In Christ, We Are God’s Workmanship (Eph.2:8-10)

We were not  saved   on our  own  merit. We  did not deserve  mercy, rather we deserved  judgment.  Salvation  is  entirely  by  grace, although we  must  appropriate  that grace  by  obedience to the  commands of God.

But we must  realize that  we  can  never  earn our  salvation.  We can  never be saved  by  law keeping.  This  does  not  mean that we  do  not obey  His  commands.  We can  never  put our trust  in anything that  man can accomplish on his own.

Verse  9  backs up the  fact  that we cannot earn our salvation.  To say we   can  earn it smacks of arrogance.  Grace  eliminates all such  arrogance. There is only One who should be exalted in salvation, and that is God.  Our  only  boasting must  be in the Lord.

Paul says it well when he writes, “What do you have that  you  didn’t receive? If, in fact you did receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7) And since we have received this  salvation, “the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:31).

We can never  work our way  to heaven but once  we are Christians we  need to be the  best  workers He  has.  Works  are not the root of our salvation, rather, they are  the fruit of salvation. We must have a  living faith, a  functioning  faith.

Because we are God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus, people should  see our  good works.  Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your  good works and  give  glory to your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

So let us live out  our faith daily and  walk in the Lord. Once we were in darkness, being controlled  by the world, the  flesh, and the Devil. But God made us alive through an obedient faith  in Christ, and now we are walking in Christ  doing  good works.

 

    Larry Miles is co-editor of Word and Work and attends Cherry St. Church of Christ, New Albany, IN.