8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
There is no more succinct and accurate expression of the relationship between grace, faith and good works in the bible than in Ephesians 2:8-10.
Grace means undeserved favour. The grace of God comes with all the salvation power of God to forgive our sins, heal all our diseases and to deliver us from every demonic attack. Its basis is the death of Jesus on the Cross and His victory over death, the devil and the world. Its channel is faith in the resurrection power of Jesus in our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom He gave us when we were born again and baptised in His Spirit.
Faith is the channel of the grace described above, the confidence in the truths we cannot see now but believe. Its also a gift from God.
Good works are being done through Christ's body, His Church, on the earth all the time since Pentecost, transforming people's lives and society for the better, bringing heaven to earth as we can see all around us. We live better than our forefathers and any king of old but, sadly, even many of us Christians are not thankful for this even while we benefit from the many comforts and pleasures that were won for us through the obedience of Christians to their Lord in very specific ways in past centuries and even in the present. As we walk with our Lord in the good works that He is doing, we are the salt of the earth, preserving it from destruction and bringing light and life everywhere we go.
In order to keep on receiving grace through faith we need to hear and obey the specific word of God to us now (Romans 10). What are you seeking? Where is He now for you? What is He telling you to do now? What is He warning you not to do?
When you know you are walking in the good works that God prepared beforehand for you to walk in then you are in the channel of faith through which saving grace comes and brings you and those around you Shalom: peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility.
That is what the Scripture says. I pray that it may also be your experience as it has increasingly become ours.
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