#1395. It is by grace you have been saved (26/11/25)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

In our last reflection on Ephesians 2:4–7, we considered how every believer has experienced the miracle of spiritual resurrection through being united to Christ. Today, we pause on Paul’s striking reminder in verse 5: 

From Ephesians 2:4-7, we see afresh that “It is by grace you have been saved.”

To watch this devotional, select the link below:

Paul can’t help but circle back to this truth. It’s as if he’s saying, “Don’t miss this - don’t forget this - it’s all grace.” But why such repetition?

1. Grace was Paul’s joy

Paul never got over the wonder that God saved him. His past as a persecutor of the church could have crushed him with guilt or left him crippled by the disapproval of others - especially those who had lost loved ones through his actions. But again and again, Paul anchored his soul in the grace of God.

What fills our hearts will fill our conversations. For Paul, grace wasn’t just a doctrine - it was the song of his life.

2. Grace means gift

The Greek word charis simply means ‘gift’ or ‘favour.’  Salvation is not earned or deserved - it’s God’s free and loving choice toward the undeserving. We didn’t achieve our new life; we received it.

3. Salvation means rescue

Here, ‘salvation’ refers to the whole package of blessings we have in Christ - but at its heart, it means being rescued from God’s wrath and judgment. Like Lazarus walking out of the tomb at Christ’s command, or Zacchaeus coming down from the tree at Jesus’ call, we are Christians today because He chose and called us.

4. He repeats what we are prone to forget

He repeats this idea of grace because we are tempted to forget it. Due to the world, the flesh and the devil, we are tempted to move a position where our salvation or acceptance by God become based upon our performance. Due to failure, we can fail to see that Jesus cross removes all sin and imputes Jesus’ perfect righteousness. Also, due to success, we can become proud of ourselves and judgemental of others! A repetition of God’s grace keeps us in a healthy place with God and others. 

Response

Keep the gospel of grace on your own lips. Remind yourself of it when doubts come. Speak it to others when they feel unworthy or hopeless. Forgetting grace leaves the door open for fear, pride, and despair - but remembering it keeps us anchored in joy.

Community Group Notes

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

Note:

• Please be thinking and praying about who you might want to invite to our upcoming carol service (7th December)

• Also, do sign up for carol singing (30th November).  To sign up, go to: https://forms.monday.com/forms/67541e198902721e4b04ee65cc95ae8a?r=use1

2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

This week, we continue in our series: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

Our message on Sunday from Ephesians 2:4-7 was:  Wrath to Riches - How God's grace has saved us.

In these verses, we see the astonishing love and grace of God - a love that transforms both our identity and our eternal future. We reflected on how:

Remembering what we have been saved from and saved for should deeply impact how we live now. 

Please read Ephesians 2:4-7 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection – What did God speak to you about through Sunday’s message?

• In verse 3, he sets a contrast with the words, ‘But because…’ Take a moment to review verses 1-3 so as to remind ourselves of our condition when God’s love broke in. 

• Why do you think God loved us? 

• What does it mean to be ‘made alive’ and what are the results?

• What does it mean to be ‘raised up with Christ’? 

• According to verse 7, what will God do through each of us for all eternity? 

• How is this truth - wrath to riches - to be reflected in our lives? 

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• How do these verses assure us that God will continue to bring people to Himself?

• Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.

• Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Are there any ‘people of peace’ (*see note) in your life—those who are receptive to you and spiritual conversation?

Let’s pray together: 

• Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.

• Pray for one another's SIV opportunities and boldness in following the Spirit's promptings.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - asking God to open hearts and provide opportunities to speak life and truth.