Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 30
Friday


FROM HERE
TO HEAVEN

READ:
Ephesians 2:1-10
______________________________________

We are His
workmanship,
created in Christ
Jesus for good works.
__Ephesians 2:10
_____________________________________

Pro athletes and coaches sometimes get something for nothing. Let's say a coach signs a 3-year contract, and the team agrees to pay him $1 million a year. But in his first season, the team is terrible and management fires him. So, the coach leaves but still has 2 more years of pay coming to him. He gets the next $2 million without doing a thing.

We as Christians have to be careful that we don't view our saving faith like that. We must never think, "Hey, I'm saved. I've got eternal riches coming my way. I don't have to do anythng for God."

That's partially right but very wrong. In one regard, our journey from here to heaven is paid for in full by Jesus' sacrifice. There's nothing we can do to earn salvation. But there's another part of this that we must consider.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, after Paul clearly says that we do not have to "do" anything and that salvation is a "gift of God," he goes on. Verse 10 says we indeed have a job to do. As believers, we are "created in christ Jesus for good works." God has tasks planned for us to do while we are on this earth__not to pay our debt but to honor our Savior.

Life from here to heaven is not a vacation cruise__it's a wonderful privilege and calling to serve God. __Dave Branon
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``````````````````Must I be carried to the skies```````````````````
````````````````````On flowery beds of ease,````````````````````
```````````````While others fought to win the prize.````````````````
`````````````And sailed through bloody seas? _Watts``````````````
_____________________________________________________________

We are not saved by good works but for good

**************Today's Bible reading __ Ephesians 2:1-10************

1 And you He made alive,
who were dead in trespasses
and sins, 2 in which you
once walked according to
the course of this world,
according to the prince of
the power of the air, the
spirit who now works in
the sons of disobedience,

3 among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves in
the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and
were by nature children of
wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved
us, 5 even when we were
dead in trespasses, made us
alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been
saved), 6 and raised us up
together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, 7 that
in the ages to come He
might show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His
kindness toward us in
Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace
you have been saved
through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift
of God, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast. 10 For
we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God
prepared beforehand that
we should walk in them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In this passage, Paul reminds us twice that "by grace you have been
saved" (vv.5,8), showing what we were in the past (vv.1-3), what
we are now (vv.4-6), and what we shall be in the future (vv.7-10).
Salvation is God's gift, faith is the means through which we possess
the gift (v.8). Grace is God's work to save us. faith is our response to
His grace. __Sim Kay Tee

[realtmg]

Thanks Cimi.

Luv Ya,

Real