God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. [Ephesians 2.8-10]
The Church loves Ephesians 2.8-9. Sinners everywhere proclaim this passage with great relief.
But, there is a problem if we stop at verse 9. We really need to go on to verse 10! Why? Because it clears up any notion that sinners are just saved by grace with no responsibility!
Yes, salvation comes through no efforts of our own. That is straight Bible truth. However, we are not saved to do nothing! God has good things planned for us to do!
How do we know those good plans God has for us? For starters, we look at the life of Jesus. And we understand that Jesus Himself said:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]
So, there you have it. We are saved through no efforts of our own, but we are saved to join God's efforts!
Father, help me to fully comprehend that I am saved to do Your will!
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