Ephesians 2:9

This short verse completes the thought of the one before it: salvation is God's gift, and it is "not of works." Paul has just said believers are saved by grace through faith; now he draws the safeguard. The rescue described in this chapter -- being made alive, raised, and seated with Christ -- is not a wage earned by human achievement. It is received, not accomplished. By ruling out works as the ground of salvation, Paul protects the gift from being turned into a transaction.

The reason is given in the second half: "lest any man should boast." If salvation could be earned, then the saved could take credit, and human pride would have something to display. But the whole movement of these verses points away from self and toward God. The glory belongs to the One who gives life to the dead. This does not make obedience unimportant -- the very next verse will speak of good works as the purpose for which we are created. The point here is the order: God's grace comes first and stands as the foundation, so that no one mistakes the gift for a reward. For the reader, this brings deep relief. You do not have to build a resume to earn God's acceptance. The proper posture is humble gratitude, and the proper boast, as Paul says elsewhere, is in the Lord alone.