A Workmanship in Progress

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

BY GRACE:

We have the privilege to be saved.  What an amazing thing!  God’s grace extends to every corner of the earth to each person and covers over a multitude of sins through His grace, which comes through His Son’s blood shed on the cross.  It’s so hard to comprehend this AMAZING GRACE, that God so freely gives and never asks for anything in return.

THROUGH FAITH:

It is truly by grace, through faith–and nothing from ourselves.  It is all a gift from God.  This is a challenge to me.  Yesterday, Paul and I were traveling this little island and experiencing the different things that there are to see.  There is so much that you can look at from afar, but not take a step on.  I thought of the time we saw the Grand Canyon.  There too, we could see it, but we could never step foot on ever single part of the canyon.  Yet, God took time to design it.  To think we celebrated the day man took foot on the moon and yes, that is an amazing thing.  But there are so many places on this earth that man will never take foot on.  God simply designed it for us to look at, to be in awe of.  To see it and simply lead us back to worshipping Him.  The same is true with His grace, we can not measure the depth of it or understand how it works, but we can be grateful for it and respond in worship.

Remember this, “(it’s) not by works, so that no one can boast”(vs. 9).  We can’t boast about the great things that come out of us because all of it is there because of Who is inside of us.  The very best things that come out of us are coming out because the Holy of Holies lives inside of us.  He is constantly at work within us.  Making us into His workmanship.

GOD’S WORKMANSHIP:

We have been created as God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus to do good works.  This is another amazing quality God placed inside of us.  The One who created the Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Swiss Alps, the beautiful Mountains, and all other natural creation…  He created you and I, as His workmanship to do good works.  That makes me feel so good.  To know that God had a plan when He created me.  He designed me to do something special.  He designed you to do something special.

GOD PREPARED:

We were prepared by God in advance to do good works for His purpose.  It’s all designed in our workmanship.  Piece by piece we are being put together in a wonderful way.  Will you allow God to use you in an extraordinary way today?  Will you take a step in an unknown territory today for Him?  Don’t be afraid to trust the unknown to a KNOWN GOD!  He loves you, He knows your steps, and He wants to be faithful to YOU!

Lord, I stand in awe of your grace today.  I am continuously grateful for the way you saved me and the gift You gave me through Your Son.  Please continue to work in me and move me closer to YOUR TRUTH!  I am blessed to be Your workmanship and pray that I do not hold up the construction on my life.  May You always have the freedom to work on me as You will.

A workmanship in progress,