What is salvation?

Text: Ephesians 2:1-10

Soteriology is the study of salvation. Volumes have been written on the subject, defining and redefining what it means to be “saved.” But rather than reading what scholars have written, it’s better to go directly to the source - the Word of God.

In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul dissects our sinful state after the Fall, which made us unfit to be in God’s presence, leaving us dead in our sin.

Before salvation, we are spiritually dead. However, because of Christ, we are saved from death to life. Ephesians 2:3-4 tells us that dead people can’t save themselves, but because of God’s great love for us, He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and experience new life.

We are also saved from our sins to good works. Good works don’t bring us salvation; they result from our salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God, not by works, so no one can boast.”

We are also saved from “down here to up there.” Ephesians 2:6 tells us, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Through salvation, our citizenship moves from this world into eternity and a heavenly home.

God saves us from the world and the flesh to God’s workmanship. French poet Charles Baudelaire famously said, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Ken Ammi, Christian apologetics, researcher, and lecturer, followed with, “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he is the good guy.” Our natural tendency is to please ourselves, a trap that keeps us from communion with God. Instead, we must accept that the only way to salvation is through faith in Christ. 

We are saved from our works to His gift. Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it clear. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We have the promise from God - salvation; the object of our faith - Jesus; and we have the capacity for our faith - all from God. 

How? By God’s grace through faith in Christ alone. 

  1. What about being ‘dead in sin’ is both self-deceiving and deceiving to others?

  2. What do verses 4-6 implicitly say about what God saw in us that made us ‘worth’ saving? What do we ‘contribute’ toward our salvation?

  3. Read verse 7 and explain it! What should be our response to this?

  4. How should the last phrase of verse 9, “so that no one can boast,” be evident in our lives?

  5. Explain how good works in Christ differ from the ‘works’ (vs. 9) before Christ.

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Worship Set: Rattle l See a Victory l Worthy l Gratitude