Today, Paul's letter to the Ephesians addresses his Gentile audience. Paul reminds them that they were once captives of the 'spirit of the age,' in other words, lived lives according to the moral code shaped under the influence and cravings of the flesh. He then refers to the Jewish people, of whom he himself is a member. They too, he asserts, were enslaved by attachment to their own sinful desires, and so, no better than the Gentiles. In spite of this, God in his great love and mercy, even though they were all 'dead,' has shown his generosity to both Gentiles and Jews, and given them new life in Christ Jesus.

This new life is a gift. It cannot be earned. God is love; he cannot do otherwise than offer us this gift of new life in Christ. Paul emphasizes that we are not saved because we are good, rather because God is good. We do not earn our salvation by the 'good works' we do---those are merely the expression of God's grace at work in us. Jesus warns us not to be like fools who hoard graces for themselves and deprive others, but to develop our relationship with Christ and live as His disciples. Our duty is to allow that grace and faith to blossom into good works that reveal us as God's children, and members of the Body of Christ.