I am going to be working on a more substantial post for tomorrow. But for today, I am posting an excerpt from A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent.
Saved for Good Works
Through the gospel I learn not only of the saving works
of God on my behalf,but I also learn that one of God's key
purposes in doing these works is to put me to work myself.
The Bible tells me that when Christ redeemed me,
He did so in order that I might now be "zealous for good works." [1]
When God "works" in me day by day, He does so in order to
produce in me the desire and the power to "work for His good pleasure."[2]
Indeed, though I am saved by grace and not by works,
I am God's "workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand so that [I] would walk in them."[3]
Being naturally lazy, I do not normally thrill at the
prospect of work; but the more I embrace the saving work
of God on my behalf, the more I find myself embracing the
works for which God saved me. And as I am "working hard"
at doing these works for the good of others, I experience the
truth of Jesus' words: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."[4]
I also find myself saying with Christ, " My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work."[5]
Indeed, gospel-motivated works do for the soul what food does for
the body. They bring refreshment, enjoyment, blessing, and
strengthening to the doer of the deeds, even more so than to the receiver.
Hence, the fact that God has prepared such works for me to do becomes
a part of what makes the gospel such great news to me.
Preaching the gospel to myself each day not only reminds
me of the love of God for me, but it also reminds me of the
love of God for the works that He has saved me to perform.
When I see the Cross, I see the premium that God places on
the works that He has prepared for me. How valuable all
of these must be if Christ would die so that I might
now perform them! And how precious are those for whom
these works are done if Christ would die that they might be served!
Through the gospel I learn not only of the saving works
of God on my behalf,but I also learn that one of God's key
purposes in doing these works is to put me to work myself.
The Bible tells me that when Christ redeemed me,
He did so in order that I might now be "zealous for good works." [1]
When God "works" in me day by day, He does so in order to
produce in me the desire and the power to "work for His good pleasure."[2]
Indeed, though I am saved by grace and not by works,
I am God's "workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand so that [I] would walk in them."[3]
Being naturally lazy, I do not normally thrill at the
prospect of work; but the more I embrace the saving work
of God on my behalf, the more I find myself embracing the
works for which God saved me. And as I am "working hard"
at doing these works for the good of others, I experience the
truth of Jesus' words: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."[4]
I also find myself saying with Christ, " My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work."[5]
Indeed, gospel-motivated works do for the soul what food does for
the body. They bring refreshment, enjoyment, blessing, and
strengthening to the doer of the deeds, even more so than to the receiver.
Hence, the fact that God has prepared such works for me to do becomes
a part of what makes the gospel such great news to me.
Preaching the gospel to myself each day not only reminds
me of the love of God for me, but it also reminds me of the
love of God for the works that He has saved me to perform.
When I see the Cross, I see the premium that God places on
the works that He has prepared for me. How valuable all
of these must be if Christ would die so that I might
now perform them! And how precious are those for whom
these works are done if Christ would die that they might be served!
1.Titus 2:14 "who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless
deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds"
2. Philippians 2 "{12} So then, my beloved, just as you have always
obeyed,... work out your salvation with fear and trembling {13} for it is God who
is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.")
3. Ephesians 2:10 " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
4. Acts 20 "{34} You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my
own needs and to the men who were with me. {35} In everything I showed you
that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the
words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'"
5. John 4 "{32} But He said to them, ' I have food to eat that you do not know about.'
{33} So the disciples were saying to one another,
' No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?'
{34} Jesus said to them, " My food is to do the will of
Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.'"
deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds"
2. Philippians 2 "{12} So then, my beloved, just as you have always
obeyed,... work out your salvation with fear and trembling {13} for it is God who
is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.")
3. Ephesians 2:10 " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
4. Acts 20 "{34} You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my
own needs and to the men who were with me. {35} In everything I showed you
that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the
words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'"
5. John 4 "{32} But He said to them, ' I have food to eat that you do not know about.'
{33} So the disciples were saying to one another,
' No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?'
{34} Jesus said to them, " My food is to do the will of
Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.'"
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