Created in Christ for Good Works
REFLECTION
It's so easy for all of us to think about salvation and try to get some credits when obtaining it. Maybe in our minds comes the thought, I'm a good person, or God saw I'm a hard worker, even worse I deserved it. On the contrary, we deserve punishment, condemnation, separation from God because we are sinners.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, in chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, he told the church that we are only saved by God's grace. We don't deserve it, we cannot buy it, there is nothing we can do to receive more grace or less grace but only because we put our faith in Jesus Christ, now we can receive salvation from our sins. It's impossible to achieve salvation trying to reach it with our own effort. Without acknowledging the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus, His death and resurrection.
Paul also wrote that we are God's workmanship, an incredible piece of art and uniquely designed for a purpose, "to do good works". We were all created, in God's eternity, before the earth was formed, "to do what The Creator planned us to do". Here we found the reason we struggle so much on understanding if we have to do good works or not. We want to do what it's pleasant to our sight, what we think is good, what we planned, according to our will and we fail. At the end of the verse in Romans 12:2, Paul says God's will is good and acceptable and perfect. Good works only is good when it is fruit of obedience to God, when we are executing what God with His infinite wisdom planned beforehand to us to do and this is the path our Lord wants to walk on it.
Walking in faith brings us great surprises.
This week I was invited to go to Rio de Janeiro to help in one of the most important events in the world in 2024. A good friend of mine asked me to translate for some people I never saw in my life. But the interesting aspect of the invite was that he was looking for someone he could trust, that could do good work and most importantly, that wouldn't lose the opportunity to share Christ to those people.
Here I am, in Rio de Janeiro, writing to our church family what God is putting in my heart. Be faithful, be obedient, be zealous, be diligent and be a servant that never loses opportunities to share Jesus's love to all people and do good work for God's glory only.
God bless you all.
SCRIPTURE
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
PRAYER
Almighty God, help us to submit ourselves to your sovereignty and to believe that you are the Lord and we are your servants. Holy Spirit help us to hear your voice when we read your Word and to apply the teaching of your Scriptures to our hearts and see your power reflected in our actions. Thank you Lord for your perfect will to us. We love you Jesus and we pray in your name. Amen
It's so easy for all of us to think about salvation and try to get some credits when obtaining it. Maybe in our minds comes the thought, I'm a good person, or God saw I'm a hard worker, even worse I deserved it. On the contrary, we deserve punishment, condemnation, separation from God because we are sinners.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, in chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, he told the church that we are only saved by God's grace. We don't deserve it, we cannot buy it, there is nothing we can do to receive more grace or less grace but only because we put our faith in Jesus Christ, now we can receive salvation from our sins. It's impossible to achieve salvation trying to reach it with our own effort. Without acknowledging the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus, His death and resurrection.
Paul also wrote that we are God's workmanship, an incredible piece of art and uniquely designed for a purpose, "to do good works". We were all created, in God's eternity, before the earth was formed, "to do what The Creator planned us to do". Here we found the reason we struggle so much on understanding if we have to do good works or not. We want to do what it's pleasant to our sight, what we think is good, what we planned, according to our will and we fail. At the end of the verse in Romans 12:2, Paul says God's will is good and acceptable and perfect. Good works only is good when it is fruit of obedience to God, when we are executing what God with His infinite wisdom planned beforehand to us to do and this is the path our Lord wants to walk on it.
Walking in faith brings us great surprises.
This week I was invited to go to Rio de Janeiro to help in one of the most important events in the world in 2024. A good friend of mine asked me to translate for some people I never saw in my life. But the interesting aspect of the invite was that he was looking for someone he could trust, that could do good work and most importantly, that wouldn't lose the opportunity to share Christ to those people.
Here I am, in Rio de Janeiro, writing to our church family what God is putting in my heart. Be faithful, be obedient, be zealous, be diligent and be a servant that never loses opportunities to share Jesus's love to all people and do good work for God's glory only.
God bless you all.
SCRIPTURE
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
PRAYER
Almighty God, help us to submit ourselves to your sovereignty and to believe that you are the Lord and we are your servants. Holy Spirit help us to hear your voice when we read your Word and to apply the teaching of your Scriptures to our hearts and see your power reflected in our actions. Thank you Lord for your perfect will to us. We love you Jesus and we pray in your name. Amen
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer \\\'24
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2 Comments
Thank you for the awesome reminder that we were created with a purpose before the beginning of time. That’s indescribably amazing!
As somewhat of an artist myself, it is so encouraging to know I am a work of art created by God and blessed by grace to do good work.
nBless you Pastor Valmir in this special opportunity to do good work. ?