James 2:17

Meditations: Ephesians 2:10

Tammy M Cardwell1 Comment
Copyright Clarissa Pardue 2014
Copyright Clarissa Pardue 2014

 

Ephesians 2:10
NIV

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.

  • We are God’s workmanship!
    We should never read these words so quickly that we miss them. God’s child is not the inferior product of the world he grew up in, nor is he an accident created by nature. God’s child is God’s creation – God’s workmanship – and God… does… not… make… junk.
  • We are created in Christ Jesus.
    This truth alone could inspire a book of meditations. Repeatedly, God’s Word refers to us being “in Christ.” If this is so, how can we count ourselves as less than valuable, less than able, less than worthy, less than powerful…less than anything? If we are in Christ, we have as much worth, ability, worthiness, power…as any other part of His body does. The question is, what do we do with it?
  • We are to do good works.
    When being encouraged to do good works, people often quote Eph 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Yes, we are saved by grace, through faith and not by our works; salvation is a gift. Now, if those who so enjoy quoting verses 8 and 9 would only continue to verse 10, they would see why God gave us the gift – “to do good works.” God doesn’t give useless gifts; He gives gifts with a purpose. Knowing this, we realize we are responsible to find out what His plans for us are, and to follow through and do.
  • God prepared these works in advance, expecting us to do them.
    How much more clear can it get? God had a plan in mind, works lined out for each one of us to do, even before we accepted His gift of salvation. Now it’s our turn. Now it’s time for us to learn what those works are, pull ourselves together, and go get them done. This is not something we can do; it is something we must do if we are to be pleasing to Him. After all, His Word says repeatedly that faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 20, 26) and that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).

 

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 5

Tammy M Cardwell4 Comments
Copyright Jennifer Jones Manley
Copyright Jennifer Jones Manley

What Does God Want?

            God wants children who love Him above all else, children who obey Him completely, children who walk with Him—following His lead instead of choosing their own paths and expecting Him to bless them anyway—children who not only know Jesus as Savior, but also as Lord.

God wants children who understand the truth of the words spoken to King Saul, that obedience is better than sacrifice, that He will not condone us doing things our way even if our way does look good in man’s eyes and seems to result in great things for the church.

God wants children who follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the One who did and said, and only did and said, what the Father wanted, who obeyed all the way to the cross and beyond when His Father called.

God wants children who don’t say, “I have decided I want to…,” but say instead, “I have decided to do what God wants me to do.”

God wants
sons and daughters
who understand what it means to be CALLED.


Scriptures Referenced

I Corinthians 12:18
Ephesians 2:8-10
Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 4:1
Ephesians 4:16
Ephesians 5:17
Hebrews 10:25
Hebrews 11:6
James 2:17, 20, 26

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 1

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 2

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 3

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 4

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 3

Tammy M Cardwell2 Comments
Copyright Jennifer Jones Manley
Copyright Jennifer Jones Manley

What DOES God Want?

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

We have been created anew in Christ Jesus to do good things. Other translations say “good works.”

When being encouraged to do good works, some people answer by quoting Ephesians 2:8-9. (KJV 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.) Yes, we are saved by grace, through faith and not by our works; salvation is a gift. Now, if those who quote verses 8 and 9 would only continue to verse 10, they would see why God gave us the gift— “to do the good things he planned for us long ago”. God doesn’t give useless gifts; He gives gifts with a purpose. Knowing this, we realize we are responsible to find out what His plans for us are and to follow through and do what He expects us to do. As Ephesians 5:17 puts it, “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

God prepared these works in advance, expecting us to do them. How much clearer can it get? God had a plan in mind, works lined out for each one of us, even before we accepted His gift of salvation. Now it’s our turn. Now it’s time for us to learn what those works are, pull ourselves together, and go get them done.

This is not merely something we can do; it is something we must do if we are to be pleasing to Him. After all, His Word says repeatedly that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17, 20, 26; KJV; Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead… But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?… For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.) Too, without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6, KJV, But without faith it is impossible to please Him…)

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 1

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 2

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 4

God Doesn’t Want Volunteers Part 5

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C