Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse emphasizes that "this" – the entire salvation through grace received by faith – is not a human achievement but a divine gift. This steers us away from thinking our faith is a good deed earning favor, and instead highlights that even the ability to believe is from God, ensuring all the glory belongs to Him.
Paul is explaining how the Gentiles, who were once far from God, have been brought near through Christ. Having just described their spiritual death and God's powerful, grace-filled action in raising them to life in Christ, he emphasizes that this salvation, from beginning to end, is not earned by them but is a free gift from God. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of their new identity and walk in Christ, free from the old ways of sin.
Ever feel like you have to 'earn' your way to God or prove your worth? This verse cuts through that idea like a hot knife through butter.
Paul is crystal clear: salvation isn't a team effort where we contribute our part. It's entirely from God.
The Source: God's Grace
He starts by saying salvation is 'by grace.' This isn't just a nice feeling; it's the unmerited, undeserved favor of God. It's His initiative, His plan, His action from start to finish.
The Delivery: Through Faith
Faith is how we receive this salvation. Think of it as the open hand reaching out to accept the gift. But Paul immediately clarifies that even this 'reaching out' isn't something we conjure up on our own.
The Conclusion: Not From You
The crucial phrase, 'And this is not your own doing,' emphasizes that the whole package – the grace, the salvation, and even the faith to receive it – originates with God. It's not earned, not achieved, not manufactured by human effort.
What exactly is Paul saying isn't from us? This seemingly small word holds a massive theological weight.
The Greek word translated as 'this' (touto) is a neuter pronoun. This is important because 'grace' (charis) and 'faith' (pistis) are feminine nouns in Greek. Grammatically, 'this' doesn't neatly attach to either 'grace' or 'faith' alone.
A Broader Reference
Most scholars agree that 'this' refers to the entire preceding concept: salvation by grace through faith. It's the whole package deal.
The Implication: All of God
So, when Paul says 'this is not your own doing,' he's encompassing the whole reality of being saved. It's not just that God's grace is His doing, or that faith is His doing; it's the of being saved, the state of being reconciled to God through Christ, that is not generated from within us. It is a divine impartation, a gift bestowed.
Understand the original words
sōzō · Greek Verb
The act of being delivered from the penalty, power, and eventually the presence of sin. It is entirely a work of God initiated by His grace and received through faith.
pistis · Greek Noun
A firm conviction, trust, and reliance upon God and His promises. It is the instrument through which one receives the gift of salvation, not as a meritorious work, but as a response to God's revelation.
dōron · Greek Noun
Something given voluntarily without payment or expectation of return. In theology, it emphasizes that salvation is wholly from God and cannot be earned by human effort.
This passage echoes Ephesians 2:8 by stating that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, yet they are justified freely by His grace, highlighting the freeness of salvation.
Titus 3:5This verse clarifies that salvation is not by works of righteousness we have done, but by God's mercy and the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, reinforcing the 'gift of God' aspect.
John 3:16This foundational verse presents God's love as the ultimate motivation for sending His Son, showing that the 'gift of God' extends to the very provision of salvation through faith in Jesus.
Philippians 1:29It states that believers have been granted the 'privilege' not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him, underscoring that faith itself, the means of salvation, is a divine enablement.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29This passage emphasizes that God chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise and strong, showing that salvation and the means by which it's received are intentionally designed to be apart from human achievement.
vincentEphesians 2:8: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
For by grace, etc.This may truly be called exceeding riches of grace, for ye are saved by grace. Grace has the article, the grace of God, in Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:7.And thatNot faith, but the salvation.Of GodEmphatic. Of God is it the gift.
gillEphesians 2:8: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
For by grace are ye saved,.... This is to be understood, not of temporal salvation, nor of preservation in Christ, nor of providential salvation in order to calling, and much less of being put in a way of salvation, or only in a salvable state; but of spiritual salvation, and that actual; for salvation was not only resolved upon, contrived and secured in the covenant of grace, for the pe…
The verse emphasizes that "this" – the entire salvation through grace received by faith – is not a human achievement but a divine gift. This steers us away from thinking our faith is a good deed earning favor, and instead highlights that even the ability to believe is from God, ensuring all the glory belongs to Him.
Paul is explaining how the Gentiles, who were once far from God, have been brought near through Christ. Having just described their spiritual death and God's powerful, grace-filled action in raising them to life in Christ, he emphasizes that this salvation, from beginning to end, is not earned by them but is a free gift from God. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of their new identity and walk in Christ, free from the old ways of sin.
Paul is explaining how the Gentiles, who were once far from God, have been brought near through Christ. Having just described their spiritual death and God's powerful, grace-filled action in raising them to life in Christ, he emphasizes that this salvation, from beginning to end, is not earned by them but is a free gift from God. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of their new identity and walk in Christ, free from the old ways of sin.
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"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God," — The verse emphasizes that "this" – the entire salvation through grace received by faith – is not a human achievement but a divine gift. This steers us away from thinking our faith is a good deed earn…
