“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.: Ephesians 2:8-9
“By grace” indicates God’s generous mercy toward the undeserving. Christians have been saved by grace. The grace of God is the source of salvation; faith is the channel, not the cause. God alone saves. Salvation never originates in the efforts of people; it always arises out of the lovingkindness of God.
“Saved” means rescued from sin, the devil, and God’s wrath. Sometimes in Paul’s writings, “salvation” refers to the Last Day, and at other places it is an ongoing present reality. Here, he states that we have already received it through Christ, since the past tense of the verb saved indicates that the believer’s salvation has already occurred in the past, at the Cross.
“Through faith” indicates it is God’s gift; opposite of both works and sight. Faith is a simple trust in God’s gifts, now and to come.
“The gift of God” suggests we cannot do anything to earn our salvation. Some say that the gift of God modifies the word faith in this verse. Thus, Paul is saying that even our belief in God does not originate in ourselves. This too is a gift, so no one can take pride in his or her position as a believer.
“Not from yourselves … not by works” means neither Jews who obey the Torah, nor Gentiles who heed their conscience, may claim a reward from God. Christ’s merit is obtained not by our works, but from grace alone through faith alone.
God’s blessings on your day…