For We Are God's Handiwork, Created In Jesus To Do Good Works, God Prepared In Advance For Us To Do
Good Works Cannot Buy Salvation
EPHESIANS 2:4-10
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
”Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.2.8.NKJ
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Salvation cannot be purchased; no amount of money or works can buy our place in God’s Kingdom.
Works of the flesh to please God are useless, for only by faith can one please God (HEBREWS 11:8-19).
However, having received Christ, good works is established through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Only through faith in Christ Jesus can we be saved.
Jesus said, “I chose you” (JOHN 15:16).
Not only did Christ choose you, but your salvation is a “gift of God;” a free gift given to you when you was still “dead” in trespasses.
Salvation is an absolute gift of grace, and is freely given to all who accept the calling to follow Christ.
Does one say, “how much do I owe you” when he is given a gift? Of course not, the appropriate response is to receive it gracefully and say “thank you!”
Yet many Christians feel obligated after being given the gift of salvation, to try and work themselves to God.
We become Christians through God’s undeserved favor, and not as result of ability, or good deeds, or intelligent choices, or acts of service on our part.
However, because our salvation is gifted to us, our response should be of gratitude, praise, and joy; it is then we will seek to help and serve others with love and kindness out of the love that we received from Christ. We love only because He loved us; “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
I John 4:17-19 NKJV
While no works or actions can help us obtain salvation, God prepared us before hand; we are His masterpiece, gifted for good works that shall be driven by the indwelling Holy Spirit, not our flesh, for we must put to death the lust of the flesh.
Furthermore, since we are God’s masterpiece, we surely should not treat ourselves or others with disrespect or as inferior or useless.
For now you are a “child of God” and the same power that raised Christ from the dead is in you (EPHESIANS 1:20-22; ROMANS 8:11); as a result, that what is humanly impossible, is possible with Christ (LUKE 18:27; MATHEW 19:26), including resurrection life and every impossible situation we face.
The truth is, you can do all things through Christ who is your strength (PHILIPPIANS 4:13).
When one is saved, He receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, who joins with his spirit.
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Romans 8:12-17 NKJV
My beloved, as we believers submit to God’s will, the Holy Spirit manifest through our flesh, giving us the desire to do what pleases Him, and the power to do it (PHILIPPIANS 2:13), and as a result, good works are achieved by the leading of the Spirit.
Jesus put it like this, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.””
John 7:38 NKJV
However, when one slips back into sin, or is held by false doctrines, or offence or un-forgiveness, the Holy Spirit retreats from our flesh and remains quiet within our spirit.
He doesn’t condemn us (ROMANS 8:1), for He knew our faults, failures, and every sin we would ever commit before gifting us with the Holy Spirit. For “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV
But rather, He convicts repentance and change from within.
In those times, it can feel like God as left us, like we are alone in the wilderness, but God never leaves us orphans (JOHN 14:15-18).
But however, sin does allows the devil in as God retreats, so the demonic enter, and one becomes demonised. Like squatters they enter and reside within the flesh, giving un-godly desires and cravings, addictions, fear, depression and all kinds of health issues and curses.
Sin brings us in agreement with the devil and the doors open and let them in.
The good news is, these demons are subject to us Spirit filled believers, and just like squatters, when taken before the judge, having taken away their right to enter through repentance, they must leave.
James put it like this. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
James 4:7-10 NKJV
In other words, repent from the sin that let them in, and command them out, and then they shall flee from you.
Sometimes, when we are feeling useless, unloved, or discouraged, we need to remind ourselves of exactly who we really are, “God’s workmanship, His masterpiece,” and encourage ourselves by saying, “I am a child of God, and my place is to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:11-13 NKJV
My beloved, salvation is a gift of God to all who believe on Christ Jesus; it’s a simple process that paves the way to peace and joy in the chaos of this dark world, and brings the ultimate promise of a wonderful eternal future where even death will be no more (REVELATION 21:3-4).
The journey starts with a simple prayer that commits one’s life to Christ; it is that simple.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:31-39 NKJV
But we all have choice; we can choose to live to satisfy our flesh, or we can live for God by the leading of the Spirit.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
