NOT BY WORKS BUT FOR WORKS

Transcription

1 NOT BY WORKS BUT FOR WORKS (Ephesians 2:10) INTRODUCTION In the Ephesians 2 passage read this morning works is mentioned twice. Last week I preached on Saved by Grace, not by works. One of the songs we sang was, I m only a sinner saved by grace, This is my story, to God be the glory, I m only a sinner saved by grace. What a wonderful thing it is that God saves us by His grace. We don t deserve His salvation, because we are sinners, and we can t earn our salvation, because our good works are not sufficient to cover any one sin, much less all of them. We are saved by grace, to God be the glory! Now, to say that we are not saved by works doesn t mean that good works are not important. That doesn t mean that good works are optional. That doesn t mean that good works are separated from grace. It is interesting that in the places where the Scriptures teach that we are saved by grace, good works are not left out of the picture. Let me refer to another one, in addition to the one in your bulletin: Tit 2:11-14 NKJV For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (12) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (14) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. God saved us by his grace so that we would be zealous for good works. I want to explore the meaning of good works and the importance of them. I will focus on verse 10 and take it apart phrase by phrase. This is one of those verses in which each word is critical to understand. I will use the New King James Version, since it brings out some nuances in this verse that the NIV doesn t. Eph 2:10 NKJV For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I am hoping that each one of us will make a decision this morning to commit ourselves to discovering and doing the good works God has prepared for us to do. October 16, 2016 Corntassel CP Church Page 1

2 FOR Notice that the verse begins with the word for. What does this word imply? The word for functions here to introduce the reason for the preceding clause. The reason that God saves us by His grace through faith is that we may do the good works He has planned for us. When we are saved by grace it is for the purpose that we are to live for God s purpose in our lives. Our direction in life is changed when we are saved. WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP The next phrase tells us that we are His workmanship or as the NIV translated it His handiwork. This word suggests a beautiful word picture. The word in Greek is poiema, and it can be translated handiwork or masterpiece. It is the Greek word from which we get our English word poem. We are God s poem. We are God s masterpiece. The Psalmist writes that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. How he created us physically is a beautiful work of art, but how he created us spiritually in Christ is even more amazing. You are God s special work of art. Who is the greatest poet who has ever lived? Homer? Alfred Tennyson? William Shakespeare? Many think Shakespeare is the greatest, but he s not. God is the greatest poet and the greatest Craftsman. You are God s greatest poem and you are His handiwork. (Psa 19:1 NKJV) The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. But the heavens, with it billions of stars is nothing compared to God s work in your life. You are God s greatest handiwork and God s most exquisite work of art. You are to show forth that handiwork. We are saved for good works. In fact God fashioned you especially equipped to do them. CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS When did he especially equip for your good works? When He created you in Christ Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:17 puts it this way October 16, 2016 Corntassel CP Church Page 2

3 (2 Cor 5:17 NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. God starts remaking you when you come to Christ by faith and are born again. You become something new and something beautiful. I like the message of the Gaither song, Something Beautiful Something beautiful, something good All my confusion He understood All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife But He made something beautiful of my life You are His workmanship and He is making something beautiful of your life. Although your life experience may not have been very beautiful, He can use that experience to make you into a beautiful work of art for His glory, because He has put you in Christ and Christ is His perfect Son. Php 1:6 NKJV being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; You are in Christ. You are a new creation. Although you are a new creation in Christ, basically you have the same personality that you were born with. You have your life experience which you have gone through in the providence of God since birth. God will use all these things to make you a new special creature in whom He is working. FOR GOOD WORKS Again, what is the purpose that God has had in mind for you? It is that you may do good works. He created you for good works. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works You are saved by grace through faith, not by works but for good works. What are these good works? Now what exactly are these good works? How do I discover these good works so that I may walk in them? This is critically important to understand because it will guide you in your Christian life. It will become your mission in life. October 16, 2016 Corntassel CP Church Page 3

