'You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them (Eph. 2:1-10). '
Humanity, in its sinful condition, lived under the power of evil but God had a plan for us. We attain salvation not on our own accord but in response to God’s love which he, on His own initiative, freely bestowed upon us through grace even though we did not merit it. Through God’s mercy, we have been brought to life in Christ Jesus; “If Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you (Rom. 8:10-11).” Although we are called to perform good works, it is not through works that we are saved. Grace is the gratuitous gift from God through which we can all have faith that leads to salvation. Therefore, no one can boast or should even think that they earned their salvation through their faith or their good works.
Almighty God, we were born with the stain of sin which was washed away by the blood of your incarnate Son. Teach us to humbly depend on your grace to increase our faith which can lead us to our salvation. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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