037 DRRIC Biblical Articles – Faith is a Gift from God
037 DRRIC Biblical Articles – Faith is a Gift from God Quote: “By God's grace, He reconciles man to Himself. We can add nothing to it ourselves. To Him be the glory and the honor forever and ever.” July 3, 2025.
Ephesians 2:8–9
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.
To the one who hears or reads,
Coming to faith is something that occupies the minds of many, and it often carries theological weight. It can raise the question: is faith my own choice, or is it the work of God? Ephesians 2:8–9, which we have just read, provides a clear answer: the faith by which believers are saved in Christ is a gift from God. This is not presented as a grand theological concept by Paul, yet we often make it more difficult than it is, simply by failing to receive God's words as they are. Still, I would like to reflect on this with you in this article, for it touches the very core of our confidence and assurance in Christ.
In Ephesians 2:8–9, Paul emphasizes that both salvation and faith are gifts of God. This means that faith is not something that originates within us, but a gracious gift from God. It is not grounded in human effort or merit, so that no one can boast in their salvation. This underscores the sovereignty of God in the entire process of salvation and belief.
When a person seeks after God, according to Scripture, it is always a response to God's initial action in the believer’s life. As we are told in Romans 3:10–11: “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.’” In various parts of Scripture it becomes clear that God is the One who takes the first step, drawing and calling people to Himself.
The Bible consistently shows that both faith and salvation rest entirely upon God’s grace and will. Paul emphasizes in Ephesians 2 that both are gifts of God, apart from any human merit. In Romans 3 he makes clear that no one seeks God by nature. And in the Gospel of John, particularly John 6:29, we hear Christ’s words: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Jesus makes it clear that believing in Him is not a human achievement, but a work fully wrought by God. This line of thought strengthens the conviction that the entire process of salvation—from God’s call to our faith—begins and ends with Him.
Now that we have read or heard the words of Jesus, we return to today’s text: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
Paul opens his letter with praise for the grace of God: He has chosen us, redeemed us through the blood of Christ, and sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that we were once spiritually dead, living in sin, but God, being rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ. And then Paul speaks the summary and heart of it all: “By grace you have been saved.” He points to the source of salvation: grace.
The Greek word for “saved,” σεσῳσμένοι (sesōsmenoi), carries meanings of rescuing, healing, preserving. This does not come from us, for we do not choose God, nor do we seek Him. No, it is God, in His infinite love, who has loved us and sent His Son. Therefore, those who are in Him have been saved—not because of what we did, but because of who God is.
Thus, if you have been saved by grace, your salvation does not arise from yourself, but from the goodness of God. This removes every foundation for pride, but also every cause for fear. For if grace is the origin, then assurance is the result. Do not trust in yourself, but rest in what God has done for you. Let me then ask the question: Do you truly live by grace, or—perhaps unknowingly—do you still trust in yourself?
Faith is the instrument of salvation. It is the means by which God's saving grace is received. And if faith is the instrument, then all other means are excluded. Therefore, Paul immediately adds: “and that not of yourselves.” Or in other words: this did not come from you. With the word “that,” Paul sums up everything he has previously described: chosen, redeemed, sealed with the Holy Spirit, made alive, raised with Christ. None of this is from you, Paul says.“It is the gift of God.”
Faith is not the believer’s contribution to salvation. It is a gift. God stirs it, grants it, sustains it. And to remove all doubt, Paul adds: “Not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Man has no grounds to exalt himself. Salvation is not a reward for deeds, but a gracious gift from God, so that all glory belongs to Him alone.
If faith is a gift, then you cannot attribute it to yourself. It is received, not earned. Even that which connects you to Christ comes from God. Can you truly believe that even your faith is not your own achievement, but God’s grace at work within you?
Then let us trust that when the Spirit lays it on your heart to seek God, you will seek and find in His strength. That even if you do not know what to pray, you will receive. That if you knock, led by the Spirit, the door will be opened. Let this be, for you who do not yet know Him—and perhaps are still His enemy—a call to be led by the Spirit and to glorify Christ in your heart. For the Spirit reveals Christ to us and speaks through God’s call in the hearts of people.
This does require a response—a response that God Himself works in you, when He draws you, as written in John 6:44:“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
So if you have the desire to seek, that desire is not from yourself—then let yourself be drawn. Repent, and believe the Gospel, so that you too may be raised with Christ on the last day. For if you are saved by grace through faith, then that is not from yourself; it is the gift of God, so that no one may boast.
Soli Deo Gloria. To God alone be the glory. Amen.