Encouragement: By grace you are saved

Today I bring you words and thoughts of encouragement from Ephesians 2:8-18

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.
11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands 12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility,
15 when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,
16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, 18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Eph 2:8-18). Biblical Studies Press.

Paul's words ring through the generations. Paul's words are so clear and to the point. "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God". Ephesians 2 is an important chapter to me. I feel it lays out the foundation for our salvation.

Bottom line is that God does the saving and it is a gift that He bestows on us. God has saved us by Jesus blood and not by our works. We are brought peace with God, that we may be near to God and have access to Him.

I so often feel with all He has done for me that I need to be working hard in His name. Doing the works to justify what He has done for me. Funny thing is that it is at times like this that God can make use of me the least.

It is in my weakness, in my state of being out of control and my being off balance and not sure what I should do, that God seems to be able to control what I do and use me for His purposes. Some days when God is in control and I get to be a part of His plan, things flow that I can not explain and I guess they are works but they well up from inside me. They are not of my doing. It is at times like this that I just stand in awe of the grace that is so freely given by Him. "For He is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition"

"And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so that through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. "

Amen

Music Encouragement Jesus - My Life is in Your Hands