“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that [faith] not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9) (Author comments bracketed).

The two words that say it all are grace and faith. If you will notice in this well-known verse of scripture, grace comes before faith. Grace is God’s hand reaching out to you filled with “…all the things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3). Faith is our empty hand reaching out to receive what God is giving us in grace. Faith only receives what God gives in grace. Grace is the major part, the hard part, and God’s part. God is responsible for grace. Faith is the minor part, the easy part, and our part. God leaves the easy part to us.

Faith is the minor part, the easy part, and our part. God leaves the easy part to us.

Givers and Takers

Grace must come before faith. Otherwise, we would have nothing to receive. We cannot manufacturer one thing for our salvation or spiritual life afterward. Only God can create our salvation, healing, or the meeting of any of our needs. God does the impossible thing. All we do with faith is receive what God creates and generously offers to us. God is the Giver, and we are the takers. But God’s giving has to come before our taking.

Also notice in our text verse, that even our faith is a gift of God’s grace (see also Acts 3:16). Not only does God offer what we have need of, but He even gives us the ability to receive it. I owe everything to God and His grace. No wonder the rest of the verse says “…lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). Knowing God gives us everything and then gives us the ability to receive it, leaves no room at all for us to boast.

Would You Like A Free Ferrari?

Suppose I came to your church to speak and asked for you, by name, to come to the front because I had a gift for you. I then tell you, “I know you have always wanted a new red Ferrari, so I went by the dealership before I came to your church and picked up one for you. It’s waiting in a semi from Ferrari outside the church. Here’s the key, all you have to do is take it from my hand.”

Your first words would probably be, “But wait! I can’t afford the car. I know it costs over $250,000.”

“No, I already paid for it,” I explain. “You owe nothing. Just take the key!”

“But I can’t afford the insurance for the car. It will cost more than I paid for my present car.”

“No, I’ve also arranged to pay for the insurance for the car for the rest of your life. You will always be covered. Just take the key!”

You still resist. “What about when the warranty is over? I can’t afford the brake rotors on that car.”

“No, I’ve purchased a maintenance plan for the car for the rest of your life. Just take the key!”

“But what kind of mileage does it get?”

“Terrible! But I am also giving you a credit card that will pay for the fuel for the rest of your life. Just take the key!”

“But I feel like I should give you something for the car.”

“Don’t insult my generosity. I paid for the car; you can’t even pay the tip. Just take the key!”

You then would be stupid not to take the key. Everything has been covered. The only effort you must put into this whole transaction is to reach out and take the key.

Suppose as soon as church was over, a reporter from the local TV station met you at the back door as you were leaving to drive your new car home. He says he heard about the free gift and wanted to do an interview with you.

“Would you tell us how you feel about a new free Ferrari?” he asks.

“You should have seen me reach out and take the key,” you say. “My arms glistened in the light of the auditorium, and my muscles budged as I took the key fob and slowly wrapped each finger around it. You should have seen me!”

The reporter might ask, “Yes, but what about the man who bought the car for you, paid for the insurance, maintenance, and gas? Doesn’t he deserve the credit”?

In the same way, that’s how wrong it is to brag on your faith. All the glory should go to God for His grace. Your faith only received what God made and planned for you to have from the foundation of the world. He brought His Son into the world to die for you, take your curse, sin and sickness, defeat it, and be raised from the dead to offer you the gift of eternal life and all other benefits in this life. That’s even better than a Ferrari! A car is temporary, but God’s gifts are eternal.

Since our faith is also a gift from God, it leaves no room at all for boasting. We have nothing to brag about. God receives all the thanks and glory.

A Word for Salvation That Says It All

Just like the Ferrari included insurance, maintenance, and fuel, so does God’s gift of salvation include all the extra benefits so we can fully enjoy our eternal life. Healing and the blessings of life are also included with the new birth.

“For by grace are you saved through faith…” (vs.8). The Greek word for saved is sṓzō. The Scofield Bible in Romans 1:16 calls this word sṓzō “the great inclusive word of the Gospel.” It has up to seven different uses in the gospels and epistles. Let me give you some of its meanings from Strong’s Greek dictionary 4982: “To save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss, destruction. Sṓzō occurs fifty-four times in the Gospels (not counting Luke 17:33 where it is zōogonḗsei, “to rescue from death”). Of the instances where sṓzō is used, fourteen relate to deliverance from disease or demon possession. In twenty instances, the inference is to the rescue of physical life from some impending peril or instant death. The remaining twenty times, the reference is to spiritual salvation.”

Let’s put some of these definitions into our passage. For by grace are you saved from your sins through faith. You are saved from peril and death through faith. And, you also are saved from demons and sickness through faith.

You are saved from peril and death through faith. And, you also are saved from demons and sickness through faith.

Let’s also put some of these definitions into a verse we are all familiar with—Jesus’ healing of the woman with the issue of blood: “He said to her, ‘Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole [sṓzō]…” (Mark 5:34 KJV) (Author comments bracketed).

When we are saved, our sins are completely forgiven and removed—every one of them. So it is when we receive healing. We are not just partially healed but made completely whole of the infirmity. This woman had no trace of the sickness left in her blood. She simply reached out with her faith and took her healing: “…thy faith has made you whole.” This sounds a lot like sṓzō in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved [healed and made whole]through faith…” (Author comments bracketed).

The last half of the word sṓzō is from the Greek word zoe, or life (zoology is from this word, meaning “the study of life”). Strong’s definition also adds, “Sṓzō involves the preservation of life, either physical or spiritual.” Our faith gives supernatural quickening to a sinful life, a poverty-ridden life, and a life of sickness and disease.

A Word for Faith That Says It All

God’s grace has given to us through Jesus’ resurrection power “…all things that pertain unto life and godliness…”(2 Peter 1:3). Whatever you need for your spiritual or natural life is in God’s hand, and all that is involved on your part is to take it. God’s hand holds all the grace heaven has to offer. Your hand simply receives it. The key word here is receive.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

In the hand of the Lord Jesus is eternal life and the power to grow into full grown sons and daughters of God. All that is needed from us is to receive it. But what else is in the hand of Jesus just waiting to be received?

“The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5 KJV).

As well as the gospel being preached to the sinner, healing also is offered for the “receiving” to the blind, lame, leprous, deaf, dead, and God’s prosperity is offered to the poor. That truly is everything we need for life and godliness, all found in the hand of God. Why do you doubt the Scriptures telling you what God has already prepared for you? What do you need from the Lord? It is in His hand of grace reaching out to you right now. Why not reach out with your hand of faith, receive it, and be made whole?