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Ephesians 2:5 "by grace you have been saved", after explaining the beginning of our salvation or from sinner to saint. It happened by grace, after God had mercy on us, this is the context of verses 4-21, focusing in on 4-7. With verse 8 explaining all of it, from sinner to glorified bodies and eternality with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Verse 8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith" Here Paul adds "for" after explaining the full completion of our salvation, from sinners to born again saints to glorified bodies, which God already see us there. He begins the sentence with "for" or because. He's going to bring a fuller explanation of our saving grace and how it gets us to those glorified bodies. The word "through" or "continuing in time toward completion". If "through" meant "by means of" it would then mean that our grace was brought about by our faith. Faith isn't how we receive grace, grace is God's unmerited favor, His gift, if you have to do anything for a gift it is no longer a gift, it's a payment or compensation for the act or deed.
Paul clarifies this with, "Not of ourself, not of works; it's a gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Where the misunderstanding comes is with the word "boast" people have changed the meaning of the word 'boast" to mean bragging, I have do, I can, talking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction, which it can mean. But here what is trying to express a possession, of yourself, it's as simple as saying it's your faith over God's grace that saves you. Think about it, you are wanting to take credit for something God has done for you. What is your reaction to someone saying, God chose you, it's because of God's electing love that you are saved. Does that stir up something inside of you that make you have to defined that it's our faith that saved you or that brings God's grace?
This is something I had to deal with because I would think how dumb are these/this people/person that they don't know that it's faith that brings God's grace. All the time saying that God's grace is, God's unmerited favor, but my actions and thoughts did not agree with what was defending.
Not trying to get into a heated discussion or argue over this, I will better explain myself if someone would like, but I will not argue or fight over this.
Verse 8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith" Here Paul adds "for" after explaining the full completion of our salvation, from sinners to born again saints to glorified bodies, which God already see us there. He begins the sentence with "for" or because. He's going to bring a fuller explanation of our saving grace and how it gets us to those glorified bodies. The word "through" or "continuing in time toward completion". If "through" meant "by means of" it would then mean that our grace was brought about by our faith. Faith isn't how we receive grace, grace is God's unmerited favor, His gift, if you have to do anything for a gift it is no longer a gift, it's a payment or compensation for the act or deed.
Paul clarifies this with, "Not of ourself, not of works; it's a gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Where the misunderstanding comes is with the word "boast" people have changed the meaning of the word 'boast" to mean bragging, I have do, I can, talking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction, which it can mean. But here what is trying to express a possession, of yourself, it's as simple as saying it's your faith over God's grace that saves you. Think about it, you are wanting to take credit for something God has done for you. What is your reaction to someone saying, God chose you, it's because of God's electing love that you are saved. Does that stir up something inside of you that make you have to defined that it's our faith that saved you or that brings God's grace?
This is something I had to deal with because I would think how dumb are these/this people/person that they don't know that it's faith that brings God's grace. All the time saying that God's grace is, God's unmerited favor, but my actions and thoughts did not agree with what was defending.
Not trying to get into a heated discussion or argue over this, I will better explain myself if someone would like, but I will not argue or fight over this.
I am not trying to fight either, Thank you so much for showing me what you think in a non judgmental way.. It gives us hope we can listen to each other. and learn what the other believes. even if in the long run we fail to agree. Again, Thank you.
Boast.. To me, You boast of things you earn.. If I work hard this week, And earn a good paycheck, I can boast, or take credit, for earning that paycheck.
If I train hard to run a race, and win, I can boast of the fact it was because of all of my hard work, I can boast of my reward.
Paul is saying here, and he reiterates in Romans chapter 4 is salvation is not something we can boast of.
To me he is giving the definition of a work in this passage (notice law is not even mentioned,, Many people want to claim he is just talking about works of the law here, but he is not. The word boast proves it) A work which is done to EARN a wage, a reward, (even if it is just to puff up your ego) is a work... in other words.. Any work which can be used to say we earned salvation and BOAST in ourselves, is a work which did not save us.
Faith is not a work, Because we are not trusting ourselves, We are trusting in God. He did all the work. I think again romans 4 explains this alot better than I can.
Rom 4: What then shall we say that Abraham, [SUP][a][/SUP]our forefather according to the flesh, has found? [SUP]2 [/SUP]For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to BOAST about, but not [SUP][c][/SUP]before God. [SUP]3 [/SUP]For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” [SUP]4 [/SUP]Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. [SUP]5 [/SUP]But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, [SUP]6 [/SUP]just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:[SUP]7 [/SUP]“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]“Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
Notice that Paul says that if abraham was saved or considered righteous because of a work he did, It would not be counted as grace, or favor, It could only be counted as work,,and that would mean Abraham earned his salvation.
Notice also. Abraham was considered righteous in Gen 3: 15. Because he believed or trusted in Gods promise. Because he was saved, and because he had faith, We see all the work Abraham did post salvation, Even believing God would raise his son from the dead to keep his promise. (but even that faith took time to grow. As we know. Ishmael was a child of sin. and lack of faith abraham had.. at the time)
What you've explained here is grace not faith, faith is our response to grace, God's unmerited favor. Look at what immediately follows the word, "faith", not of ourself, because God initiated it by causing us to be born again. I Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Does this make sense, if not. Please say so and ask.. I will try to help you understand what I mean..