Two full-time ministers have very different stories to tell concerning how their children turned out. One minister’s income was meager and most of the time they eat the food served at the boarding school’s cafeteria. Life in this setting is hectic and burdensome. As a minister you never know when a call might come that requires your attention and presence away from home, but here you are living with teenagers around the clock without their parents. Throughout the time when their children were in their home, they always ate a meal together. Their children were taught the Bible and disciplined. Despite the challenges that frequently arose in life, the children of this minister have turned out to be model children. The other minister did not have the burdens of a boarding school setting, but maintained many of the same practices. They always ate dinner together. There was always an effort made to keep family first. The children were disciplined and taught the Bible. They were loved and cherished. They were taught about personal responsibility. They were raised as any parent would desire to raise their children. Yet, one of the two children in this family has, in their adult years, rebelled and left the church. Why would this happen when so much was done the same? What has caused this one child to rebel and leave the kind of life they were taught to live? It is grace that any child becomes a faithful believer and adult that would make their parents proud.
It is grace that anyone ever comes to salvation. In our passage today, we see that our salvation does not rest on our works but on grace and faith. In Ephesians 2:8-10 we see two means and an end to our salvation.
First we see that salvation is extended by grace. The passage reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved . . . not by works so that no one may boast.” Grace, what a beautiful word. Very simply, you do not deserve it. To receive something through grace is to receive something you do not deserve. I am sure in this room this morning there is probably a husband or two or more who would say, I do not deserve my wife. I am sure in this room this morning there is probably a wife who would say, I do not deserve my husband. Are we willing to admit that our salvation is undeserved? That is what grace means, we do not deserve it. Charles Spurgeon, considered one of the greatest if not the greatest Baptist minister from
He had been crippled and lame for most of his life. For thirty-eight years, he had to lay and wait for a miracle. He prayed and waited for God to heal him. Many people told him, if you will get in the waters when the angel stirs them, then you will be healed. So he has been laying beside the Pool of Siloam waiting for his turn to be the first to enter the waters when the angel stirred them. One day as he lay there a man approaches and asks if he wishes to be healed. “Of course I do, but I have no one to put me in the pool when the waters are stirred.” “Then pick up your mat and walk.” He then picked up his mat and walked away. Later that day, Jesus finds the man again and tells him, “Do not sin anymore unless something worse should happen to you.” Was he being threatened?
What went through the man’s mind we may never know, but Christ demonstrated in words his grace. You are a sinner, but go and sin no more. You have been freed through faith, so go and sin no more. What beautiful words! Go and sin no more. When Christ entered your life through salvation it was BY grace.
Second we see that salvation is extended through faith apart from any works. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, not by works so that no one may boast.” Through faith. We do nothing to receive or deserve grace, but the emphasis with faith is that we are not capable of doing any work to receive or deserve salvation. We can perform all of the great and wonderful and graceful deeds in the world and we will never deserve salvation. We could sell all of our possessions and give the money to the poor, and then commit ourselves to a monastery and a life of simplicity and devotion to God, but we would still not deserve salvation. Rom 5:8-9: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him. “Having now been justified by His blood.” We have been made to be without sin, without imperfection and rebellion through Christ’s blood. His work. We will be saved from God’s wrath upon sin and the sinner through Christ. It is Christ who has taken our place in death, in punishment and in rescuing us from our own destruction. Apart from Christ there is only death and destruction.
Imagine during the Civil War what the hopes of the slaves would have been? Many escaped the South through the Underground Railroad. Imagine knowing that for decade upon decade that your ancestors were enslaved and experienced know true freedom. Then one day, as you have already escaped your imprisonment due to the fighting, that you are walking about as another slave greets you and tells you that you are free. You have been traveling and hiding in hopes that you are not recognized and enslaved again. How can you be free? You are a runaway. “You are free my friend. Your master cannot reclaim you.” “How can this be? I have runaway. I am still enslaved by my master. His presence follows me. I fear the punishment when he finds me.” “Do not fear. The president has declared you free. He can no longer call you his. You are a free person.”
Apart from any work that we have done, we are free. There is no work great enough to have claimed your freedom and forgiveness other than the work of Christ upon the cross. The Lord is not waiting for you to become good enough nor is he waiting for us to perform the right deeds or actions. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were yet rebelling and living against his design and plans for us he loved us. It is through faith. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
Third we see that the end of our salvation is living in the good works of Christ. How many of us were saved and then we went on our own little rebellion party? You got saved and then you lived like the devil. How many of us know someone that was their tale? How many of us have known someone who tried and tried to earn their salvation by their good works? They were doing all of these great and wonderful and caring acts but they were never filled because they could not earn their salvation. We are not saved by good works we are saved for good works. Our lives as believers are to be full of the good works of Christ that will bring honor and glory to Him. The demonstration of our lives is to be actions that are from the overflow and control of the Spirit within us. As believers we are to grow in godliness, holiness and righteousness. These are the good works we are created for in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus we are new creations. Apart from Christ we are not living in good works because they are not works done unto Christ for his glory. When we are in Christ and controlled by the Spirit, we are a new creation and our desire should be one of willingness and desire to be pleasing to our Savior with our lives.
Our response to our Lord should be of great pleasure and therefore desire to serve Him because of His grace demonstrated and given to us. We should be willing to serve and live in the good works we are created for because of our thankfulness for His grace. Do you live in thankfulness and joy because of God’s grace?
Our response to our Lord should be one of continually living in faith. Our salvation is brought about through faith. We ought to continue to live in faith to Christ as one who will and is able to lead us into our place before the Father. Do you live daily in faith to Christ?
Our lives ought to be a clear and visible response to God’s grace and because of the faith in us. Do you live in the same manner that Christ lived in? Do you seek to be an offering poured out to God?
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