What Is It?

We all know and love Ephesians 2:8-9.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So awesome. "It is a gift of God ... so that no one may boast." And we really, really love "not a result of works" because, let's face it, if it was a result of works, none of us would make it. Really good news. Oh, hey ... the Gospel, right?

But there has been a large amount of discussion on a rather a rather small word -- "it." Paul says, "It is a gift of God." So ... what is? The first answer people will give me almost by reflex is "Salvation!" And, of course, salvation is a gift from God. But is that the "it" in view? I ask because I would think it would be patently obvious that "grace" is equally a gift from God. I mean, by definition, grace is unmerited favor, so that's a gift, isn't it? So then we come to the crux of the matter. Why is there even a discussion? Because if salvation is a gift and grace is a gift, wouldn't it seem logical that Paul's "it" was also in reference to "faith"? Wouldn't it make sense that Paul is saying, "The whole package -- saved by grace through faith -- is a gift"?

We typically balk at the notion that faith is a gift. We think of faith as the ingredient we bring to the party. When they say, "God does 99.99% of our salvation," they're referring to the 0.01% that is faith. We bring that to the table. That's our contribution. I mean, God doesn't produce faith in us, does He? If He did, wouldn't that eliminate our input, our choice, our trusting Him? Wouldn't that make us robots of a sort? Worse, if He did that and did not do it for everyone, wouldn't that make Him a monster of some sort? All things to consider.

Scripture does say that God gives faith. He grants that you believe (Php 1:29). Those who don't believe don't believe because it is not granted (John 6:64-65). He assigns a measure of faith to each believer (Rom 12:3). We may not like it, but it's in there. Further, if we do supply the catalyst, the final agent that makes salvation work, why would there not be room for boasting? It wouldn't work if you didn't set it off. If it is "not of your own doing" and faith is your own doing, wouldn't that make Paul wrong? So there is that.

To me it is evident that the "it" in view is not "faith" specifically (as some argue), but rather the whole package. That we are saved by grace through faith is a gift from God. I don't think the argument that faith is a gift can be made from this passage. Conversely, I think that those who argue that it is not a gift are not engaging with the Scriptures that say it is or the ramifications that would result from the position that we complete God's work for Him ... even if it's just "0.01%." Conversely, I would really hope that those who do believe that faith is a gift have answers for the dilemmas caused by such a position. How is our choice not eliminated? (Clearly we have to choose.) How does this not make us robots? Do we not have to place our faith in Christ to be saved? And if God provides faith for some and not for others, how does that not make God a monster? You have to answer those kinds of things if you hold that God gives faith. And if you hold that He doesn't, you have to answer why Scripture says He does. There is no easy way out.