October 19, 2019 GOD HAS PREPARED
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Being saved and assured of heaven when we die is not the end of the story; our salvation is so much more than a ticket to heaven. Note that we are not saved by our works, but by faith in Christ. Also note that even our saving faith is not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. We are God’s workmanship-just being aware of that fact should have a tremendous impact on us. Our physical birth was not an accident or even a result of our parents ‘deciding’ to have a family. God used our earthly parents to get us here physically-but God knew us long before our physical birth. We were created in Christ Jesus. Even before we were born, God had already prepared ‘good works’ for us to walk in! We were created with a purpose-even while we were in diapers we had a purpose-we had a destiny. It is critical that our view of life-our world view-is built on the word of God and that we do not drift into the philosophy of the world. It is only in knowing God that we find meaning and discover purpose and find our true identity. (If we find ourselves not being nurtured or feeding on the word of God on a consistent basis, it should a red flag for us that we are drifting from the ways of God. Some view the scriptures as a list of works that we must do or commands we must keep if we are to be a ‘good Christian.’ That view is far from the truth-the scriptures are the doorway to real life.) God does not make life complicated-but rather gives us a clear path and also gives us the power to live life as He designed. In the verses above, we find a super clear instruction that if acted on, not only blesses others, it blesses us beyond measure. That simple truth is to realize that God has ‘good works’ for you and me to be about doing. The opportunities of doing good works will present themselves daily. Be alert for ways in which you can do a good work-it’s real simple. It may be speaking a kind or encouraging word, helping someone that has a need, writing a note of appreciation, etc.-it really is a way of life. So, let us be it tune with the plans God has for us and avoid being caught up in the ways of the world; let us not walk by the flesh, but by the Spirit.
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on a rock.”
Luke 6:31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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