4 The Bible spells out some general characteristics of good works. In general these good works are the great virtues of the Christian life put into practice. They are summarized at the end of I Corinthians 13: faith, hope, love, and the greatest of these is love. We are to walk by faith in Christ. This is a good work for which you were created. In John s Gospel after feeding the 5,000 Jesus warned them of working for food that perish rather than the food that is eternal. When they asks Him what are the works of God, He said, The work of God is to believe in the One He has sent. Living by faith in Christ is the good work for which you were created. Secondly, we are to live our life in hope, hope in Christ. Hope is looking to the future with confidence that God will fulfill His word to us. The book of Romans says this about Abraham, Against all hope, Abraham in home believed God being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able to perform. Living in the hope that God will fulfill all his promises is a good work. Finally we are to love with the love of Christ. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment He said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Then he gave later the New Commandment, Love one another as I have loved you. This is the greatest good work for which you were created. We are to spend our lives working out these virtues or good works to the glory of God. These are the good works in general that God created us to do. But there are specific good works for you with your unique life experiences, and with your experience with Christ that only you can do. WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED BEFOREHAND FOR US God has some specific good works prepared beforehand for each of us. How did God prepare them beforehand? Before we were ever born, God ordained certain things that only you could do when you came into this world. God prepared certain things for you do that only you can do for his glory. These are the specific good works you are to walk in. Each day you are to seek the things God wants you to do that are pleasing to Him that are the fulfillment of living by faith, hope and love. What a life-changing thought: that God has things for me to do for Him each day that only I can do. He has things for me to do within my personal devotion and growth in the knowledge of Him, like spending time reading, studying, and meditating on His Word. Things like praying for certain things and certain people. He has good works for me to do within my family that only I can do. He has good works for me to do within the Body of Christ that only I can do. October 16, 2016 Corntassel CP Church Page 4

5 Things like being an active part of His Body, the church. There are things only you can do and these are the things that have been prepared beforehand by God s creative work in you by giving you your life experiences, and particularly by giving you your salvation experience. You can only know your purpose in life by seeking to know these specific good works that God has prepared for you, because this is why God saved you by His grace through faith. THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM These are not just works done once or twice in a lifetime, but they are good works which we are to WALK in. These are works which should characterize our lives. Walking indicates a daily activity. Seeking and doing these good works are to be your daily tasks. Every day when you have your time of prayer, pray that God would show you His good works He has prepared for you for that day. WE One more observation from this verse: Notice that it is written to the church as a unity. It says we are His workmanship. All the things I have said about each of us being His workmanship as an individual is true, and it is also true that our congregation is God s workmanship. God has prepared good works that only the Corntassel congregation can do. In general we are to exercise faith as a church, we are to live in hope of God s promises, and most importantly we are to walk in love, the love of Christ. In addition to these general good works, God has some specific good works that only we can do in this year. We must seek these good works and do them for the glory of God CONCLUSION Let me conclude with an insight from John R. W. Stott the great English pastor and theologian when he was a student at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He relates: "Towards the end of my time as a theological student at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, the Rev. Paul Gibson retired as Principal, and a portrait of him was unveiled. In expressing his thanks, he paid a well-deserved compliment to the artist. He said that in the future he believed people looking at the picture would ask not 'Who is that man?' but rather 'Who painted that portrait?' October 16, 2016 Corntassel CP Church Page 5

6 When someone looks at us, they are not to ask, "Who is that person". They are to say, "Who is his Savior." What a great Savior he has! Your salvation is a work of art! Your lifestyle of doing good works produced by your faith in Christ, your hope in Christ, and your love of Christ will set you apart from every other person. It will bring glory and honor to your God! How you fulfill your destiny reflects on your Savior. You are God s masterpiece, spend your life seeking the works He has prepared you to do; do them, and fulfill your destiny. This is what gives you purpose in life. This is what gives you meaning in life. This is what gives you satisfaction in life knowing that you are doing what God has ordained from eternity for you to do. This is what is pleasing to God. Will you decide today to intentionally seek and do these good works by the grace of Christ? If you will, you will not only be blessed, you will be a great blessing to others, and you will be bringing glory to God. Amen? Amen! October 16, 2016 Corntassel CP Church Page 6