• Acts 19 records the day the Ephesians were saved, and they were not saved by faith alone or told to pray—they were baptized to wash away their sins, just as others had been (Acts 19:5; cf. 2:38; 10:35; 22:16). Ephesians 2 was written after they had been saved by grace through obedient faith, submitting to Christ in baptism (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Gal. 3:26-27).
• Paul was not contrasting faith and obedience, but grace and the Law of Moses. Many Jews struggled to accept that the Law they had followed for 1,500 years had been removed (Rom. 7:4-7; Gal. 2:11-16; Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 7:12; 10:9-10). Some were still binding works of the Law of Moses on Christians for salvation after the cross (Acts 15; Galatians). Much of the New Testament was written to address that error, and Ephesians 2 is one such passage. Paul wrote against works of the Law of Moses, not faith-produced works required under the New Covenant (Acts 10:35; Php. 2:12). The “works” excluded in Ephesians 2:9 are works of that abolished Law, not works of obedient faith in Christ. The remainder of the chapter makes that clear (Eph. 2:11-16). Paul added “lest any man should boast” because Jews who trusted in the works of the Old Law, man-made traditions, and their lineage often boasted and gloried in those things instead of glorying in the Lord (Lk. 18:11-12; Rom. 2:17, 23; 3:27-30; 1 Cor. 1:31). Salvation by grace through obedient faith removes all grounds for boasting, because submission to the Savior is not self-merit. Humble obedience is the only true way to acknowledge His divine authority, and no one can be saved without it (Mt. 7:21-27; Lk. 6:46; Jn. 14:15, 21-24; Heb. 5:9).
• “Not of yourselves” means salvation is not earned by human merit or works of the Law of Moses but received through obedient faith responding to God’s grace. In Acts 2:38-41, lost sinners were told to “repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of sins…Save yourselves.” This is in full harmony with a proper understanding of Ephesians 2, because man’s faith must respond with obedience to Christ to be saved (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:47; Heb. 5:9), not obedience to Moses (Eph. 2:8-16; cf. Mt. 17:3-5).
• Grace does not nullify obedience; grace teaches its necessity. Paul said grace “teaches us” to obey and live righteously (Titus 2:11-12; cf. 1:16; Heb. 5:9; Mt. 7:21-27). Grace provided the plan of salvation; faith obeys it. Though salvation is a gift (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 6:23), it is a conditional gift, as the promised land was (Num. 13:2; Josh. 6:2-3; Rom. 6:16-18). God offers it freely, but He requires faith that obeys His commands to receive it and keep it (Mt. 7:21; Lk. 6:46; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 5:9; 10:23-31; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:20-21).
• Faith must work through love to be effective in salvation. Paul wrote that “faith which worketh by love” is what avails (Gal. 5:6; cf. Acts 10:35; Rom. 2:6-11) — not “faith only.” James plainly stated, “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (Jam. 2:24).
• Paul repeatedly taught the necessity of baptism. The same letter containing Ephesians 2:8-9 also says that they had been “sanctified and cleansed…with the washing of water,” as commanded by God’s Word (Eph. 5:25-26; cf. Rom. 6:3-5, 16-18; Col. 2:11-13; Titus 3:5). That “washing of water” is the “one baptism” of Ephesians 4:5, and water baptism is implied throughout the letter (“in Christ” in 1:3, etc.; cf. Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). Paul taught that baptism is essential, and Paul himself had been told to “Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16).
• Many essential steps are not mentioned in Ephesians 2. Salvation also involves repentance (Lk. 13:3), confession (Mt. 10:32), and water baptism (1 Pet. 3:20-21). We must learn how all steps in God’s plan of salvation harmonize without dismissing any of them.
The Ephesians were saved by grace when their faith caused them to obey Christ in baptism for the forgiveness of sins—not by faith alone, and not by works of the Law of Moses. God by grace saves when man by faith obeys.