How to Receive Salvation -- The Meaning of Grace and Faith in Ephesians 2:8-10 Free Reprint Article

NotifySnack

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US

Translate this Page Here

Word Count: 757

Send Article To Friend

Print/Use Article

Contact Wayne Davies

How to Receive Salvation -- The Meaning of Grace and Faith in Ephesians 2:8-10

by Wayne Davies
11/15/2014 / Bible Studies

If you are looking for a Bible passage that explains what it takes to get to heaven, Ephesians 2:8-10 is a good place to start. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from ourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The focus of this article is the words "by grace" and "through faith", which is the way Paul explains "the how" of salvation. These two prepositional phrases teach us how a person is saved. Let's examine both of them.

Salvation is received by grace.
"Grace" is such a commonly used word among Christians, I fear it has lost its significance. And it should be used often in the New Testament it is found over 100 times. But when I hear someone say before a meal, "Let's say grace," I get concerned because the word means so much more than a short prayer of thanksgiving for food.

Grace means "the unmerited favor of God toward man." Grace means that God loves us and cares for us even though we don't deserve it and we certainly didn't do anything to earn it. We deserve to be punished for our sins. But because Jesus died for us, God offers salvation instead of damnation. So we don't get what we really deserve because God is a merciful God and does not want anyone to go to hell -- "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish" (1 Peter 3:9). Our God is truly "full of compassion and mercy." (James 5:11).

Salvation is received through faith.
God's grace makes salvation possible. God's grace results in His offer of salvation to anyone and everyone. But for salvation to be received, a human response is required. In the New Testament, the most commonly used word to describe what a person must do to appropriate God's salvation is the noun "faith" (or belief) or it's closely related verb, "believe".

This is the plain teaching of Scripture: faith in Jesus Christ is the only means by which a person can be saved and receive eternal life instead of eternal damnation. Beginning with the Bible's most well known verse, we find Jesus Himself telling Nicodemus what it takes to be saved:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:16-18).

I'm always grateful when God presents a truth by repeating a particular word. Repetition is a great teacher, is it not? In just those three verses, the word "believe" appears four times. Obviously, Jesus was trying to get the point across that faith is the human response that God requires for salvation to be received.

I encourage you to do a word study on "faith" and "believe". Get a concordance (or use a website like www.BibleGateway.com) and look up every verse in the New Testament that contains either of those words. You'll be amazed at how often it appears.

In the book of Acts, for example, Luke chronicles the growth of the early church through the preaching of the apostles. The following verses record the response of converts to Christianity with the same word "believe". In Jerusalem (4:4, 5:14, 6:7), Samaria (8:12-13), Lydda (9:42), Antioch (11:21), Cyprus (13:12), Pisidian Antioch (13:48), Iconium (14:1), Philippi (16:34), Berea (17:12), Athens (17:34), Corinth (18:8), and Ephesus (19:18) in every city where the gospel was preached, people heard the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and believed in the Lord.

God's methodology hasn't changed in 2,000 years. As the gospel is preached throughout the world today, we too must respond in faith to the grace of God in order to receive the salvation that only Jesus can provide.

Looking for more Bible reading tips?

I'd like you to have Free Instant Access to my eBook "God Wrote The Book: Do You Know How To Read It?". Simply visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com

You'll learn a simple yet powerful way to read the Bible - with understanding and Christ-honoring, life-changing results!

For more Bible reading tips, visit http://www.GodWroteTheBook.com for 2 free gifts: the Resource Guide "Top 5 Free Online Bible Study Tools" and my book "Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold: Meditations on Psalm 119," by Wayne Davies, dedicated to helping you read and understand the Bible.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Wayne Davies

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

User Comments

G5485 GRACE χα´ρις charis khar'-ece From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy). · Would you say Grace makes us “acceptable”? · Would you say Grace is a “benefit”? · Would you say Grace is “favor”? · Would you say Grace is a “gift”? · Would you say Grace is just sometimes “Gracious”? · Would you say Grace is “joy liberality”? · Would you say Grace is “pleasure”? · Would you say Grace is a “thanks”? So, how does one receive Grace? Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We receive Grace by our FAITH in JESUS CHRIST! What is Faith? G4102 FAITH (Strongs - Greek) πι´στις pistis pis'-tis From G3982; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. Who is JESUS CHRIST? HE is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14) We must have “RELIANCE UPON THE WORD OF GOD FOR SALVATION”. Jesus is the WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE! John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. The WORD is TRUTH, that leads the WAY to ETERNAL LIFE! So if Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, then Jesus Christ is GRACE! HE is the “GIFT” from God to us, HE is our “BENEFIT”, HE is our “ACCEPTANCE”, HE gives us “FAVOR”, HE is our “JOY”, HE is our “PLEASURE”, HE is “GRACIOUS”, HE is even our “THANKS”. Want more proof that JESUS is GRACE? John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. “full of grace and truth” Jesus Christ is the embodiment of “TRUTH” (which leads the WAY), and GRACE (with all its attributes) that is our SALVATION here and ETERNAL SALVATION to come. Which brings us to Eph. 2:8 Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: We are “SAVED” through FAITH! Because of our FAITH we have accessed GRACE which is JESUS CHRIST! Eph. 2:8 tells us what type of GRACE, “THE GIFT OF GOD”. For by GRACE… it is the GIFT of God: 1Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. “Grace for grace” means what? John 1:16-17 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. · If you accept Him, He accepts you! · If you benefit Him, He benefits you! · If you have joy in Him, He has joy in you! · If you give Him favor, He favors you! · If you are thankful to Him, He is thankful to you! · If you have pleasure in Him, He has pleasure in you! · If you give (gift) yourself to Him, He gives (gifts) Himself to you! · Finally this sums it up: if you are gracious to Him (meaning acceptable to Him, benefiting Him…), He is Gracious (SAVIOUR) to you! Want Proof? James 4:8-9 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. FIRST - Draw close to God! Then He draws close to you! HOW? “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. What must be done first? REPENT, turn away from the flesh and world. Stop sinning and renounce those sins, then come and follow Jesus. You CAN'T follow and reflect Jesus with those sins. If you say, "Well I am struggling and can't seem to stop" YOU are denying the power of God and making excuses. The Word teaches to repent first. Q: What does it mean to repent? A: Turn to God and away from "YOUR" sins. What did the prophets always preach to a sinful society? Repent or your destruction awaits! GOD's JUDGMENTS!!! Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 1. Deny yourself (repent). Turn to God! 2. Take up your cross (give up your life, to obtain eternal life). Death to self, and live for Jesus Christ! 3. Then follow. (blind faith, complete trust in the Jesus/the Word) Obedience to the Word and Spirit! Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. · HOW MUCH OF YOURSELF WILL YOU DENY? · HOW MUCH OF THE CROSS WILL YOU CARRY? · HOW MUCH OF HIS WILL, WILL YOU DO? · HOW MUCH OF YOU WILL MAKE IT TO HEAVEN? Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

2015-01-28

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer