#1399. Salvation is the gift of God (2/12/25)

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, we began to see that we are saved through faith in Christ rather than by our good works. Today, Paul takes us deeper into this glorious truth, showing us the utter security of our salvation and the glory it brings to our Saviour God. Continuing in Ephesians 2: 8-10, we ask:

What aspects of salvation are the gift of God and how does our understanding of this affect our joy and security? 

To watch this devotional, select the link below:

This is not from yourselves

Having told us that we are saved by grace - through faith in Christ - Paul underlines the point again: ‘this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.’ But what exactly is the ‘gift’? Is it grace? Faith? Or both?

I believe Paul intends us to see that all of salvation is God’s gift, including the faith by which we receive it.

i. Otherwise we could boast. If faith were simply our own contribution, we could pat ourselves on the back for being wiser or more receptive than others. But Paul’s whole point is that no one can boast in themselves.

ii. Our condition makes faith impossible without God. Earlier, Paul described us as ‘dead’ in sin (2:1), enslaved by the devil (2:2), and driven by the flesh (2:3). In that state, faith in Christ is not something we can produce on our own.

iii. New birth enables faith. Our conversion is described as being ‘made alive’ while we were still dead in transgressions (2:5). Only the Spirit’s regenerating work awakens our hearts to believe.

iv. The context points to God’s gift. Paul concludes, ‘so that no one can boast.’ If even faith is God’s gift, then all boasting is excluded, and all glory goes to Christ alone. F.F. Bruce, write on this verse:

Wayne Grudem sums it up well:

Response

Do you know that your salvation is entirely by grace? Can you look back and say, “It was the Holy Spirit who drew me. He placed the right people and circumstances in my path. He opened my heart to believe in Jesus.”?

Let us give thanks today that our salvation rests not on our fragile efforts, but on God’s gracious gift.

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)

  
  

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

THIS WEEK IS SIV (SERVE INVEST AND INVITE) WEEK.

What is SIV? 

SIV stands for Serve, Invest, and Invite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’.  We can effectively bring people to Jesus by 'Serving' them - demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways; by 'Investing' in the people to whom we feel the Spirit is leading us; and by 'Inviting' them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel. 

Along with a brief reflection on Sunday’s text, let's spend this time sharing, thinking and praying about how God wants to work through us to help our communities to come to Jesus. 

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 2:8-10 was: We are God’s good work for His good works 

In these verses, we see that although we are in no way saved by our good works, we are re-created in Christ for God's good works; good character and works are the inevitable outcome of being united to Christ.

Please read Ephesians 2:8-10 and discuss:

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

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• How does God's promise of 'good works' affect our approach to evangelism?

• Why should understanding that salvation - including our faith - is the gift of God lead us to greater confidence in sharing the gospel?

• 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.

• Pray for our upcoming carol service (7th) and those who may be planning to invite.