How does Psalm 3:8 connect with Ephesians 2:8-9 on salvation by grace? Psalm 3:8 — God Owns Salvation • “Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah” (Psalm 3:8) • David is fleeing Absalom, utterly unable to rescue himself. • By declaring that salvation “belongs” to the LORD, David recognizes: – God alone initiates and accomplishes deliverance. – Any “blessing” that follows is sheer overflow of divine favor. • Other OT echoes: – Jonah 2:9 — “Salvation comes from the LORD.” – Isaiah 43:11 — “I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.” Ephesians 2:8-9 — Grace, Not Performance • “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.” • Key terms: – Grace (charis): unearned favor. – Saved (sōzō): rescued, delivered—same core idea as Psalm 3:8. – Gift: underscores ownership; God gives what He possesses. • The passage completely excludes: – Human merit (“not from yourselves”). – Religious achievements (“not by works”). – Personal boasting (“so that no one can boast”). Point-by-Point Connection • Ownership of salvation – Psalm 3:8: God possesses salvation. – Ephesians 2:8: God gifts salvation He already owns. • Method of rescue – Psalm 3:8: Divine intervention for David’s physical/spiritual safety. – Ephesians 2:8-9: Divine intervention for our eternal safety through Christ. • Means for recipients – Psalm 3:8: Blessing flows to “Your people.” – Ephesians 2:8: Grace received “through faith,” not via lineage or effort. • Exclusion of self-reliance – David could not fight his way out; he looked upward. – Believers cannot work their way in; we look to Christ alone. Unified Biblical Witness • Romans 3:24 — “and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” • Titus 3:5 — “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.” • John 1:12-13 — “To all who received Him…born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Take-Home Reflections • Confidence: Our security rests in the One who owns salvation. • Humility: Grace eliminates boasting; praise replaces pride. • Assurance: What God gives, He guards (John 10:28). • Worship: The rightful response to sovereign grace is lifelong gratitude. |
    |