Grace or Works?

"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." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NRSV)

Paul seems confused. One hand we are told that we are saved by grace and not by our works, yet on the other hand we are told we have been created for good works. Which is it, Paul?

The answer is both. Paul is very clear, we cannot be saved by our works, and there is nothing we can do to earn salvation. Paul compares it to death. In our sin, we are dead—by definition dead people cannot do anything. However, only by the gracious and generous will of God can we be brought back to life. We do not earn this new life, we can’t we are dead—we unable to do anything.

However, once we created in new life in Jesus—He has a plan for us—to do good works. Not our own works, by God’s purpose and works. We are to be his hands and feet in his word. We have been created for a purpose—we have been saved for a purpose. Not for our glory but for God’s glory.

Grace or works? The answer is we have been saved by grace to do God’s good works.