Organizing the Inside – Day 172 The Glory Belongs To God Alone

February 22, 2012 at 12:30 pm · Filed under Encouragement, Faith, Wisdom, Women's Ministry and tagged: Christianity, God, Good works, Kingdom of Heaven, Religion & Spirituality

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  ~Ephesians 2:8-10

We are not working our way into heaven.
But we must work until we get there. The work, the call, the mission are all very important. We work because of our love and commitment towards God. The sum of our entire life’s projects, dreams and goals cannot get us one step closer to the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, if you and I aren’t careful we’ll be setting up our own false kingdoms, thinking our works will add up to bragging rights. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5 Certainly the God who created heaven and earth has made us His righteousness. For he has made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Nevertheless, we should not forget. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 We did nothing to earn our right standing with God, but by faith He made us His own through our faith in His dear Son, Jesus Christ. Because of this free gift of God, we must freely give in love and in service. We love him, because he first loved us.1 John 4:19

God’s love and salvation is free.
Although God bestows His blessings upon those who obey Him and are called to do His will. Keep in mind …he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Matthew 5:45 No matter how hard we work our salvation was given freely by God through faith. May we always keep a healthy perspective about our works. If we think too highly of ourselves, we generally end up thinking too little of everyone else. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:3

We are God’s beloved children.
Because of His unmerited favor toward us we can experience the power of His goodness working in our lives daily. Even as we see God’s favor and witness the testimonies of great men of faith, we still must conclude that His favor is His choice. We cannot control who God accepts and whom He rejects. The choice is His alone. 14Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.16So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

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