Thursday 18 August 2022
- Bible Book:
- Ephesians
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (v. 8)
Background
Today’s passage is a good example of the way that the early translators broke up the original manuscripts: 2:1 should immediately follow 1:23 without any break so that the narrative continues smoothly. If you were unable to read yesterday’s passage and you have time, I recommend that you read 1:15 –2:10 so that you have a fuller understanding of how this section flows.
This passage continues Paul’s theme of remembering what God has done. In this section the reader is first reminded of their past. Although Paul is writing to a mainly Gentile (non-Jew) audience, he has made this passage fully inclusive of all people: v.3 says ‘all of us’, showing that nobody sits apart from the sins of the world. He expands on this and tells us that God’s mercy is for all people; it is a genuinely inclusive love that does not leave anyone out and shows that, despite what the world teaches, we are all equal.
This is important as we move towards the end of this passage because we cannot earn the grace of God which brings salvation, because it is a gift. It is for all. The vital nature of this cannot be overstated, imagine the gloating and boasting if people could earn their salvation! It would cause a division greater than any that humankind has been able to manufacture so far.
I for one am glad that God’s grace has been freely given to me.
To Ponder:
- Where do you see inequality in the world and in your local area? How are you able to challenge it?
- What does it mean to you to have God’s grace freely given to you?
- Don’t forget to keep praying for the person you thought about on Sunday.
Prayer
Faithful God, thank you for your gift to me, help me to share it with those around me. Amen.