Work It Out – Part 2

Ephesians 2:20b-22 “Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Continuing Michael message from yesterday: Jesus said, I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. The abundance of life is in the Spirit of God in Christ in you, the hope of glory. Those who are “born again” of God’s Spirit have life more abundantly. When confronted about his faith, Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.” As God-gifted individuals within the body of Christ, we’re harmoniously fitted together as individual parts of God’s greater plan. Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head (Christ) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”  Even though in this life we can not understand God’s plan for our lives because His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts, when that which is perfect is come at Christ’s return, then face to face we shall know even also as we are known.

In the meantime, the Lord has called “believers” as watchmen on the wall to spread the gospel of the good news of salvation. Repentance unto salvation is about being “born again”, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed by the word of God which lives and abides forever … for he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. He made a way where there was no way. We could not approach a holy God because we were spiritually dead in our sin. The man and woman of body and soul cannot inherit eternal life. However, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He came that we could be “born again” of the spirit of life in Christ…that we may be holy and without blame before him in love. This is amazing grace! For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.”

Having received the gift of the Holy Spirit of Christ in us the hope of glory, what shall we do? The answer is in Philippians 2:12-13. Even though we were saved by grace and not of works, this verse says “work out your own salvation with awe, respect and reverence.” We work out our salvation as we make God’s will our will and his good pleasure our good pleasure. Then, it is God who works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure. Ephesians 2:9 says that even though we are saved by grace and not of works, We are God’s workmanship, his great work, his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus unto good works wherein he has foreordained that we should walk. The out-working of the Holy Spirit is Christ’s eyes behind our eyes, his hands behind our hands, his heart behind our heart, and his tongue behind our tongue. When we follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are God’s living epistles, His love letters known and read of all men. Work it out!

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael