In Chapter 2, Paul tells us how bad things really were before we came to know Christ. We were dead - incapable of moving in God's direction - because we lived our days in the realm of sin. Our lives were a continuous display of missing the mark. Whether by much or by little, we deviated from what we knew to be the right way to live. Every one of us lived in this way - also known as the way of the world. We walked according to the subtle but powerful influence of man's thoughts, ideas, theories, philosophies etc that have no root in God. Satan himself is the origin of this worldly spirit that influences/controls men who are living apart from God. We did whatever the flesh and the thoughts wished to do. God's judgment was bearing down upon all of us. We were in shackles with no key to be found.
Now, God could not help but move in our direction. Verse 4 is breathtaking. God is very wealthy, specifically having an overabundance of mercy. A good definition of mercy is "kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them." (ie: Ps 146:5-9) We were certainly miserable and afflicted. It is God's very nature to move toward people like this and benefit them. This is an extreme comfort to us. He truly is a VERY present help in time of need. This is the heart of God. It is who He is. Paul points out that all of this mercy is born from God's agape love - the kind of love that blesses others while expecting nothing in return. It is when we were dead that we heard God knocking on our hearts! Dead!!!! This makes perfect sense. What mercy! He made us alive, raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. What a blessing. All creation will pause . . . forever. We will look upon Him in wonder for all eternity. Whatever age comes. So much grace, so much mercy, so much kindness.
This is the context of 2:8,9 - those famous verses. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Salvation is a gift. Its source is not out of ourselves, nor is its source out of our works. It is by grace.
The Christian is now given the opportunity to walk in good works designed just for us by God Himself. Our walk is different now.
