Ephesians 2:9 – Unearned and Secure
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Truth to Learn
We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation.
Behind the Words
“Not” is translated from the Greek particle ou, meaning “no or not.” It expresses direct and full negation, independently and absolutely.
The word translated “works” is ergon, from which we get our English word ergonomics. Ergon refers to “any work, deed, act, or action;” that is, it refers to “something done.” It is expressed here in the genitive case, which implies “of” or “from.” But here it is coupled with ou by means of the preposition ek, which means “out of” or “from.” Thus we could translate the first part of this verse as “not as a result of something you do.”
“Lest” is from two Greek words. The first is the conjunction hina, meaning “to the end that” or “in order that.” The second Greek word is mē, which indicates a conditional negation.
“Anyone” is translated from tis, which is an indefinite pronoun. It is variously translated as “anyone, someone, or a certain one.”
The words “should boast” are from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to boast, glory, or exalt, either in a good or a bad sense.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating something that is not happening but might have the possibility of happening.
Meaning Explained
In order to get the full meaning of today’s verse, let’s look at it along with yesterday’s verse.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
In the preceding verses Paul has been talking about the incredible value of God’s grace. We saw in verse seven that God’s purpose in salvation is to shine the spotlight on His marvelous grace. Paul went on to point out in yesterday’s verse that our salvation is the result of this grace of God. We also learned that His grace and our faith unto salvation are a gift to us from God. Now he completes that thought.
Paul tells us that salvation is not the result of any action or actions taken on our part. If we did something to gain this salvation, then it is not a gift; instead, it would be something that we earned. Here’s what Paul says in the book of Romans about earning something as opposed to receiving it as a gift:
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5)
Now, if we did not do anything to earn this salvation which we count so precious, then we cannot “un-earn” it. That is to say that if we didn’t do anything to earn it, we can’t do anything to lose it, and God does not take away the gift of salvation.
Application
The precious truth which we see in this verse is that we didn’t earn salvation, so we can’t lose it once we have it – ever!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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