April 30 Made One in Good Works

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
 
“WHAT do we do?” is often a difficult question to answer as it relates to following Jesus. We preachers often point to the church to say, “This is what you must do if you truly follow Jesus.” Yet, the doing, the “works” of our lives are not the reason for our salvation. As Paul so powerfully writes, our works do not save us. God’s grace gives us the gift of faith. It’s as if someone has put money into your bank account, credited your account, and now you get to work on spending it. God has deposited a living faith into your soul. You didn’t earn it, work for it. Instead, through God’s gift of faith to you is your salvation.
    In response to our Father’s extreme grace, we are called to “good works” of obeying Jesus’ commands, living out the gift of eternal life in all we are (Notice, I said, “all we are” not “all we do”). God’s faith gift has made us new creatures in Christ. We are to respond to God’s grace with loving devotion. Working in Jesus is a purposeful, loving way of life to move ever more intimately to be one with Jesus.  
      This is the great difference between Christianity and every other religion, every other cult in the world. Each religion outside of Christianity and far too many “denominations” who call themselves “Christian” also wonder, “Am I doing enough to gain eternal life? Am I being good enough?”  
    But our Lord through Paul’s words here and throughout the entire Bible emphatically wants us to know we are not good enough on our own. And we cannot work our way to Heaven. See how Peter answered the jailer who said in Acts 16:39 "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Peter’s response was Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
    Jesus, too, said this in John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” Do you see? The “doing” begins with the faith. The faith begins with God’s gift to you. Your works, the actions of your life, then flow from your salvation.
    Your faith does not begin with what you do, but what you do begins with your faith. 
    Yes, what joy you should know as this truth sinks into your soul. You believe because God has gifted you to do so! He is the Workman, who has formed you to be his own. As he has given you physical life, he has given you spiritual life. You are not able to do this on your own any more than a wrench, a shovel, a knife, a spoon or any other hand tool can act on its own. Someone must make the tool. And someone must use it. You are God’s workmanship, formed by God to believe in God. You are gloriously formed by God to do his good work in the Kingdom of God.
    In God’s power and only in God’s power, you are one in good works with God because he has saved you. Rejoice in God’s workmanship in your life. Work with God. Work with his church. Respond with joy to your salvation, which God has freely formed in you.
 
Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank you for your great, eternal gift. May I work in your will to be your tool of salvation for many more you have chosen. In Jesus’ name, amen.