CF family,
Ephesians 2:1-10 is one of the most thorough yet concise passages on the Story of Redemption in our bibles. Verses 1-3 describe our (Jew AND gentile) desperate situation as children of wrath (as in DUE the wrath of God). Verse 4 begins with my favorite two words in the bible BUT GOD......and then continues with God's remedy for our desperate situation. We're made alive together with Christ (His resurrection was/is our resurrection) and not only that......He actually seated us with the Victor!?!? (v. 6). Verse 7 describes WHY He did all this......SO THAT forevermore He would put His grace on display IN US. All creation forever and ever would see, in us, visual aids and illustrations and walking, talking billboards of God's grace. The passage ends with how we are to respond to all this (v. 10).
Now, let me point out to you who the "workers" are in the passage. In verse 2, Satan is "at work" in the sons of disobedience (that's everyone before or without Christ). In verses 4-6 God is working.....He made us alive......He raised us up.......He seated us. These verbs add up to our being called His "workmanship" in v. 10. (Cool to see how God's "work" undoes, erases, negates Satan's "work") Lastly, we're doing some work.....or not! In v. 8-9 it looks like these verbs God does to us, making alive.....raising....seating, are free gifts enjoyed by faith and ARE NOT EARNED THROUGH OUR WORK!!!! He says salvation is "not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." It's REALLY REALLY REALLY important we see this. There's no work or effort or hoop you can do or jump through to earn salvation. It can only be received through faith in Christ. HOWEVER, there's still work to be done! Look at verse 10. Remember we are His "workmanship"........here it says we were created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. In other words, He's made us for good works.......though works had/have nothing to do with our salvation.......they have everything to do with what we're made (or remade through Christ) for. He's made us for good works SO THAT we would put His work for us and in us on display. These are the works James was referring to in chapters 1 and 2 of his letter. These are works that are fruit of salvation.
What good works were you prepared for that you're not doing? In what ways are you to respond to His gift of salvation that you're not......because you're misunderstanding works maybe? How are you putting His grace on display in the way you engage others.....in the way you practice your spiritual gifting among God's people......in the way you help others with very real needs in Jesus' name?
We NEED to get works right, CF family. If we misunderstand them, we may do good things for all the wrong reasons and it profits the Kingdom nada. Or misunderstanding we may be idle, lethargic, lazy, unresponsive......so nearsighted that we're blind, having forgotten we were cleansed for good works prepared for us to walk in.
I hope you'll study this. I totally understand and appreciate you're likely inundated with data over the course of the day.....facebook, tweets, email, etc.....but this isn't "data." This is food.
I love y'all and am entrusting y'all to Him today.
Ben
