Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Ephesians 2
When you really think about it...it's amazing that the gift we have received from God is nothing we can earn. The gift was simply given to us out of God's love for his creation. Paul shares this information with the Ephesians in chapter 2 but he also lets them in on something else that would have been big news for them...The Jews were no longer the only "chosen people". God has made a way for all people to be reconciled to him. How amazing is the grace of God! Now that you have had a chance to read Chapter 2, let us know what things are stirring in your heart. What things about this passage hit home and what things are hard to accept?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
These are the verses that stuck out to me. Verse 8-9 makes it clear that salvation is a gift from God and not by works. However, verse 10 lets us know that works do matter and maybe reflect the condition of our heart. As James 2:17says, "...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. So it seems to me that works doesn't cause salvation, but that salvation causes works.
I think the condition of our heart begins to change at salvation. We desire change lives, because it just might open an opportunity to share our faith. Something I will never forget is a quote by a former pastor: "Keep loving people until they ask you why."
I agree. By no means am I a philanthropic powerhouse but I've always felt that the love and grace we receive from God should stir something in us to reach out to others and offer them that same love and grace. However, if I'm not consciously thinking about why I'm doing the good works I'm doing...it is easy for me to think that my works are somehow making up for the times that I slip-up in my walk with God. Funny how we can lose perspective when we aren't intentional about what we are doing.
Good stuff. I really like what you said. One thing that also hit me was sort of a call to ownership of the gift of grace, and of faith and the plan God has for each of us. First is the idea that gentiles and those far separated (geographically and societally in this passage) are fully incorporated into "God's people". I felt like Paul was telling them, "look you guys are a real part of this, make sure you live like it; know this and don't doubt it". I think this idea by itself shows the applicability of the passage since we are certainly further removed (in every way possible) than the people of Ephesus. The next idea that I had comes out of the same verses you mentioned. It is that God prepared every good work for us to do. That is pretty sweet I think. It makes me want to make sure I am owning and living my faith so that I can recognize the opportunities God has prepared for me to do something good.
I have to admit, it is hard for me to comprehend that every good work we could ever do has already been prepared for us. In fact I can't really even wrap my head around it, but it also presents an amazing challenge for me. If every good work that we could ever do has been prepared then if I am not in tune with God's direction I feel like I could have missed out on opportunities to impact his kingdom in amazing ways. Just because the good works are prepared doesn't necessarily mean that we will fulfill them! This idea also stirs in me another thought. If I am pursuing good works based on my own gratification...then the works I am doing aren't even the things God has prepared for me...so while I think I am impacting God's kingdom for good...I am really no where near what he would truly have me doing for the Kingdom. If I take that thought a step further then; We may not even realize the good we are doing because it is all about serving God and not about the recognition we get.
Post a Comment