Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This passage is a gentle reminder of a basic fact of salvation that we must never ever forget. It is quite possible that with the passage of time, and the very routine of doing church, we may forget that it is the grace of God that saves us, and not any good thing we may have done.
Everyone who would pass through the pearly gates when Christ comes would have been saved by grace through faith, without exception. There are those in the Bible, who because of their experience and their understanding at the time, focused heavily on what they did or did not do.
Others have touted their good deeds as the reason why grace and mercy should be granted, and some have enumerated their righteous works in appeals for mercy. As our brethren in Christ, they did so in harmony with their understanding of salvation at the time, and God heard their appeals. Let’s read:
Nehemiah 13:11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
2nd Kings 20:1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
These were very noble and righteous deeds that are in no way to be despised or minimized, for it was their zealousness for righteousness and their love for God that prompted the good works. That’s all well and good, but at the end of the day it is God’s goodness and grace to us why His favor is granted and not merely as a reward for good deeds.
There are preachers who have worked untiringly to save souls and some have gone into areas that were hostile to Christianity, and they laid it all on the line for the sake of Christ, and because of this, they will be rewarded for their faithfulness in times to come.
But again, it’s not the good that we have done that warrants us God’s grace and mercy, it is His great love for us, manifested through Jesus, why anyone will be saved eternally.
In fact, when the dust has settled in the earth made new, and we are able to witness in real time, what has been transpiring on this planet, there would be none to boast or claim that they were saved by the works of righteousness.
Everyone, without exception will give the praise and the credit for their salvation to God. This basic truth must never be lost sight of by us, even as we busy ourselves with doing good and right deeds. It is the work of The Holy Ghost in our hearts as we submit to God daily, that produces any good work that will be accepted.
But even then, such works are tainted because they come through human channels. God accepts sincere efforts to do right, but the bottom line is that in and of themselves, they fall way short of perfection, and God can only accept perfection as the way to access eternal life.
This perfection is found alone in Christ, and God has offered it as a free gift to all who will believe. When a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, it is not the combination of His righteousness with ours that guarantees us an entry into heaven.
It is His righteousness and perfection alone, even though believers are to grow in His grace and live victoriously by His power. The righteousness of the law must be fulfilled in us also, as it was in Christ, but its fulfilment in us is not our ticket to glory. It’s Jesus alone, from beginning to end, for by grace are we saved.
Hence the reason why the following passages must never be forgotten by those who believe in Jesus for salvation is never something earned, it is something that is received as a gift from God through Christ. Let’s read:
Psalms 14:2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
11 There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ. nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Then John delivers the goods in a nutshell so that a child could understand. Goodness without Jesus is not going to get anyone past the pearly gates, for it matters not how many good deeds have been done. An atheist or unbeliever can give his poor neighbor a loaf of bread.
That’s a good thing and we would encourage folks to do so where needed. But the deed in and of itself does not make such a person eligible for eternal life without Christ. This is one of the sacred truths that needs to be dispensed in our day, where so many charities and humanitarian agencies are converged.
Now, there are persons who have done righteously, but who were not aware that it was God working in and through them. These are different to those who deliberately exclude God from the equation and try to enter heaven by their own merits. Not happening under any circumstances. Let’s read:
1st John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
God accepts our understanding of things as much as it may be sincere but after great light has been shed on the issues pertaining to salvation, He desires that we should have an intelligent understanding of the matter in question.
Now some may be wondering why our first passage explicitly states: “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
There are several reasons why the two verses were written in such an explicit manner, and other verses which we will explore will bring to light the truth in the matter.
[1] Persons who earnestly desire to do right are not able to do so on their own without God.
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
A thorough understanding of what Paul is saying is of critical importance if we are not to be fazed by those severe battles that are to be fought against internal and external foes. On this point about foes, it is worthy of note that the internal foes are the more dangerous of the two.
In other words, it’s not so much those temptations that satan will bring that causes us to stumble, it is the latent desires and clamors of the flesh that are the more dangerous, if they are not kept under bit and bridle at all times, through the power and the presence of The Holy Ghost.
There have been many righteous in the days of yore who lived victoriously, and who escaped the snares of the evil one. While this is true, let none of us be deceived into thinking that such victories were a breeze, without severe internal or external conflict.
