NOTES for Еф 2:8-9
For a person who has come to believe in Christ, life truly changes, especially at first: what used to be unbearably hard - being kind, honest, loving - suddenly becomes possible (too bad it soon becomes hard again!). And all around is the same world as before, sinful people... How can one avoid becoming proud, avoid exalting oneself?
The apostle Paul addresses precisely such people, reminding them that they, and all of us, have done nothing to deserve this grace of God, that it was sent to us not for our "feats," but because of the redeeming voluntary sacrifice of the Son of Man. And the faith by which we receive this grace of salvation is also not our merit but a gift from God, because He is the One who made us capable of believing, and He also sent us the Holy Spirit, who directs our faith in the right direction.
We have nothing to boast about except God, because we owe Him everything good in our lives. That means we have no reasons and no right to condemn those whose faith and works do not please us.