Encouragement: No one can boast

Today I bring you words and thoughts of encouragement from Ephesians 2:1-9

And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path,
according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience,
among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh,
indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,
even though we were dead in transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved!
and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you are saved through faith,
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Eph 2:1-9). Biblical Studies Press.

Are you a boasting Christian?
Have you been blessed to overflowing with out any challenges?
Have you done everything that is possible and thus have obtained the great faith you have?

These are tough questions. They are even more of a struggle for people that can only stand by and see other people be given things that by all accounts they have no need for, although they may have want for such things.

So is it wrong to be given things in over abundance? No.
Is it wrong to boast? Most certainly YES!

So often I look at the blessings that I have in my life and really I did not deserve one thing I have. I know I have boasted that God gave me these things because of what I have done. I just had to have the faith of a mustard seed.

Rubbish!!!!!

Lets look at our text today. "For by grace you are saved through faith,
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so that no one can boast. "

Faith is a gift from God. It is all about Him. Faith is a gift and our salivation is a gift. It is by nothing that we do or leave undone that we create our faith. We all arrive here with nothing and we all leave this world with nothing. So in the end we have nothing to boast of our own doing.

What we can boast in is what God has done for us out of His love and His freely given grace.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even though we were dead in transgressions,"

"He raised us up with Him
and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of His grace"

Our blessing is not what we have or what we receive. Our blessing is in the overwhelming love that our God has shown in His saving of us and in the faith that He has given us. There is no greater faith than one who has to depend on God to make it through each day. By God's standard this is the super Christian. The one who can exclaim "my God is enough for me!"

So where does it leave those of us who have been blessed with every sort of gift.
You have to ask God the question "What is this all for God? How do I use it to Your glory.

Walking with God is full of ups and downs. Funny thing about the walk is that what often we perceive as the ups are perhaps the downs and what we see as rock bottom may well be the mountain top in God's eyes. When we are at rock bottom God has our full attention. He can work with us in that state. There is no "me me, I I" to get in the way of His glory. In this state He can to great things.

So where do we go from here:

• Never brag of what you have done and how you have been blessed by what you have done. Grab on to the fact that faith is a gift from God, and the story is all about Him not about you.
  
• When you are at rock bottom, open your eyes, God is all around you. Be open to His lead and call. Keep your focus about Him.

Both extremes fit together in God's story. Remember the story of Joseph in the old testament being sent to Egypt to be a storehouse for a future time of need. Well God still does this today, He sets up people with the means to help others. God uses people to give and receive to maximize His Glory. Remember also that at different points in our lives we change place. Today we may need to give to others and tomorrow we might need to receive.

God loves us.
He gave His Son for us in a finished work paid in full,
that we could belong to Him.
When God looks at us, Jesus is all He sees!

Amen

Music Encouragement: He Loves Us