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(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest
anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
New
King James Version Change your email Bible version
Grace is God's kindness
to us, shown or demonstrated by His revealing Himself to us. It might help to
think of this in reference to God revealing Himself to Moses
in the burning bush before He sent him to Egypt. If God did not freely purpose
on the strength of His own sovereign will to reveal Himself, neither Moses nor
we would ever find Him. If a person cannot find God on his own, how could he
possibly have faith in Him? Satan
has deceived us so well that men have only the foggiest idea of what to look
for.
Faith—with God as its object—begins and continues as part of His gift of
kindness. The gift includes His calling, the granting of repentance,
the sacrifice of Christ for our forgiveness,
and His giving of His Spirit. It is a complete package of many individual gifts.
The
gospel is the medium that provides knowledge of the objects of the faith He
gives, that is, what we believe and trust in. Paul, perceiving these gifts as a
package, uses "grace" as its label. In verses 9-10, he advances to the logical
"next step" in God's purpose.
Our works in no way jump-start the process of justification, sanctification,
and glorification. All our works, beginning with repentance and continuing
through our period of sanctification, depend directly on the freely given
kindness and faith God provides. Our God-ordained good works are the result of
our response to the gift of faith that God gives. Works, then, are the external
evidence of the unseen, internal faith that motivates them. A person could not
do them unless God had given the gift of faith beforehand. Good works follow,
they do not precede.
II Corinthians 5:17-18 confirms this: "Therefore, if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation." This corroborates that it is God working in the
person. His work is termed a "new creation." Since nothing new creates itself,
we are the workmanship of another. We are God's workmanship. In sum, because of
what God does, we cooperate and produce works that He ordains.
The apostle Paul adds to our understanding in Philippians 2:12-13: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation
with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do
for His good pleasure." He is not saying that we should work in order to obtain
salvation. These verses indicate the continuing use of something one already
possesses. They suggest carrying something to its logical conclusion, which is
for us to live lives worthy of the gospel, doing the works God ordained, as in
Ephesians 2:10.
In Romans 9:9-19, Paul, using Jacob and Esau's pre-birth
circumstances as a foundation, provides a clear illustration to show that from
beginning to end, the whole salvation process depends upon God's involvement.
Jacob, representing those called into the church, received God's
love in the form of gifts designed to prepare him for the Kingdom
of God. To Esau, representing the uncalled, God has simply withheld His love
for the time being.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
The Christian Fight (Part Four)
Related Topics:
Calling
Christ's Sacrifice
Faith
Forgiveness
Gift of the Holy Spirit
Gifts of God
Glorification
God's Gifts
God's Involvement
God's Love
God's Love for Us
God's Workmanship
Good Works
Good Works, Manifesting
Gospel
Gospel as Power of God to Salvation
Grace
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit as Gift
Jesus Christ's Sacrifice
Justification
Justification by Faith
Justification by Grace through Faith
Justification by Works
Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification
Kindness
New Creation
Reconciliation
Reconciliation with God
Reconciliation, Ministry of
Repentance
Repentance, Motivation For
Salvation
Salvation and Works
Salvation by Grace through Faith
Salvation By Works
Salvation Process
Sanctification
Sanctification as Growth
Sanctification as Process
Spiritual Gifts
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