Saved by Grace, gifted with faith, created to work - 05.15.2022 Week 29 – One Chapter A Day
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When were you first connected to Jesus? Was it later in life or were you born into a family who was already connected to Christ?
The Ephesians came to believe in Christ when Paul brought the Gospel to them. Paul describes their lives before faith in Christ like this:
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Dead, following the course of this world and the prince…at work in sons of disobedience, by nature children of wrath.
Galatians 3:23 (ESV) — 23 before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
That’s describes every soul, every life before faith. It makes me wonder why would God waste his time and love on such a lost, self-centered, godless humanity like they were, like we were? Paul answers my question in the next three verses:
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
LOVE! God’s great love! God’s merciful heart. He took us from being dead in our sins and made us alive by His grace.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no-one can boast.
Saved by grace through faith.
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Your salvation by grace through faith was a gift from the triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It was the love of the God the Father that sent His only Son,
John 3:16 (ESV) 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…”
It was the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who willingly went to the cross to face bitter sufferings, and death.
1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV)Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
It was the Holy Spirit, who made you alive
Titus 3:5-7 (NIV) “…through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Saved by Grace, through faith. You believed
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
The entire Trinity of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – was involved and working to save you.
You were Saved by grace, through faith, for works.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We are God’s workmanship – physcially - He created us.
Psalm 139:13–14 (NIVUK84) — 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
We are also His workmanship spiritually when God the Holy Spirit in our Baptism, brought us
23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
God has pre-planned good works for every believer to do for the sake of Christ, for the sake of his Kingdom.
Here are two examples from Holy Week.
12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
One more. On Good Friday morning,
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
Simon gets the call to carry the cross for Christ.
You should be wondering and asking in your mind,
“What good works has God pre-planned for me to do for others in the name of Christ?
Know this: every good work we do, even the smallest good work, noticed. Jesus said,
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
All good works that please God originate from believing hearts.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him…”
There are no good works without faith.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
This past week in ONE Chapter A Day we read the word “Walk” seven times in Ephesians. Here are the ones that apply to our Christian Walk.
Ephesians 4:1 (ESV) —walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, as a follower of Christ.
As Christians we are called to walk, to live in a manner worthy of our calling, striving to be humble and gentle like Christ. Being patient like Jesus with people and showing love to those who need love the most.
We are called to
Ephesians 5:2 (ESV) — walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Our feet take the same loving, sacrificing steps for one another as Christ’s did. Love and sacrifice define our steps and sends us marching in the name of Christ.
Ephesians 5:8 (ESV) “…you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
We are to walk, to live in such a way so that the light of our faith in Christ illumines a world in the darkness of sin. We are to let our light shine in our good works so that God our Father is praised and Christ is visible in the world through us.
Ephesians 5:15 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,`
Which means nothing less than, We are called to walk in wisdom. We choose to walk, to live our lives so that our words and our works align with the Word and will of God.
Grace alone by faith makes it possible for you and me to walk, to live our lives in Christ…
“…strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:16–21 (ESV)