23rd Sunday after Pentecost

Ephesians 2
 4  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Commentary by St. John Chrysostom.  Homily IV on Ephesians II. 
Again Christ is introduced, and it is a matter well worthy of our belief, because if the firstfruits live, so do we also.  He has quickened both Him and us.  Do you see all this is said of Christ incarnate?...Those who were dead. those who were children of wrath, those He has quickened.  Do you behold 'the hope of His calling?'...Do you behold the glory of His inheritance?...As yet not one is actually raised, excepting that inasmuch as the Head has risen, we also are raised...Truly there is need of the Spirit and of revelation, in order to understand the depth of these mysteries.  And then so that you may have no distrust about the matter, observe what he adds further...Was faith then,you will say, enough to save us?  No, but God, he says, has required this, lest He should save us, barren and without work at all.  His expression is that faith saves, but it is because God so wills it that faith saves...'We are His workmanship.'  He here alludes to the regeneration which is in reality a second creation.  We have been brought from non-existence into being.  As to what we were before, that is, the old man, we are dead.