17 October 2022

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

From Ephesians 2:1-10, NRSV

For a people whose history had been marked by many failures and mistakes, these words must have brought great consolation. To be told that they did not need to earn Salvation but that this was given freely as a gift from God was totally different from the laws and teaching handed down to them over time. The writer of this letter also wants this message to be known for “all ages to come”, so for us too, the message is that God’s grace is freely offered and not a reward for any efforts that we might make to deserve it.

• • How would those hearing these words for the first time have felt and reacted?
  • In some translations, the phrase “we are what he has made us” is translated as “We are God’s work of art”. What difference does it make to you to know that you are “God’s work of art” and created to do good works?

Many people live under the weight of their past mistakes and shortcomings. Pray today for those who do not feel that they deserve God’s grace.