Paul Explains Christians' Relationship With Christ

Bible Point: God's Power saves us by his Grace

Key Verse:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not
by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Bible Exploration: Ephesians 1:15-2:10


Ephesians 2:8-9 is probably the most commonly
referenced passage in the Bible when talking about salvation
by grace through faith. The following acrostic quite nicely
states what grace really is:

G od’s
R iches
A t
C hrist’s
E xpense

Other religions, and even many people in our own culture, tend to manufacture ways that they think will get them to God. Most often such methods involve doing good works.
However, Paul pointed out that there’s nothing we can do to work our way to salvation.
God, in his great power and love, gave us the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. The good works we do in our lives are not to win God’s favor, but instead to fulfill what God created us to do.

Even though we know we can’t earn our friendship with Jesus, we often try to anyway. Maybe it’s because we spend so much time trying to impress each other. In what subtle ways are you trying to earn God’s love or impress Jesus? It’s wasted energy. Take a moment to thank God for loving you without any strings attached. The more you celebrate God’s grace, the easier it is to stop trying to earn his favor.

Family Challenge:
In what ways can you show grace to each other this week? Maybe you can do something special for someone, even when they don't deserve it. Point out someone of the things you do for your family as a model for how God uses his power to love us unconditionally.