Reading from the letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
Brothers,
God is rich in compassion; because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ: it is by grace you have been saved.
With him, he raised us up and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, throughout the coming ages.
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is not by works; therefore no one can boast.
It is God who fashioned us, he created us in Christ Jesus, to do the good works which he prepared beforehand for us to do.
Rediscovering grace: living saved despite our sins
The letter that deconstructs merit opens the door to trust.
Behind this bright passage of the Letter to the Ephesians A profoundly moving promise emerges: even when we feel crushed by our mistakes or our powerlessness, God opens a new path for us, that of a salvation offered freely. This text, imbued with both gentleness and radicalism, speaks as much to those who doubt their worth as to those who wish to understand the secret of an authentic Christian life.
This chapter, recently read in church or reflected upon within a family circle, transforms our perspective on ourselves. How do we accept our failings? How do we receive the absolute gift, without guilt or pretension? The invitation is clear: grace is not just a word. It is an adventure—to be received and to be embodied.
- Origin and context of the passage: understanding the Letter to the Ephesians
- Central analysis: the dynamics of grace and faith
- Thematic deployment: human solidarity, free access, and practical application
- Tradition interprets grace: perspectives from yesterday and today
- Ways to experience this grace in everyday life
- Conclusion: personal and community revolution
- Practical guide and references
A text rooted in history and hope
Paul's letter to the Ephesians is one of the great epistles of the New Testament. It was probably written in Rome in the early decades of the Christianity, It is addressed not only to the community of Ephesus (a port city, culturally open, facing political and spiritual challenges), but also to all believers of the time. Paul, an apostle of Christ, explores the mystery of salvation embodied by Jesus, drawing both on his personal experience and on the doctrine stemming from the early communities.
The religious context is marked, on the one hand, by the Jewish heritage—for whom the Law and observance play a predominant role. On the other hand, the Greeks and Romans, exposed to a multitude of deities, lack a unified vision of human destiny. Paul offers a striking message: neither rites, nor merits, nor origins are sufficient for salvation. It is God who makes the way to humanity, out of love, and offers life freely.
On a liturgical level, this passage resonates during the Easter services, at the moment when the resurrection Christ's victory is celebrated as a triumph over death and sin. It grounds Christians' trust in divine benevolence and inspires many prayers: "Lord, you are rich in mercy..." This collective prayer, memorized and recited throughout the centuries, recalls the primacy of grace.
Paul uses the notion of "deaths as a result of sins," not to condemn, but to emphasize the radical nature of the gift received: where humanity had lost meaning and hope, God, "rich in mercy," raises up and resurrects—without expecting anything in return. The text does not minimize the scandal of evil, but transforms the logic of merit by kindness divine. The image of the "resurrection" and the "seat in heaven" then becomes the metaphor for a renewed, transfigured life, available here and now.
The central dynamic: when grace overturns human logic
Through these few verses, a guiding idea emerges: salvation is purely a gift, radically free, received through faith. Paul insists: «It is not the result of works; it is the gift of God.» Far from being called upon to strive for perfection or to constantly apologize for their shortcomings, Christians are freed from the exhaustion of merit and comparison.
This seemingly simple text introduces a paradox: faith, far from being a mere opinion or intellectual assent, consists of receiving what one could not have produced on one's own. It involves entering into a different logic, that of acceptance, of recognizing our dependence on God. Salvation is not earned, it is received. From this flows the possibility of a complete transformation of life.
Moreover, Paul places the Christian life under the sign of a vocation to action («for the accomplishment of good works»). Far from opposing giving and commitment, he closely links the gratuitousness of grace and the call to a concrete practice of solidarity, justice, and kindness. This articulation establishes a new ethic: to act not to deserve, but out of gratitude and effusion for the gift received.
The existential implications are immense: no one is condemned to suffer their sins, no one is invited to pride. Everyone can embrace the new offering—reconciliation, trust, the shift from a logic of withdrawal to one of service. This shift proposes a revolution in our relationship with ourselves, with God, and with others.
Exploring solidarity, free access, and practical vocation
Human solidarity and mercy received
Paul, addressing his "brothers," rejects all individualism. The experience of salvation concerns a community, bearing a shared history of fragility and hope. We are "dead in our sins," that is, reminded of our vulnerability, but at the same time raised up together. Grace, far from being a privilege reserved for a select few, flows through all of humanity.
In practice, this message invites us to consider each person in their absolute dignity, beyond their limitations or past. In the context of ancient Ephesus, a cosmopolitan city, this renewed perspective also meant welcoming the stranger, rejecting discrimination, and being open to dialogue. Today, this dynamic remains essential: families, associations, and societies can embody a solidarity based on recognizing the gift received, and not on selection or exclusion.
There is nothing to prevent extending this principle to professional or community life: recognizing everyone's capacity to contribute, without hierarchy of value, opens the possibility of a common good nourished by mercy.
