How Can We Be Saved? (Ephesians 2:8-9)

⁸ For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

WWhen I decided to start this blog, I read everything I could about setting one up. All the articles claimed it was easy, and I believed them … until I actually tried it. I quickly realized they had lied! So I turned to the ultimate source of “how-to” knowledge—YouTube. A great video walked me through the entire step-by-step process. Sure, it took me three months, but you reading this post proves it worked.

Paul has spent the previous verses explaining what salvation is all about. He now turns his attention to explaining how we can receive it. He guides us through the “how-to” of salvation.

The first word we need to understand is “grace.” We’ve all heard it repeated countless times, but what exactly does it mean? The Greek term carries several interconnected connotations:

• a favor that is granted with no expectation of obtaining anything in return, and is purely motivated by a desire to give.
• a kind act that goes far beyond what would normally be expected.
• something that gives joy or delight, and the gratitude that it causes as a result.

When Paul writes “by grace,” he’s describing how salvation originates purely from God’s undeserved favor toward us, flowing from his motivation and actions. A little further in the verse, Paul makes it clear that this salvation is “the gift of God.” He couldn’t have put it any more clearly: God offers us salvation as a gift, based on his grace.

A present is always given freely, with no expectation of payment. Otherwise, it isn’t a gift! Imagine if I offered you a new book for your birthday but then asked you to pay for it. You would probably look at me strangely and then throw it back in my face! What kind of present would that be?

Having clarified God’s part, Paul goes on to explain how we can be saved. This is where we encounter our second important word, “faith.” Its meaning has several aspects:

• having the conviction that something is true.
• placing your trust or confidence in what you believe to be true.

When Paul uses the expression “through faith,” he is referring to the method of obtaining salvation. It could be translated as “by means of faith.” Whereas grace describes what God freely provides, faith is the means by which we receive what he offers. The only way to get the gift God offers is to place our trust in Jesus as Savior.

I’d like to point out that faith also requires us to recognize why we need a Savior in the first place. We must not only believe what the Bible says about Jesus but also what it says about ourselves. This is why repenting of our sin is just as important as recognizing who Jesus is and what he’s done. We must turn from our sins to God. Repentance and faith go together and are two sides of the same coin.

Getting back to our text, let’s remember that a gift is never earned; it can only be accepted or rejected. Paul makes this clear in the following verse, where he points out that we are not saved by our good works. Otherwise, we could take the credit before God. But there is no room for such boasting.

Suppose you overheard me claim to have bought an expensive car you knew I received as a gift. You would probably confront me with the truth. This is what Paul is doing here. He is reminding the Ephesians that they have no bragging rights. They can never say they were good enough, or religious enough, to be saved. They can only acknowledge that the new life they have received is a gift of God, received through faith.

God is still offering the gift of salvation to anyone who will listen. Have you received it?