Ephesians 2: 1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
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.
The gift of salvation is given to all who will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is a gift undeserved. Some want to say that they have earned this salvation by their works and by their life. There could never be salvation without the payment that Christ paid on Calvary. We are all dead in our trespasses and sins until we see and accept this great gift, falling before Him with a contrite heart. Until we see a glimpse of His magnificent Glory such that the light shining forth from Him reveals the darkness hidden deep within our own hearts, there is no hope to find this great gift of salvation. Yet, there are others who would say, since this gift is free from works then I will take the gift as it is…free and do nothing. That is also false because when you truly understand the gift, love would not allow you to stand still. With salvation comes the power to overcome sin. God sets about the work of transforming sanctification. His great love cannot leave you there in the unlovely state for which He found you; but will transform you. The work then becomes Christ’s work manifested through the believer. Not by our own strength are we able to perform this, but by His mighty strength. So, as a Grateful Servant, let us all get about the work He has ordained us to perform in His Strength and clothed with His righteousness.
Let me try to explain this in a way that you might understand, though any illustration falls very short of the full act. Let’s say that you want to buy a beautiful house set on a hill that expands thousands of acres. The owner knows that even if you work for a lifetime, you will not be able to pay the price for that home. He decides to give you that house and land as a free gift. Beyond that he wants to give you the work force to tend the land and house. His only desire is your friendship and to spend time talking with you, guiding you in the care of that gift, and your trust. You, because of self pride, become offended and say, “No, I will not take the house or your friendship until I can earn it. I will work very hard and one day then you can give me the house after I have earned it.” Year after year goes by and still you have not been able to pay even a small portion toward the price of that house. You have not been able to enjoy the home nor his friendship. You become frustrated, angry, and then blame him for the price being too high. What kind of fool would you have been? Another point is also evident. If you accept the gift, your gratitude and love would command you from inside to try to please the gift giver by caring for the gift. He gave you something very precious and that in its own would cause you to follow his direction in its care out of love not out of labor.
The Grace in Which I Stand
by Effie Darlene Barba
Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul
Where is the hope on which you hold
With all the failures of your past
Where is the faith to make you bold
Where is the faith to make you bold
There was a King though blameless He
That came to pay my penalty
And in that act He set me free
To follow Him in liberty
To follow Him in liberty
It is His love that drew me out
And in His Grace I shall not doubt
That He who started this work in me
Will finish it with a Glorious Shout
Will finish it with a Glorious Shout
One day the finished work be done
That I might look then like God’s son
Sifted, shined just like pure Gold
As Glory shines forth, Glorious One
As Glory shines forth, Glorious One
And in this hope my faith conformed
I know my life will be transformed
I stand upon this future grace
So for His work my passion warmed
So for His work my passion warmed
So in this faith I firmly stand
That formed in me as God had planned
No force on earth can shake me free
My future held by God’s great hand
My future held by God’s great hand.
So let us Join in Song and Prayer with Krysten Getty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPVtx_HCpOo&list=UUo9g1AKA1sWpJjifnGEukEQ&index=1&feature=plcp
To all my followers, I am leaving today for California to visit my grand-daughter so that I might not be able to post to the website. I will if I can figure out how; but if I can’t I will see you back here next week. Thank you, Effie Darlene Barba