Case in point was Joseph, who was harassed daily by his boss’ wife. Day in and day out as Joseph came to work, there she was, with various enchantments to seduce, if possible, the young man. But being the righteous person that he was does not mean that Joseph did not experience struggles with the flesh.
What do you do when you know temptations are waiting for you, on the job, and you have no choice but to enter the enchanted ground? There are some of us currently who may go to work, and as the door is opened there is Mr. or Mrs. Potiphar waiting for the right circumstances to converge.
The problem for Joseph was that, as a young man, he had feelings just like anyone else, which occur naturally, being given by God. So how does he say no to his natural feelings, which are clamoring for satisfaction from time to time, especially when the offer on the table is at his fingertips?
Now, we must ask our female audience to take a little timeout so we can reason with our brothers. Do not be offended by this request, because it is a “man thing” we are going to let loose. There are times when as men, we will have to say no in our minds, even though the flesh is saying yes.
The conflicts of Romans 7 have to do with the mind saying no to what we know is wrong, whilst at the same time the flesh is saying a definite yes. On this point it is worthy of note that the cravings of fallen human nature have absolutely no respect for Bible studies, sermons or memory verses.
It is quite possible, that as Joseph fled out of the room from Potiphar’s wife, that his flesh was saying yes. Joseph was in his prime, his engine was firing on all cylinders, and the physical urge to merge can run riot at times resulting physical reactions and the like, even without formal consent from one’s mind.
The flesh is unruly and its clamors can become so strong that desires and truth are pulled in opposite directions. This conundrum is especially severe with men, as it pertains to lust, since Adam fell for what he saw, while Eve fell for what she heard.
That’s also one of the reasons why Paul stated that he finds it a law, that whenever he wants to do the right thing, evil is present with him. In other words, Paul discovered that when confronted with temptation, his mind would be quoting the scriptures whilst the unruly flesh would be pulling him in an entirely different direction.
Doing right isn’t always a breeze, for there are times when mortal battles against our internal foes must be waged, and whenever this is the case, it is only the grace of God that can keep us from falling; that is, if we desire to be kept.
When Jesus was in the wilderness of temptation, He became hungry, and thus the temptations of satan asserted themselves against what Jesus was really feeling on the inside. Pangs of hunger, with belching and gas, clamored to be satisfied, and Jesus had to say no to what His flesh was actually craving for on the inside.
Christ suffered severe hunger before He quoted the scripture which says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God”. But after quoting those memorable words, the pangs of hunger did not retreat or abate in any way form or fashion.
In fact, there are times when after quoting several scriptures in the hour of temptation, that the force of the temptation could actually increase, hence the reason why we had stated earlier, that the clamors of the flesh have no respect for scriptures, and that is why the battles have to be fought and won within our minds.
Fighting against the flesh with fleshly weapons is a recipe for catastrophic loss, for carnal weapons will only go so far and only last so long. There have been members of “Promise Keepers” who were not able to keep their promises when the heat of the furnace was turned up several notches.
Persons can only resist for so long, without power and grace from God, before the clamors of the flesh drive persons to insanity in the heat of the moment. Like Christ, we will need a living connection with the God of heaven, or else we will buckle under stress.
Thus, if we who are not even close to Christ as far as perfection goes, even dare to overcome on our own we will absolutely be steamrolled by devils, who will tempt us on what the flesh naturally clamors for. In the S.D.A commentary upon this point the clamor of the flesh is described as a military campaign against one’s mind.
As it was with Jesus, the conflict can be very severe at times, but God can keep us from falling, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
This leads us to the battle for our minds because a temptation seeks to cause the clamors of the flesh to override the law of God in the mind, so that the person in question is brought into bondage through their decision to do wrong.
In other words, if devils can succeed in getting us to satisfy real clamors, contrary to what we may know is right, then the battle in question for the mind will be lost. The following readings would shed light on how this battle unfolds in real time. Let’s read:
Genesis 3: 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
[The story of redemption pp 36] Adam regretted that Eve had left his side, but now the deed was done. His love for Eve was strong. And in utter discouragement he resolved to share her fate.
After all, might not the words of this wise serpent be correct? Eve was before him, just as lovely and beautiful, and apparently as innocent, as before this act of disobedience ….. he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate it, and like Eve, felt not immediately its ill effects.
