Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Ephesians 2
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Commentary:
2:8 By grace refers to God’s favor upon those who have transgressed his law and sinned against him. But grace may also be understood as a “power” in these verses. God’s grace not only offers salvation but also secures it. Saved refers to deliverance from God’s wrath at the final judgment (Rom. 5:9); “by grace you have been saved” is repeated from Eph. 2:5 for emphasis. The verb form for “have been saved” (Gk. sesōsmenoi, perfect tense) communicates that the Christian’s salvation is fully secured. through faith. Faith is a confident trust and reliance upon Christ Jesus and is the only means by which one can obtain salvation. this. The Greek pronoun is neuter, while “grace” and “faith” are feminine. Accordingly, “this” points to the whole process of “salvation by grace through faith” as being the gift of God and not something that we can accomplish ourselves. This use of the neuter pronoun to take in the whole of a complex idea is quite common in Greek (e.g., 6:1); its use here makes it clear that faith, no less than grace, is a gift of God. Salvation, therefore, in every respect, is not your own doing.
2:9–10 Salvation is not by works. If it were, then those who are saved would get the glory. created … for good works. Salvation is not based on works, but the good works Christians do are the result and consequence of God’s new creation work.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2265.
2:9–10 Salvation is not by works. If it were, then those who are saved would get the glory. created … for good works. Salvation is not based on works, but the good works Christians do are the result and consequence of God’s new creation work.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2265.
Questions:
- On Sunday, we talked about Sola GRATIA, or GRACE alone. Grace alone is the belief that we are saved by God’s grace alone apart from any work or merit on our part before or after salvation. Grace is receiving what you did not earn or work for. Grace is receiving what you do not deserve! In order to truly receive God's forgiveness, grace and mercy, we must first come to the realization that we are incapable of earning anything from Him. This is a truly humbling experience, and one we must remind ourselves of on a daily basis. How much thought do you give to God's grace in your life? How can you remind yourself today of the powerful truths of the gospel?
- The truth is, we aren't good enough, smart enough or lovable enough to deserve anything from God except for punishment for our sin! What kind of attitude or heart posture comes from keeping his grace at the forefront of our minds and attitudes? What kind of fruit would that produce in our lives?
Pray:
- That you would walk today in the grace of God.
- That you would always remember you have been saved by grace, not works.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
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