Connect Galatians 2:21 with Ephesians 2:8-9 on grace and works. Grace That Cannot Be Nullified Galatians 2:21: “I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the Law, Christ died for nothing.” • Paul’s statement is absolute: any attempt to earn right standing with God by keeping the Law cancels grace. • “Set aside” carries the idea of nullifying or treating as useless. Grace must remain pure and unpolluted by human merit. • If righteousness could be earned, the cross would be meaningless—Christ’s death would serve no purpose. The Gift That Saves Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” • Salvation is “by grace”—unearned favor God freely extends. • “Through faith” describes the channel by which the gift is received, not a work that merits it. • Works are explicitly excluded as the basis of salvation; boasting is eliminated. One Message, Two Passages • Both texts contrast grace with human effort, insisting they cannot be blended. • Galatians emphasizes the futility of Law-keeping; Ephesians broadens the scope to every kind of work. • Together they teach: – Grace alone provides righteousness (Galatians 2:21). – Grace alone provides salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). – Any reliance on personal performance dismisses the cross and invites pride. Supporting Scriptures • Romans 3:28: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” • Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.” • 2 Timothy 1:9: God “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.” Where Works Fit In • Works follow grace as evidence, never as currency. • Ephesians 2:10 places works after salvation: “For we are God’s workmanship…to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to walk in.” • Genuine faith produces obedience (James 2:17), but those works flow from new life, not toward earning it. Living in Grace-Fueled Obedience • Rest in Christ’s finished work; refuse the subtle pull to prove worthiness. • Serve and obey out of gratitude, knowing the foundation is secure. • Celebrate grace daily; it magnifies Christ and keeps boasting at bay. |
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