You Are Saved By Grace Through Faith, BUT…

Ephesians 2:8-9 are two of the most beautiful verses in the entire Bible: “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is not from works, so that no one can boast.” The problem is, most of us stop there and ignore why we’ve been saved by grace. It’s so that we can do good works. It’s critically important to the mission of Jesus on Earth. And I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

Works of the Law – Redefined

Here’s where we landed yesterday. When Paul uses the phrase “works of the Law” he’s referring to a very specific set of religious regulations. This phrase is used in the Dead Sea Scrolls for who was allowed into the Essene community, and who wasn’t. Paul refutes this claim. Gentile Christians don’t need to be circumcised in order to be included in the people of God. Paul explains that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone. But Paul doesn’t stop there. In fact, he immediately explains that all followers of Jesus are required to do good works. It’s why they have been saved.

For It Is By Grace You Are Saved…

We are saved by grace through faith, and this is a gift. We don’t deserve it. It isn’t because of our nationality. Skin color. Wealth. Social status. And it isn’t because we’ve done good things. You MUST understand this: the religious Jews of Paul’s day never believed that good deeds brought salvation. This isn’t what Paul is battling in his letters.

Not By Works…

Jews in the First Century believed that they were saved because they were Jews. Paul doesn’t condemn good deeds. Paul condemns teaching anyone that they must do something external to become a part of God’s people. Salvation ISN’T about these “works of the Law” or regulations. You are part of God’s people because God has given you this amazing gift. You accept that gift by pledging your life to Jesus the Messiah. That’s it.

FOR Good Works

But don’t stop there! Our King has a mission for us. Listen to Ephesians 2:10:

For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them. (Ephesians 2:10 NET)

The Hebrew word for “commandments” really helps us understand what Paul is saying. It’s the word, “mitzvot.” The English translation of this word is horribly inadequate. We hear “commandment” and see someone bossing us around; like Pharaoh shouting down his royal edicts to his subjects.

What are “Mitzvot?”

A better definition is “opportunities to do good.” The Hebrew mind of Paul’s day saw mitzvot as ways they made the world a better place. If you’re walking down the street and see a homeless person, buy them something to eat. When you see someone mourning the death of a family member, sit with them and let them cry on your shoulder. When you witness abuse, stop it. 

This is the mission of “tikkun olam” – repairing the world. And this is the mission of our God. From the moment mankind sinned in the Garden of Eden, YHWH has been working to repair what we broke. It’s why He became a man and died on the cross. He is repairing the brokenness within us. The “Good News” is that we can join Him in this work.

Salvation is a beautiful gift. We don’t deserve it. And we can’t earn it. We just receive it. And our natural response to this amazing gift is joining Jesus in His mission to repair a broken world.