THEME OF THE YEAR: MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST TO DO GOOD WORKS (EPHESIANS 2:1-10)
TOPIC OF THE MONTH: THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S GRACE IN OUR SALVATION (EPHESIANS 2:10)
Introduction
Grace is a mystery that mystery that only God knows its purpose. God chose grace for us in Christ before the foundation of the world and has given us all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3-4) Grace has determined that we will be like Jesus, and with him one day. Grace reached out to us when we were dead in our sins and headed to hell; God provided the blood of Jesus that washed our sins and gave us life. (Eph.2:1-5). Grace has secured our future and our salvation (Eph.2:6-9)
God is the Marvelous Creator
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10)
God is the master creator. He is the only who can truly create, and make something out of nothing. “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth, all their hosts. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke and it came to be; he command, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6-9).
God created us in Christ with Purpose
One of God’s major purpose is to make Himself known, and so his creation is to reveal Himself (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1-4). God desires through his creation to make himself known. When we see everything around us and see the beauty of his creation, then we are getting a glimpse of his majesty and the beauty of his holiness.
God’s plan and purpose was also revealed through prophets in the Old Testament and he has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. (Hebrews 1:1-4). God has revealed himself perfectly through Jesus Christ who is the centre of his design and plan.
Our fulfillment of His purpose is only in Jesus
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10 ESV).
Apart from Christ we will never be able to know or fulfill our purpose. Because of sin, we have been separated from the Holy God and are unable to save ourselves to fulfill the purpose he indented for us. There was need to take care of the sin problem within us first. The solution to the sin problem was Jesus Christ’s death.
Jesus Christ was the only solution to our sin. He came to be the solution by removing our sins from us to bring us back into perfect relationship with God. He took the penalty of sin by his death on the cross, bearing the wrath of God on our behalf.
Fulfilling our given purpose of doing good works starts with surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ and following Him. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We do this by repenting our sins and trusting in Jesus Christ and what he accomplished on the cross. “This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29).
“For God so love the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God reconciles us to himself when we come to Christ in faith and repentance, he takes away our sins and restores us to a right relationship to himself. When we are made right with God through Christ, He gives us a purpose and good works for us to walk in. When we walk in good works, our light shines before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5;16).
Our purpose in Life
The purpose God has saved you and me is to do and walk in good works to know him and make him known. We make God known when we come to trust him, live in full submission and in obedience to him and tell others about his atoning grace and mercy towards us. No matter what talent or gift God has given you, it was given so that you can make him known and bring him glory.
We are called to live according to the good works God has prepared beforehand so that when people see us following Christ, they will come to know him and his love for them and the will glorify him with their lives.
Conclusion
Do you desire to know what God’s will for your live is? It is to know Christ and to make him known. If you already know him, the purpose for your live is to seek to make him known to those around you. If you do not know him, God’s will for you is to believe in the one whom he has sent. You can do this today by confessing and repenting your sins and placing your faith and trust in Jesus today. It does not cost you anything to repent. It is simply believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God.