As we close off this first segment with men, before turning to the ladies, it is important to remember that the grace of God is more than sufficient for any emergency. Men, when the sting of lust bombards us, and what we see might prompt us to surrender decision to desire, let it be known that it’s the battle for the mind that is taking place. Let’s read:
1 Corinthians 10:11, 12. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 457] Satan well knows the material with which he has to deal in the human heart. He knows—for he has studied with fiendish intensity for thousands of years—the points most easily assailed in every character.
And through successive generations he has wrought to overthrow the strongest men, princes in Israel, by the same temptations that were so successful at Baalpeor. All along through the ages there are strewn wrecks of character that have been stranded upon the rocks of sensual indulgence.
As we approach the close of time, as the people of God stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, Satan will, as of old, redouble his efforts to prevent them from entering the goodly land. He lays his snares for every soul.
It is not the ignorant and uncultured merely that need to be guarded; he will prepare his temptations for those in the highest positions, in the most holy office; if he can lead them to pollute their souls, he can through them destroy many.
And he employs the same agents now as he employed three thousand years ago. By worldly friendships, by the charms of beauty, by pleasure seeking, mirth, feasting, or the wine cup, he tempts to the violation of the seventh commandment.
Brothers, go ahead and quote scripture and if in the heat of the moment we can repeat those memory verses, that is all well and good, but let us always remember that it is the grace of God that sustains us, if we desire and pray to be sustained.
Such prayers for the victory are to be made in the secret audience chamber of The Most-High, in the wee hours of the morning preferably, before the humdrum of work and duty begin to take their daily toll on us. Note well, that Jesus did not pray when He was in being tempted, the time for that had passed. Jesus prayed before the temptations, and therefore, He was strengthened to resist them when they came.
Men, there are times when temptations come so suddenly upon us that there is no time to pray. It is of critical importance for us to be fully loaded with The Holy Spirit before leaving home, because the Christian wins his battles on His knees, long before Mrs. Potiphar arrives on the scene.
We now turn our attention to the ladies. Ladies, we can’t let you off the hook, because the temptations often come to you in a different format from men. Your weakness is generally centered on what you hear, which may arouse your feelings and emotions.
In the garden of Eden, Eve fell for what she heard, and ever since that time, Words and Women have been closely associated. In fact, according to the experts, women use an average of 20,000 words a day, compared to the mere 7,000 that men utter.
Thus, the temptation to overthrow a woman’s mind and her decision making, often comes through the medium of words, as the song says, “tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies. Let’s read:
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Whatever righteousness is accomplished in persons through the power of God, is being achieved in our fallen state, and because human channels are faulty and we all have a sinful history of yielding, the only perfect righteousness that will grant us a ticket to eternity is that which comes through Christ.
Women, just as much as the men are also saved by God’s grace, through faith, for the passage pertains to all, male and female. There are several critically important lessons to be learned from the episode in Eden, and there are red flags that we must look out for, to avoid entering into temptation, unbidden.
Some of these pointers will be enumerated as we study the exposition on the episode in Eden, and as we do so, let us all with humble hearts and minds, understand that the presentation today is meant to enable persons to do wisely and ultimately, to live victoriously, for this is the will of God for us. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 53>54] The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone.
Now was the tempter's opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
But the serpent continued, in a musical voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his words were not displeasing. Had she been addressed by a being like the angels, her fears would have been excited; but she had no thought that the fascinating serpent could become the medium of the fallen foe.
To the tempter's ensnaring question, she replied: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
By partaking of this tree, he declared, they would attain to a more exalted sphere of existence and enter a broader field of knowledge. He himself had eaten of the forbidden fruit, and as a result had acquired the power of speech. Such has been Satan's work from the days of Adam to the present, and he has pursued it with great success.
It’s because of God’s mercy, and not because of any inherent goodness on our part, why anyone would be saved. God only permits us to be tempted to the extent that we could resist by His grace, but even in such instances of victory, we should never lose sight of the fact that it is the gift of God through Christ that grants an abundant entrance into His kingdom.
Thus, as we end, let’s keep our heads lifted to the skies, let us seek the presence and power of God always, and let us with humble and grateful hearts, make the most of the opportunities God grants to us in Jesus, for it is His grace that enables, provides, and sustains, all those who put their trust in Him.
Therefore, we will end with the very same passage we began with, for we must never ever forget what God has done, and is doing for us in the heavens through Christ. Let’s read:
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God bless!