Commentaries:
In His mercy, God fulfilled what Jesus said in John 6:44, and began to draw us. He started to bridge the gap and to give us life. We were dead because of sin, but He made us alive and began to give us light.
In this context, "life" means more than endless or eternal life. It implies a "quality" of life, for endless life is a blessing only if its quality is good. Thus, the definition of eternal life must include quality of life.
God revived us, as it were, resurrecting us from a state of spiritual death to life. He revived us, not just to give us eternal life, but to change the quality of our lives. This is a given, because why would He revive us if we are going to return to the same kind of sinful life that spiritually killed us in the first place? No, He revived us from spiritual death to make possible a different kind or level or quality of life, one that includes the ability to fellowship with Him.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Truth (Part 4)
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Ephesians 2:5:
Matthew 13:44
Matthew 13:44
John 3:3
Acts 11:19-21
1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
Hebrews 2:17