Issue 22 - Day 6

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:8-10
8)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10)  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

This is one of my favorite passages, and it demonstrates the duality of salvation that is often missed. Many people really need to concentrate on verse 9, and others on verse 10. Sadly we usually teach the two separately, when what is needed is to understand them together, either extreme is wrong.

As Paul asked the Galatians, how did you come to salvation? It was a free gift of God, you could not earn it, and you cannot keep it by your own strength. It is given or taken away by God and him alone, and he has promised never to cast us out. So, on this level, all you must do is believe. Here however is the trap. Having learned that works to not save you, nor do they retain your salvation many then continue in sin because “they are saved”, and need not work for it. Paul also said of this attitude, “shall I then continue in sin that grace may about? God forbid!”

So we come to the second side of salvation. You are not just saved from the punishment for sin, but are also freed from the bondage of sin. Before coming to the Lord it was impossible for you to do any good work, that is a work that pleases God. Once saved, you are free to do every good work, and walk in that new life in Christ. It is like being jobless and homeless, and gaining a good job with accommodation supplied. You are saved from misery on the streets and now have money to spend. However your “salvation” is given so that you can do the job you are employed for. Same with spiritual salvation. Now go live it.