Ephesians 2:1-10
Paul reminds the Ephesians where they came from: dead in their transgressions and sins but, now, made alive with Christ. He reminds them that they are made alive, raised up and seated - in Christ - in the heavenly realms with Christ, that God expresses his kindness to them in Christ and that they are created in Christ for good works. Paul contrasts living by the spirit who is at work in the disobedient (which is actually death) with the life that God offers in Christ. He repeats the phrase that it is by grace we have been saved - this is a point that Paul loves to emphasize in his writings.
This passage contains the idea that we are somehow on display for God's glory - according to v. 6-7, we have been raised with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly realms so that God might display the incomparable riches of his grace and the kindness he expresses to us in Christ to the coming age. God points to us as his trophies - as proof that he is gracious beyond compare and kind beyond all measure. There are two ways that we present God's grace and kindness: first, because it is only grace that saves us. It points to God's immeasurable grace and kindness because we were dead and incapable of doing anything to earn his favour or to make ourselves alive. In Christ, God made us alive by his grace. Second, when we fulfill the purpose for which we have been created (to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do) we show that God's grace and kindness is powerful and effective. He doesn't just save us but he restores us to the purpose for which we were originally created: to display his glory (we are his handiwork or masterpiece) and to do his work.
All of this is only in or through or with Christ. God, keep me from the arrogance of the religious elite and the Pharisees. Remind me that without your grace (completely undeserved favour), I would be dead in my transgressions and sins and in slavery to the spirit who is at work in those who are disobedient. Thank you for giving me your Spirit. Help me to keep in step with him.
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It's hard to grasp the fact that we can do nothing to earn it. Grace is given and we did nothing for it. We cannot boast in anything, for we are nothing ourselves, but everything in him the one who created us. We are his workmanship and can only boast in him, for we were dead until he made us alive through Christ Jesus, Amen.
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