Grace and faith are free gifts, worthy of your deepest gratitude.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
5 - The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith
The cause or blame
for this unbelief,
as well as for all other sins,
is
not at all in God,
but in man.
Faith in Jesus Christ, however,
and salvation through him
is a free gift of God
Summary
This is the first of what will likely be several times that we come to this familiar, amazing passage this year. These words are so endearing and powerful because in just a few sentences, they communicate the life restoring effect that the gospel has.
There is no life outside of Christ, spiritually at least. Paul frames it ironically: You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live. Everywhere you look, people are living and breathing and carrying on with the busyness of life, but yet spiritually they're dead. They just methodically follow the ways of this world and its ruler as they gratify the cravings of their flesh (Sarx).
As we've been reminded by the Canons these last few days, we can't blame God for this spiritual deadness; it fully stems from our sin and willful disobedience. Since we've rebelliously wandered so far from God's good design, it only makes sense that we were by nature deserving of wrath.
The Good News is that even though we fully deserved this deadness we brought upon ourselves, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. That is the very definition of grace.
 Dig DeeperÂ
If you haven't already, you really need to memorize v8-9, as they form one of the clearest explanations of salvation ever written.
For it is by grace | Grace is the gift of undeserved kindness. Instead of receiving the wrath that we deserve, God gives us new life in Christ. |
you have been saved | Notice here the past tense. It doesn't promise that someday, if you clean up your act and behave you might be or even will be saved. It says that you already have been saved. |
through faith | You are not just a passive recipient of saving grace. You must exercise faith. But... |
- this [faith] is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - | Both God's grace and the faith necessary for you to receive it are freely given to you by Him! |
not by works, so that no one can boast. | You did nothing to earn your salvation. The good works you now do, which God prepared in advance for you to do, are simply a token of your gratitude for His free gift of salvation to you. |
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you increasingly understand the value of God's gift of grace and faith you will increasingly respond with good works in gratitude for this gift;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 5
