December 30, 2018

GOOD WORKS FLOW

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Encouraging Words

There is always a great tension between different Christian faith practices around the application of works in our Christian journey through life. There have been many times in my earlier Christian journey where is warned, sometimes vehemently, to be careful to not expect that my mission trips and other activities would get me into heaven. These conversations always struck me as odd because I knew that the only reason I was doing what I did was that I was grateful for all that Jesus had done for me. It is the grace of God and the work of Jesus that is my only source of salvation. Now that I have been practicing Orthodoxy for several years it is becoming easier to see the truth of God's grace and His love for me. Here is how the Orthodox Study Bible explains this verse:

How can one get from the one kingdom to the other (vv. 1–7)? By the unity of grace, faith, and works (v. 9). Not that these are equal, for grace is uncreated and infinite, whereas our faith is limited and can grow; good works flow out of authentic faith. Works cannot earn us this great treasure—it is a pure gift—but those who receive this gift do good. We are not saved by good works, but for good works (v. 10).

Perhaps I had an Orthodox mindset before I started practicing Orthodoxy. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!