want to look at one more passage, where the apostle John was given to see the glorious completion of the
new creation in Christ Jesus. Turn to Revelation chapter 19. The time is the end of the seven year
Tribulation. The heavens and the earth have been cleansed, and the Lord Jesus is about to begin His reign
over heaven and earth.
[Revelation 19:1-9]
v. 1 This is a four-fold doxology. What does the number four signify, in Scripture? The four corners of the
earth. Judgment has been executed on the earth, and it has been cleansed.
v. 2-3 The great harlot is Babylon the great, that political, economic and religious system Satans world
system, that corrupted the earth. But that system has been destroyed by fire, which also served to cleans
the corruption from the earth, so that now the earth is purified and made new.

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v. 4-5 the twenty-four elders represent the true church; the four living beings, angelic ministers of Gods
government that attend His throne. All are praising God; and a voice from the throne commands that they
continue to praise Him.
v. 6 Ezekiel chapter 1 speaks of four living beings which represent the government of God - angels. The
sound of their wings is likened to the noise of many waters (Ez 1:24). But here we have a great multitude,
and not only is the sound of many waters heard, but also the sound of mighty thunderings. Thunder and
lightning accompanied the storm of judgment that had come upon the earth.
This may be the angelic host, who will minister Gods judgment over the earth, as they return to heaven
following the victory of the King of kings and Lord of lords. And what will they announce? The Lord God
Omnipotent reigns! The 1,000 year reign of Christ will commence.
v. 7-9 This is the marriage supper of the Lamb. In ancient Israel, marriages were by custom arranged
between a man and a woman, usually by their parents. The father of the bridegroom determined the mohar,
the bride price to be paid to the womans family, as compensation for the woman becoming part of the
family of her husband-to-be.
A marriage contract was determined, and the man and the woman became betrothed more binding than
our contemporary engagements, requiring the legal transaction of a divorce to break the contract. The
woman was already considered as belonging to her husband-to-be.
Betrothal usually lasted about a year. During this time, the bridegroom prepared a home for his bride,
usually adding it on as a part of his fathers house. Meanwhile, the bride prepared her wedding clothes, and
learned the ways of her husband-to-be, so that she would fit perfectly into her new life with him.
Once the period of betrothal was complete, the bridegroom, dressed in his wedding clothes, came at the end
of the day for his bride, to fetch her from her parents home. A procession then set out from the parents
home to the couples new home, the way lit by the oil lamps of the wedding guests.
When they arrived at the fathers house, the marriage supper, or feast, would commence. The marriage
feast would commonly go on for seven days, during which time the marriage union of the bridegroom and
his bride was consummated; they became husband and wife. The bride was literally adorned like a queen,
and, with her husband, presided over the feast, where they were greatly admired by the guests (from
Manners and Customs of Bible Times, Ralph Gower, pages 64-69).
In our account in Revelation, we read that the marriage of the Lamb has come. The apostle John had seen
the Lamb already in this revelation.
The Lamb was deemed the only one worthy to open the scroll which showed the judgment that will be
unleashed on the earth. He is worthy, because He had given those who dwell on the earth the opportunity
to escape that judgment through His death in their stead, and they had chosen not to escape it.
Of the Lamb, it was proclaimed, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! Blessing and honor and glory and power be to
Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Rev 5:12, 13). The Lamb is the
preeminent partner in this marriage union.

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This marriage union had been determined by the Father in eternity past. And what was the bride-price,
which had been foreordained? The precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot; that was the redemption price of this bride (1 Pet 1:19-20). His blood ratified the eternal covenant
the marriage contract of the Christ, with His bride, the true church.
The church age is the period of betrothal of Christ and His church. During this time, Jesus has gone to
prepare a place for His bride their heavenly home, the new Jerusalem. And one day soon, He will come
again and receive His bride to Himself, that where He is, she may be also (Jn 14:2-3). Jesus will come in
the air, and catch up His bride from the earth to her new home with him, in heaven (1 Th 4:13-18).
And meanwhile, the bride is making herself ready; she is learning the ways of her husband thats the
Spirits work of sanctification. And she is also preparing her wedding clothes, which are spoken of here as
complete, in verse 8. What are they made of? Fine linen, clean and bright. In the Greek, it is a radiant,
clear resplendent white.
What does the text tell us this fine linen represents? The righteous acts of the saints. This word is in the
plural, and so here it is not the personal righteousness of each believer being spoken of, but instead the
righteous works that had been done through their bodies the good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that they walked in during their lifetimes on the earth.
By this time, the bride has made herself ready; she has completed her wedding garments, and has clothed
herself in them. She is now the wife of the Lamb; the marriage union has been consummated; they are one
flesh.
The Lambs wife is being presented before the wedding guests, at the marriage feast. In the New
Jerusalem, her heavenly home, the wife of the Lamb is radiant, arrayed in the glorious works that God has
done through her. It will be part of the resplendent glory of her Lord that she will reflect, throughout the
1,000 year reign of Christ, and on into eternity.
Next week: read chapter 2. Acts 10-11, 15.