believer was accomplished first in Christ. There is a clear parallel between what God did in Christ and what he does in a Christian. After noting that God makes believers alive, Paul pauses to introduce the element of grace (“by grace you have been saved”; v. 5). While other religions focus on concepts such as “law” or “ritual,” Christianity’s key word is “grace.” It is because of God’s grace that we receive new life. This key statement was interjected here somewhat parenthetically, but Paul will