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EPHESIANS 2:9 “NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST.” (KJV, NKJV)
“Not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV)
“Not a result of works, so that no one may boast (glory).” (NASB, ASV, ESV)
“Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.” (TLB)
Of course. We have to follow up a chapter on Grace with one on Works. Actually, I’m being clever here…I think. We memorized Ephesians 2:9 with Ephesians 2:8 in the previous chapter because they must go together. This isn’t the first time I have had us memorize two verses together. But this time, I thought we would actually give you credit toward our 100 verses memorized by counting verse 9 toward that goal as well.
I recently read a quote about what a hard worker is: “A hard worker is someone who is consistently and regularly engaged in earnest and energetic work. Hard workers are known for being reliable, consistent, and able to be trusted with a variety of tasks. They are also willing to make sacrifices to reach their goals, and often have a strong work ethic.”
Americans value hard workers, primarily because we value success and believe it usually comes only from hard work. I don’t disagree with that thought. However, I want my thinking aligned with what Scripture is saying, not what our culture thinks. And Scripture tells us that our salvation comes by faith and not by works.
We have to be careful that we don’t start believing more what the Scripture is NOT saying than what it is. Here are three things I think Paul was not saying about works that we need to be careful also not to think.
First, this Scripture does not tell us to NOT WORK. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true. Proverbs 14:23 says, “In all labor there is profit.” Ephesians 4:28 tells us that we should “labor, working with our hands the thing which is good that we may have to give to him that needeth.”
Second, the Bible does not tell us to not work hard. Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us “Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might…” The Bible commends us to work with all our might. We should do all our work as if it is unto the Lord. I’m not sure what was going on with the Thessalonians, but in 2 Thess 3:10 Paul said, “if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Work is encouraged as the profitable thing for all Christians to do.
Third, we must really be careful not to think that the Bible is telling us that
working hard enough will always bring success. Our culture tells us that this is true. Many other cultures around the world demand the same thing. The Bible speaks in many places about the profit of hard work and how it produces good results. But it warns strongly against making our work the end rather than the means.
No, the Word tells us we need to be “laborers in the field” (Matt 9:37), we need to “do good” (Ps 37:3, Luke 6:35, Hebrews 13:6), we need to work hard to bring in the harvest of souls into the kingdom (Matt 9:37). And don’t forget, James tells us that faith without works is dead!
What Ephesians 2:9 is reminding us is that our salvation is not of those works. It is so easy when we are working hard, especially in kingdom work, to start thinking that we have something to boast of. Yes, we should work hard in the work the Lord has given each of us to do. And yes, we will receive just rewards for our hard work. But we really need to be careful when we start thinking that because we have worked so hard for Jesus, we deserve special grace from Him, that we might even be gaining a greater salvation because of our works.
Ask any unsaved person what he thinks he needs to do to get into heaven and, if he even believes there is a heaven, he will tell you that he thinks that if his good works are more than his bad, he will probably make it in. Read Galatians 2:16. “…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Titus 3:5 reminds us that our salvation comes, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”
Yes Christian, work hard. Yes brother, give it all you have. There are those who might never hear the Word if you don’t do the work to bring it to them. But let us never forget that Jesus’ mercy and grace are gifts given to us, not because we ever deserved them or could ever work hard enough to achieve them. No, Jesus did the work of our salvation. It is the only work acceptable to the Father. We have nothing to boast of but to the completed work of Jesus on the cross. None of that is of our works, lest you think you have grounds to ever boast. It is the pure, loving gift of God. Don’t you ever forget that.
Questions to ponder: Have you ever considered the delicate balance between the importance the Word places on works in our lives with the fact that Jesus provides our salvation completely apart from those works? Should there be any such thing as a lazy Christian? Define what works are. Should there be a difference between the works we do to support ourselves and our family and the works of righteousness? Does the later category include such things as prayer, daily Bible reading, memorizing Scripture, feeding the poor, visiting widows, preaching, and teaching?
Other Scriptures to Consider: Proverbs 14:23. Ephesians 4:28 “labor, working with our hands the thing which is good that we may have to give to him that needs.” Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us “Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might…” Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might…” James 2:14-25 Titus 3:1-8 “Works of righteousness.”
 
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