Devotions 18-03-08 (Eph 2:8-10)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

It is so very clear that our salvation is not based on anything we do but all on what God does. Grace is sometimes defined as "God giving me the desire and the power to do His will" There is no human effort involved. My only effort is faith, that is to believe that what God says is true and I can count on it.

On top of all of this God says it is a gift and repeats that my works has nothing to do with it. He even gives the sin that would be involved if my works did help. I would want to boast of what I did.

God does add that I have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works. But it is only because of what Christ has done in making me a new person (II Cor 5:17). God desires for us to live a life of doing good deeds to honor Him and help others to come to know Christ.

Lord thank You for Your great plan of salvation and help me to explain it to others so they might experience real life and the joy of assurance. Lord it is so simple but also so very very profound.