SPIRIRUAL DIARY FOR 12/26/2018
11:22 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2
“Salvation Is Unto Good Works”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
2:10
Message of the verses: “10 For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
It
is the same power that “created us in Christ Jesus” that empowers us to do the “good
works” for which He has redeemed us. In
the book of James we see a very controversial verse if you don’t really understand
it, and if you take the time to compare it with this verse. “14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone
says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (James 2:14).” What James is saying here is the same thing
that Paul is saying and that is that good works verify that you are truly
saved, your works do not save you but they verify that you are a true
believer. John MacArthur writes “Righteous
attitudes and righteous acts proceed from the transformed life no living in the
heavenlies. To the Corinthians Paul said
there was in them ‘an abundance for every good deed’ (2 Cor. 9:8). To Timothy he instructed that the believer is
‘equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:17).
Christ died to bring to Himself a people ‘zealous for good deeds’ (Titus
2:14). Even this is the work of God, as
Paul says: While you ‘work out your salvation…it is God who is at work in you,
both to will and to work for His good pleasure’ (Phil. 2:12-13).”
We
have spoken about the fact that Paul is writing to believers who have been
saved for a long time, and is explaining to them what happened to them once
they were saved, and not showing them how to be saved, and this is important
for us to remember. “Just as they
already had been given everything necessary for salvation, they also had been
given everything necessary for faithfully living the saved life” writes John
MacArthur. I have come to the conclusion
a number of years ago that when we read the last portion of verse ten “which
God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” that this has to do with
how we get rewards in heaven. It is my
belief that God has given every believe works to do in eternity past, just as
He chose people for salvation in eternity past and once a person is saved then
he will begin to do those works that God prepared for him to do, and if one is
living in the Spirit and praying that God will show them what He wants them to
do then they will be doing the good works that God prepared for them in
eternity past and thus receive rewards for doing these good works. It is all about God and our obeying Him as we
do the works that He has prepared for us to do.
John
MacArthur writes “It is from poiema
(Workmanship) that we get poem, a piece of literary workmanship. Before time began God desgned us to be
conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29). Paul could therefore say to the Philippians, ‘For
I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will
perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus’ (1:6).”
The
story goes of a Sunday school teacher who taught young boys and girls and one
of the students gave this lady a difficult time and so the teacher as the young
man if he knew who made him, and his reply was that he knew who made him but He
was not done with him yet. This is true
of every believer, as we are like uncut diamonds that as we live our Christian
life we are being cut into the image of our Savior Jesus Christ. Sometimes this seems very painful.
I
will conclude with a story from MacArthur’s commentary something that I have
heard before, but worth repeating on this SD.
“A famous actor was once the guest of honor at a social gathering where
he received many requests to recite favorite experts from various literary
works. An old preacher who happened to
be there asked the actor to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. The actor agreed on the condition that the preacher
would also recite it. The actor’s recitation was beautifully intoned with great
dramatic emphasis, for which he received lengthy applause. The preacher’s voice
was rough and broken from many years of preaching, and his diction was anything
but polished. But when he finished there
was not a dry eye in the room. When
someone asked the actor what made the difference, he replied, ‘I know the
psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.’
“Salvation
does not come from knowing about the truth of Jesus Christ but from intimately
knowing Christ Himself. This coming
alive can accomplish by the power of God because of His love and mercy.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It is my desire to obey what verse ten has
taught me and that is to do the works that God has prepared for me in eternity
past in order to bring glory to my Lord Jesus Christ.
Answer to our last Bible question: “No” (2 Kings 5:11-12).
Today’s Bible question: “What is the major requirement of a steward?”
Answer in our next SD.
12/26/2018 12:04 PM
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