At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else. However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Ephesians 2:1-10, CEB)
I normally like the Common English Bible (CEB). However the translation for verse 8 here falls a little short for me.
You are saved by grace because of your faith. This makes my salvation about me and my faith. Other translations say saved by grace through faith. And the construction of the Greek is not clear whose faith it is. I like to think of it and believe it is not my faith but Christ’s faith to follow the plan through. He asked to have the cup removed but faithfully follow God.
It is not my doing or your doing. It is God’s love that saves us.
Love like Jesus.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 