“8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)
This morning I was expecting again to be led to a passage to learn more about how works are not what leads to our salvation, it is faith. I was not wrong in my expectation. The passage I read in Ephesians 2 is titled in my ESV Bible is: “By Grace Through Faith”. And of course I was not disappointed in my learning.
Where I was not wrong in my expectations this morning, I did pick up on something else that hit me more squarely in the forehead. My works were/are prepared for me. Notice in verse ten above that we were created to complete works that God prepared “beforehand”. This further illustrates that I am not doing works to earn anything. I am doing works as a result of something that was completed in me, salvation through faith.
In my walk through this world, I have to remember certain things that will lead me in the direction of my kingdom purpose. One of those was more clearly revealed to me this morning. I have works to do, that were predetermined for me well before they were revealed to me. I was created by God, to do the works He has created for me.
I have, written in my Bible many notes throughout Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and the above verses are no exception. Although those notes are all centered around the premise of faith gives way to salvation and salvation leads to works for the LORD. It one note that I am drawn to for verse ten that goes along with my realizations this morning, that I had not considered until now. The note reads: “We now have a Renewed Purpose”. This purpose is to live out the works that God has prepared for me. I have to be seeking out not just to do good works for the LORD, but to do the good works “which God prepared beforehand” for me. I was selected by God and to go along with that selection, He has a plan for me and that plan has certain works directly for me.
What is your understanding of the works you are completing? Are you just going along waiting for the next? What if you were to approach every good work as the good work “which God prepared beforehand” for you?
Trevor's Thoughts 