Experiencing true freedom
The expression "by grace you are saved" raises a question: how can we live, day to day, without calculation, without seeking to make our commitment profitable or to justify ourselves? Paul sets a crucial point: "This is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God." This phrase invites a form of...«humility active, a joyful recognition of what one receives.
Often, in contemporary culture, the logic of performance dominates: one must prove one's worth, succeed, produce results. But the text overturns this order: the Christian life begins with acceptance, not with superhuman effort. This principle, applied in education, the work, Relationships open up new avenues: gratitude, kindness, concern for otherness.
Giving freely then becomes a source of dynamism: far from fostering passivity, it stimulates creativity, generosity, and a sense of giving. One can, for example, offer one's time, forgive, and listen without expecting anything in return. It is a liberating experience that gives meaning to existence.
The practical vocation of the Christian: good works and universal mission
The end of the passage connects creation («God made us») to a specific mission: «to do good works, which he prepared in advance for us to do.» This illuminates the link between faith and action. Christians are not called to idleness or spiritual withdrawal, but to a fruitful life, oriented toward service.
This mission manifests itself in a thousand ways: helping the most vulnerable, involvement in social projects, a concern for justice, and environmental commitment. Above all, it is not based on the pursuit of merit, but on the recognition of a source that transcends the individual. It is not about accumulating achievements, but about entering into a dynamic where action is a response to love received.
Throughout the history of the Church, this connection has fostered social action movements, charitable works, educational innovation, and the ability to devise solutions to the challenges of our time. Christians can see themselves as participants in a universal work, capable of renewing society through the quiet power of grace.
Heritage and interpretations: tradition illuminates grace
From the earliest centuries, the Church Fathers—Augustine, John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa—meditated on this passage as the heart of the Christian faith. Augustine, in particular, insists on "the primacy of grace" against any Pelagian temptation (the idea that man could save himself by his own strength). He calls for absolute trust, rejecting spiritual pride and anxiety about salvation.
During the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas developed the idea of active cooperation with grace: to act, one first receives an inner impetus, but remains free to respond. This illuminates responsibility without placing the burden of merit on it. In the liturgy, this text inspires the prayer of the Mass, the singing of Vespers, and the spirituality of forgiveness.
More recently, contemporary theologians—Karl Rahner, Dietrich Bonhoeffer—have revisited this grace as an opening to the universal and a call to social transformation. Bonhoeffer denounces "cheap grace" (grace received without commitment) and invites each believer to embody gratuitousness in action, solidarity, and the renunciation of selfish comfort.
Traditionally, this passage permeates works of art, poetry, and charitable initiatives: hospitals founded on mercy, schools open to all, reconciliation movements between peoples.
Paths to welcoming grace today
- Start the day with an act of gratitude, recognizing what is received rather than what is lacking.
- To meditate on an episode in one's own life where reconciliation prevailed over accusation.
- Engaging in volunteer work that brings no financial gain, except joy to give.
- Read, each week, a psalm or an excerpt from the Letter to the Ephesians, by seeking to link this text to its concrete existence.
- Taking the time to forgive, even inwardly, someone who will not be able to reciprocate.
- Offering a compliment or encouragement without expecting anything in return, experiencing the gratuitousness of words.
- Allowing oneself to ask for help, admitting one's vulnerabilities, and receiving the support of others as a gift.
Conclusion: an internal and social revolution
This passage – «you died as a result of your sins, but it is by grace you have been saved» – possesses an inexhaustible transformative power. Freed from the logic of merit, believers can enter into a new relationship with life: gratitude, trust, solidarity. This message profoundly affects both the personal sphere (self-perception) and the social sphere (relationships with others, commitment).
In a world sometimes marked by competition, fear of failure, or the temptation to judge, the freely given gift of God becomes an invitation to live differently: to welcome mercy, Forgive, act with confidence. By allowing themselves to be shaped by this word, each person can return to the source of life, rediscover their vocation to work for good and open a path of shared hope.
The daily challenge, therefore, consists of receiving, spreading, and embodying grace without distorting its meaning or restricting it to an elite: "No one can take pride in it." What seems impossible becomes possible, provided we allow ourselves to be surprised and renewed.
Practical tips: 7 gestures to experience grace
- Offering a moment of inner silence to welcome each day as a gift, before any activity.
- To engage in a service-oriented approach without expecting recognition.
- Sharing a biblical reading with someone different, thus opening up the conversation to otherness.
- Reviewing one's own mistakes in light of mercy, without getting stuck in it.
- Expressing a sincere and voluntary thank you in a difficult context.
- Dedicating time to a common endeavor, without seeking personal recognition.
- Integrate prayer into your daily life by asking not for success, but for openness to grace.
Sources and references
- The Jerusalem Bible, Ephesians 2, 4-10
- Augustine of HippoGrace and Free Will
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Ia-IIae, question 109
- Karl Rahner, The Christian Faith Today
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Grace
- John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Pauline Epistles
- Roman Lectionary, Eastertide
- Psalms of mercy (Psalm 50, Psalm 103)
- Christian charitable works (contemporary testimonies)
