1 of 1

Paul begins and ends his letter to the Ephesians (1:2 and 6:24) with a prayer that they would share in God's grace.

The most important things in life—forgiveness, a right relationship with God, acceptance into God's family, eternal life, the transforming power of his Holy Spirit—are all God's gifts for those made his own by his grace. Believers should respond by joyfully praising God for this grace and by letting their lives reflect their gratitude. In the Greek language, significantly, the words grace, joy, and thanksgiving are related.

Ephesians 2:4-9

1.   When, according to verse 8, was God's grace applied to your life?
   
   
2.   What (v. 5) was your status before God's grace penetrated your life? What is it since you were saved?
   
   
3.   How much of this transformation (vv. 8-9) can you take credit for?
   
   
4.     When someone gives you a gift, do you say, "That's very nice—now how much do I owe you?" What is the appropriate response?
   
   
5.     Have you felt obligated to try to work your way to God?
   
   
6.     Do you think of yourself as "Exhibit A" of the "incredible wealth" of God's grace and kindness (v. 7)? Should you?
   
   

Thank God for taking the initiative to provide for your salvation even though you had done nothing to deserve it.

Ephesians 2:4-9

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

 1 of 1

share this page

Prayer for the Week

I'm blown away, Lord, by your gift of salvation, which I could neither earn nor repay. I'll be forever grateful.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter (All fields required)    RSS Feed   RSS Help