Thought for the day Monday 14 August

 Ephesians 2:8-10

God saved you by his special favour 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, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

For all of us that genuinely and sincerely believe all the teachings contained within the pages of our bibles, Paul reminds us in today’s passage that this hasn’t just been a good initiative or idea on our part, it has been revealed to us by the grace of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Paul is saying that once we recognise and receive by faith the truth that has been revealed in Jesus, it is only then we can start living the way God wants us to live and begin to fulfil the plans he had made for us ‘long ago’. 

In Christian circles, we hear the words ‘saved’ and ‘salvation’ frequently used.  Being saved is not down to the good works we might do for others either within or outwith our church.  Our Salvation is completely and totally due to the sacrifice made by Jesus on our behalf at Calvary followed by his triumph over death forever in the days following that ultimate gift.  Once we believe in this, God will guide us to do the things he requires from us in his ultimate plan and Christ will live within us and be revealed to others by the ways we interact with them and in the way we live our lives. 

Paul says we are God’s masterpiece and other translations say we are God’s workmanship.  When we believe in our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour and the Holy Spirit, God begins to shape us and prepare us for what he requires from us in this life. 

Paul goes on to say in the next chapter of Ephesians at verse 12: ‘Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome.’

Once we have run our race in  this life, this assuredly is what awaits us. 

Prayer – Heavenly Father, we thank you for your amazing grace so freely bestowed upon us.  We thank you that when we could do nothing to save ourselves, you sent Jesus to save us. 

We thank you that our salvation didn’t come to us as a reward for our good works. It was totally due to your mercy and grace. We thank you that you have created us to play our part in fulfilling your eternal plan and purpose for us.  We thank you for the good works you have prepared for us to do. Give us the wisdom to know your will for us, and the ability to walk in your ways, in the power of your Holy Spirit.  We ask this in Jesus’ name.            Amen.