Unwrapping GraceSample

Saved by Grace for Good Works 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:8-10

Today we come to one of the most well-known and influential verses in all of Scripture. Ephesians 2:8 reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” It is no wonder that this verse has meant so much to so many people. It proclaims clearly that our salvation is not something we have to earn, or even could earn if we tried. Rather, our salvation comes from God and his grace. 

This passage makes it abundantly clear that we are not saved by our works. We are not saved by works of the Jewish law, by works of justice and love, by works of religious ceremony, nor by anything else we do ourselves.  

Yet, this does not mean that our works are unimportant. In verse 10, we are identified as “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” So, works do matter. But we mustn’t get them out of order. We are not saved by good works, but for good works. Salvation isn’t merely a free pass to Heaven. Rather, salvation includes the beginning of new creation. Salvation sets us free from our bondage to sin so that we might live for God and his purposes. As Ephesians 1:12 puts it, God has saved us so that we might “be for the praise of his glory.” We do this by walking in the good works God has prepared for us (2:10).  

We respond to God’s salvation, offered by grace through Jesus Christ, by receiving the new life God has for us. When we do this, we worship God. Our worship happens when we gather with God’s people to sing, pray, and celebrate. But our worship also includes everything we do in life when done for the Lord and his glory. We can worship God not only in our weekly gatherings or personal devotions, but also in our daily work, our care for those in need, our love for our spouses and children, our exercise of citizenship, and forth and so on.  

This means that you can worship God, not only while creating music or leading a congregation. You can worship God by leading your team with grace and wisdom for God’s glory. You can worship by helping your children with their homework or helping your neighbor clean out his garage. You can worship God in countless ways as you live each moment for him. As you do, not only will God be glorified, but you will model daily worship for your team. 

Celebration of Salvation by Grace 

The hymn “Amazing Grace” was written by John Newton in 1799. The last verse was written in 1829 by an unknown author. The lyrics are in the public domain.   

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound  
That saved a wretch like me!  
I once was lost, but now am found;  
Was blind, but now I see.  

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,  
And grace my fears relieved;  
How precious did that grace appear  
The hour I first believed!  

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,  
I have already come;  
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,  
And grace will lead me home.  

The Lord has promised good to me,  
His Word my hope secures;  
He will my Shield and Portion be,  
As long as life endures.  

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,  
And mortal life shall cease,  
I shall possess, within the veil,  
A life of joy and peace.  

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,  
The sun forbear to shine;  
But God, who called me here below,  
Will be forever mine.  

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,  
Bright shining as the sun,  
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise  
Than when we’d first begun. Amen.    

Personal Questions: 

When did you first receive God’s grace through faith? When did you first say “Yes” to the salvation God offers in Jesus Christ? 

Are you ever tempted to think that your works contribute to your salvation? Why or why not?  

How do you envision the good works that God has prepared in advance for you to do?  

Do you think of your daily life as worship? Or is your idea of worship limited to corporate gatherings?  

Questions Relevant to Your Worship Leadership: 

In what ways do the people entrusted to your care hear the good news of salvation by grace?  

In what ways do the people entrusted to your care learn that they are newly created in Christ for good works that God has prepared for them?  

Do the people you lead in worship understand that they can worship God each day, in everything they do? 

Prayer:  

Gracious God, thank you for saving me by your grace. Lord, thank you for doing what I could never do, bearing my sin on the cross and giving me new life in return. How I praise you for your grace at work in my life! 

Thank you for creating me anew through Christ. Though my works will never save me, they will give me a way to worship you and to share in your work in the world. Help me, Lord, to see all that I do in life as an opportunity to glorify you. Expand my vision of worship so that I might worship you more fully, and so that I might lead the people you have entrusted to me into a whole-hearted life of worship. Amen.