1You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. 3We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, that no one would boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
11Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), 12that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, 15having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. 18For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, 20being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; 21in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
The Struggle Between Works and Grace
Arm-Wrestling Between Grace and Works
Grace and works are incompatible when discussing salvation. Most of us understand that we are saved by grace alone. However, many Christians believe they must actively engage in good works to maintain their salvation. That is a trap. In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he is clear that salvation comes through grace alone. You and I were saved by grace, not just to get to heaven, but to do good works. Our works did not save us, but we were saved to do good works. That’s what we read in Ephesians 2:10. God has good works for each of us to do, prepared from the foundation of the world. That’s a fantastic thought.
It is our human tendency to do something to deserve or merit God's grace. But God excluded the need for us to do anything lest we take the credit. God set it up this way so that when properly understood, we could keep ourselves out of the picture. Self wants to do something to earn God’s gift. If we’re working for it, then it is no longer a gift. It is something we deserve. People get hung up on this, but it is really quite simple. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). It wasn’t the other way around. Then, if we receive that love, we are so grateful that we respond in love by being obedient and doing the tasks that He’s prepared beforehand for each of us to do. Spend time in prayer with God today. Ask Him to show you what He has for you to do today. Then be still and listen. Then go and do.
Thoughts will come to you, and your day will become organized. You will undoubtedly have a laundry list of things to do, but please keep in mind that if those tasks put you in contact with others, you are on the mission field. You can continue to pray this throughout the day, and you will soon find that the Holy Spirit will not only comfort you but also guide and direct you from one good work to another. I like to think of myself as the heart and hands of Jesus to those around me. You are too! You may end up at the supermarket or just writing something on Facebook. Be aware that every human contact you have is an opportunity for courtesy or conflict. Be Jesus to the world around you. Those are your marching orders for now, as a soldier in the Lord’s army.