Ephesians 2:1-10 (NASB)

Introduction
The central theme of Paul's letter to the Ephesians is the truth of the believer's reconciliation and union with Christ through His death, resurrection, ascension, and present position. This letter reveals a God who gives freely because of His own love. A God who does not deal with us according to our degree of performance, but according to our deepest needs. God provides salvation as a gift to fallen, spiritually dead humans by giving them new life in Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to create faith within such people (which we all are by nature) so that they may receive His gracious gift. And not only to receive faith unto salvation, but also a faith that produces a life of good works prepared beforehand by God.

1. And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

Apart from Christ, we were spiritually "dead" because of our sinful nature. That is, we stood guilty before God because we continued to miss the mark, or fall short of the standards God requires of us to live by. The use of the Greek word nekros ("dead") conveys the message that we were separated from the life-giving grace of God; our souls separated from the quickening of His divine influence, with no hope of eternal life.



2. in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

The verb peripateo used here means "'to walk about', implying a habitual conduct." (Word Meanings in the New Testament, by Ralph Earle) Before coming to Christ we habitually conducted our lives according to the present world system, which is evil and in opposition to God.

The reason this present world system is in opposition to the divine will of God is because demonic powers and principalities influence and control it.

This influence can be seen at work in those who exhibit apeitheia ("disobedience"). That is, a continual stubborn refusal to acknowledge God and submit to His divine will.



3. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Before Christ, we lived to gratify the sinful propensities of our corrupt natures, fulfilling the desires of a depraved mind. Because we lived in this state of total depravity, we were by nature under the condemnation of God.



4. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

God is perfect in His judgment and has every right to justly condemn the ungodly. But in His great love for us He has taken into account the miserable state in which we placed ourselves as a result of our sins and has shown richness in mercy (eleos) toward us. This, in order to alleviate the consequences of sin, which is eternal, spiritual death.



5. even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Though we were dead in sin, living in rebellion against God, He gave us life and hope due to His great love. "His love springs from Himself, not being called forth by anything in us, for He loved us in our spiritual ruin. The new life He gives us is not a thing apart; it is a participation in Christ's life. God made us 'alive together with Christ' so that we may share in His risen life ..." (The International Bible Commentary, edited by F.F. Bruce)

It is by God's gift of grace that we have been and are presently in a perpetual state of salvation.



6. and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

God has raised us up and made us alive in Christ, and seated us with Him on high. Because of Jesus' substitutionary death for our sins, His resurrection, and His imparted righteousness to us, we are assured of eternal life will reign with Him in His glorious kingdom.



7. so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Here is God's grand design in giving us a new life in Christ, so that He can forever show evidence of His goodness and mercy. (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Ephesians)



8. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

The grace of God is the source of salvation. Grace comes from word charis. Charis means "a favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the loving-kindness of God to men, finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. Charis stands in opposition to works, the two being mutually exclusive. God's grace affects man's sinfulness and not only forgives the repentant sinner, but brings joy and thankfulness to him." (The Complete Word Study New Testament)

While the source of salvation is the grace of God, this grace becomes efficacious "through faith" (dia pisteuo). Pisteuo is derived from the word pistis, which means to have faith, belief, total trust, confidence, in something or someone. (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2nd. Ed.)In the context of this passage, this faith is in Jesus Christ. It is not the kind faith that is mere intellectual assent, but faith that causes the believer to confess Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. This also means to be fully persuaded in and acknowledge the truth that all he is and has is through what God has done in Jesus Christ. Pisteuo is the kind of faith a child exhibits in his mother while being cradled in her arms.

The phrase theou to doron ("gift of God") conveys the message that salvation and the faith needed to believe in Christ proceeds not from ourselves, but is the gift of God. For every perfect gift comes from God. (James 1:17) And one of those gifts is faith. Jonah 2:9 teaches that "salvation is of the Lord." This is further emphasized by the fact that no one can come to Jesus Christ unless the Father draws him. (John 6:44)



9. not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

"Works" comes from the word ergon, which means to by one's own performance seek to attain some matter, thing, or object. Ouk ex ergon ("not as a result of works") relates the clear message that salvation is not something we can obtain through our own performance of good works. (Titus 3:5)

According to Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, kauchaomai means "to glory or to boast." Because salvation is the gift of God, no one can boast about his works or performance attaining salvation. A gift that is earned is not a gift. If salvation could be attained via one's good works then salvation is not of the Lord, but according to one's works. And if according to one's works, then it is not of grace. (Romans 11:6)



10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

The meaning of poiema according to Strong's Greek Dictionary of the New Testament is something "that is made", or "workmanship." When we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we become His workmanship, His masterpiece.

"Created" is derived from word ktizo, which in this sense means to form in a spiritual sense, to regenerate, to renew. (The Complete Word Study New Testament) When one is saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, he becomes a new creation in a spiritual sense. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Believers become a new creation "in Christ Jesus for good works." This refers to God's design to set them apart to live a holy life.

Proetoimazo means to "prepare beforehand". This expresses the idea of a previous determination, or an arrangement beforehand to secure a certain result. The previous preparation here refers to God's predetermination that believers are to lead holy lives. This is consistent with Paul's teaching in 1:4, which states that God has chosen His people before the foundation of the world in order that they may be holy. (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament)

Summary
The grace that saves is the free, unmerited gift of God. He saves us, not by the quality of our performance or deeds done in righteousness. (Titus 3:5) For to God "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." (Isaiah 64:6) We are saved solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not of any works on our part, lest anyone should boast. And due to our inherited sinful pride, we would boast. But since these things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, all boasting is excluded. All is the free gift of God, along with the effect of being created anew by His power to lead holy lives, which is in accordance to His preordained purpose before the foundation of the world. All the credit, praise, glory, and honor for our salvation is due to God alone.