Understanding the work of salvation

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.—EPHESIANS 2:8,9,

These verses gather together all of the elements necessary to understand the work of salvation. It is by grace…through faith…the gift of God, not of works, so that we have no reason to be proud about some achievement. In fact, the only way to be saved is by grace, and grace means “unmerited favor.” God graciously saves us. It isn’t because we have earned, deserved, or achieved it. In fact, Paul tells us that our salvation is “that not of yourselves.” “That” refers to the entire previous statement of salvation—not only the grace, but the faith. Although we are required to believe for salvation, we are also dead in trespasses and sins, so we can’t believe. It’s impossible for us to do that. Therefore, it isn’t just the grace that comes from God; it is also the faith. The whole work of salvation is a miracle of God. We receive the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is God who awakens us and gives us the power and the understanding and the faith to do just that. None of us can boast about any of it. God’s grace is preeminent in every aspect of salvation.