Another Great Omission
The first half of Ephesians 2 proclaims that we are saved by grace received in faith. The second half of Ephesians reveals additional dimensions of our salvation. As God deals with the problem of our sin, not only are we restored in our relationship with him, but also we are restored in our relationships with each other. The death of Christ breaks down the wall of hostility that separates us from each other, even as it takes away the sin that separates us from God.
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What are Your Good Works?
Ephesians 2:10 teaches us to see our whole life as an interconnected series of good works offered to God in response to his grace. We walk in the good works God has planned for us in our offices and classrooms, in our studios and kitchens, when we’re at work and at home, at church and in our neighborhood. As we grow in our faith, we will learn to do everything under the authority of Christ and for his purposes.
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Saved FOR Good Works
According to Ephesians 2, we are not saved by our works. We are saved by God’s grace, received in faith. But, we are saved for good works that God has prepared for us. God’s grace saves us into a whole new way of living, in which we are deeply engaged in God’s purposes in the world.
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God’s Masterpiece
According to Ephesians 2:10, you are God’s handiwork, even God’s masterpiece. This is true not because of how healthy you are, how accomplished you are, or how moral you are. You are a masterpiece because of what God has done in your life by his grace. You have been newly and wonderfully created in Christ so that you might live in relationship with God and for his glory. God has great plans for you!
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The Great Omission?
Often, we get so excited (rightly) about the good news of salvation by grace through faith that we overlook (wrongly) what salvation leads to: a flourishing life doing the good works God has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:8-10). We are not saved by works, but for works, that we might participate in God’s work in the world.
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God’s Redeemed People #2: Lord, Save Me
Jesus can use flawed people who cry out to him for help.
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God’s Redeemed People #1: All Those Things You Saw in Your Pajamas
God can redeem anything and anybody, and God can use anything and anybody that he has redeemed.
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Unlimited Grace for You
We are saved by God’s grace, given through Jesus Christ. This grace is not limited, but is immeasurable. No matter what we do, we cannot exhaust God’s grace for us in Christ.
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Salvation: Past, Present, Future
According to Ephesians, we “have been saved” by God’s grace. This means we began to experience God’s salvation in the past, but we continue to experience his salvation in the present. We are being saved now as God heals our brokenness and replaces it with the gift of his wholeness.
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Salvation and Shalom
According to Ephesians, salvation comes by God’s grace. By grace, God is mending your brokenness, healing your wounds, and helping you be the whole person he intends you to be. God wants you to experience life in greater abundance and to work through you to foster wholeness in this world, even as you await the joy of heaven. Thus, your salvation isn’t just about your private life, your life in church, or your life beyond the grave. God’s salvation touches everything you do in life: at work, in your neighborhood, and in your commitment to “act justly and love mercy” as you “walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
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Experience Salvation Today
What does it mean to be saved? According to Ephesians 2, salvation is so much more than simply going to heaven after you die. God’s salvation through Christ begins to transform your life right now, in this age and this world . . . or at least it should. Because God has saved you, you can begin to live differently in this moment, wherever you are; at work or at home, in a boardroom or a classroom, in your workshop or your studio, your church or your neighborhood, with colleagues or your family, with friends or strangers.
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Words to Change Your Life
Some of the most important, life-changing words you’ll ever encounter are found in Ephesians 2:8-10: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
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