DEVOTION / REFLECTION
Good Works - Thanks be to God!
by Elaine Pierce
One of the members of my small group has pretty much memorized the book of Ephesians, and he often will remind us of these verses, especially verse 8 - it is by grace we have been saved, through faith - not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. He is steeped in scripture, and he encourages our group to be grounded in what really matters (when we so easily get sidetracked). I was excited to see that these verses are our focus of worship today.
You might say, well, that is nice. But I already knew that. Haven't we spent several weeks in Galatians talking about how easy it is to fall into the 'performance plan' way of life? We want to earn our salvation through adherence to the law - And Paul repeatedly tells us, NO. We can't 'perform' our way in.
But let's take a closer look at these verses. Yes, verse 8 reminds us that our salvation is only through faith in Christ. But what are we saved for? Verse 10 answers that question: "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Let that sink in. God has good works prepared for you - you who are saved by faith - and he has planned those good works specifically for you. Your good works won't get you a better seat in heaven. But they will bring glory to God:
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16).
When I approach works this way, the whole 'performance plan' mindset is turned on its head. I don't do good works to impress God. Or my family. Or my small group. Or my church as a whole. God designed me to do good works, and what a privilege it is to bring praise to our Father.
God is working in each of us to transform us and prepare us for good works. Each of us is at a different place in our faith journey. Who can you encourage today? Where does God want you to work? Come to him in prayer - ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Be open to how you can serve.
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1).
Thank you, Lord, for your word. Help me today to rejoice in my eternal salvation, and to bring praise and glory to you through the good works you have prepared in advance for me to do. I love you, and I serve you with gladness. Amen.
Spoken Prayer – Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.
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