By Grace are ye Saved...the Wayfarer 6/7/14

By Grace are ye Saved
6/7/14

“For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For 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)

I have a deep and abiding love of these particular verses given us by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. They sum up a great deal of what is expected of us, reminding us that there are no works that can save us, but that it is through the very grace given by God through the love given in the sacrifice of His Son that grants that salvation to any willing to accept it.

These verses are often quoted, often misquoted, often used in justification for further teachings and perversions of their intent by those using them.

Some attempt to use them to justify their continuance in the same paths taken, prior to the profession of the acceptance of that grace, thinking that that grace excuses them from further obligation.

Some use them to justify their lack of care and love for their fellow human beings, those children of God that surround them, finding that their thought process tells them that if works do not provide salvation, then those works are unnecessary.

Close examination of the entire passage puts these verses into the light intended by its author, who was attempting to remind the Ephesians of the requirement of redemption through repentance as given by Christ.

Forgotten, or ignored, is the total context of these few words and their basis on the words and actions of the one being proclaimed by Paul.

No man can be saved by works alone. There is no salvation without the grace given by God through the faith and BELIEF in His Son Christ Jesus!

All the philanthropy and generosity in the world is insufficient for the attainment of that grace.

Too many rely on contributions of tithes, donations to causes, and redistribution of the wealth of others, to create that salvation for them.

These miss the point of the need of doing anything for reasons other than that of self, whether it be for a tax shelter, or for the acclamation and fame that they seek instead of having first sought salvation.

Forgotten by them is that that grace given is a GIFT OF GOD in return for the required FAITH, and use their “generosity” to boast of themselves.

Forgotten and ignored by those refusing to submit to the requirements given by Christ, is that 10^th verse as well, that reminds the Ephesians, and us, that we are the workmanship of Christ, and expected to follow what He taught in regard to the sharing of what has been given us, not reveling in in any works, not boasting of any works, but still preordained by Him to live in those works, not for salvation, but in proof of the fact of having received that salvation.

Forgotten are the teachings of Christ that led to the crucifixion because of their unpopularity among those seeking only wealth, fame and the acclamation of their fellows.

I return to the words, given in red, as spoken by Jesus, and recorded in the book of Matthew, used many times before, and to be used again and again, not words of my own, but words spoken by Christ, from Whom that grace through faith and belief in is given.

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

(Matthew 25:31-46)

For those who will, undoubtedly, attempt to twist the meanings of my words, I again remind them that these words just given are not mine, but HIS.  

Having once received that promised grace through the required repentance needed for salvation, action is not requested but required.

That action or lack of it will in fact denote whether true repentance has been given, or whether self-service and self-righteousness are the “fruits” being boasted of.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

(John 13:34 &35)

The importance of this commandment may not be overstated, cannot be stressed often enough, loudly enough or long enough.

The love given us by Christ was and is all encompassing. That love extended to the very life blood given by him to prepare a WAY back to the TRUTH of the promised LIFE.

Without the acceptance of repentance for redemption, that commandment will be misrepresented, will continue to be quoted for the benefit of men who take the teachings of those inventions of his own, and will be ignored completely as to the very intend of what was given by Christ, denying the need for it having been given.

James put works into context very well in the second chapter of the short writing he left us:

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone.

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

(James 2:14-18)

It is indeed through the grace of GOD, not any man, that salvation is attainable through the required faith in Christ Jesus. It is only through that faith and that belief, that the single commandment He left us may be followed in Spirit, and in TRUTH.

    As we continue in the countdown to the time promised time that the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and He shall sit upon the throne of His glory, acute attention is required to not one single thing, but to all the things taught by Him, demanded by Him, and most of all commanded by Him.

That attention may only be given and focused after having met the first requirement given throughout His ministry to:

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Once that repentance has been given, and the need for it seen and continued consistently and constantly, the promised redemption through the faith in the promise of that kingdom is assured, and proven to be assured through lives lived as well as words spoken.

Works are not enough on their own. Faith given only in lip service is also unacceptable.

The commandment given is far more involved than love of self alone!

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

(Revelation 3:15 & 16)

I close today, with His words, not my own, that same simple sinner saved by grace through faith that I would wish for all to become, in sorrow for those failing to comprehend that which has been given, and is still being given to those willing to accept. I remain, as I must, the same soldier called into service, daily fulfilling that service in any way I am required to serve, after all, it is my Master, and my Savior, Jesus giving the requirements. 

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer