Tag Archives: it is the gift of God– not by works

Do Good Works

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - God's Will - Ephesians 2:8-10 - Do Good Works - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – God’s Will – Ephesians 2:8-10 – Do Good Works – Growing As Disciples

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)

Prepared In Advance

I do have a plan for your life. I have good works prepared in advance for you to do for me. You will bear fruit for my kingdom. You will bring glory to my name. I will work in and through your life. You will go where I send you. You will do all that I ask of you. You will be able to know my will and walk in my ways. I will do in and through your life far beyond what you could have asked, hoped for or even dreamed or imagined. How does all this sound to you? I am overwhelmed. I am taken aback. I am in awe. I am thankful that you will use me according to your purposes and plans. There is nothing else I want to do in life other than your will. That is very good.

You are my workmanship. You are my masterpiece. I am molding and shaping your life. I am preparing you to do the work that I will give you to do for me. Don’t be impatient. Don’t run ahead of me. Be ready and willing to go and do what I have called you to do when you hear my voice. Listen carefully to me. Walk closely with me. Remain in my presence. Receive all that I have done and will do in you. Apart from me you can do nothing that will bear fruit for all eternity. Apart from me your work will amount to nothing. Will you remain in me? Will you allow me to prepare you? Yes Lord, I will remain in you every day of my life. I welcome you to do all your work in me. Make me into the person you want me to become. There no one else I want to be than the person you had in mind when you created me. That is very good. 

All that you are, all that you have and all that you hope to be has come to you as a gift. You have not earned your salvation. There is and will be nothing that you will be boast about. You will simply be able to say that you know me and that I have saved you and prepared you to do good works for me. That’s is enough for me. I am all yours. I am your servant. Use my life as you have planned. Yes, I will.

Lord, I know you have a purpose and plan for my life. You have created me as your workmanship. I am your masterpiece. You are molding and shaping my life. You have prepared good works in advance for me to do. Help me to go and do all your good works. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

God’s Will – Ephesians 2-8-10 – Do Good Works – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

No One Can Boast

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - So That - Ephesians 2:8-10 - No One Can Boast - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – So That – Ephesians 2:8-10 – No One Can Boast – Growing As Disciples

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)

Masterpiece

You are my workmanship. You are my masterpiece. I created you for a purpose. I had a plan in mind when I made you. I prepared good works in advance for you to do for me. I’m so excited to hear this from you. I couldn’t be more delighted. I want to be used by you. It is my joy and pleasure to serve you. I welcome your work in my life. I want you to mold and shape me into a living masterpiece that will bring honor to your name. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and glory. That is exactly what I will do in and through you.

Let’s take a pause here for a moment. There is one thing that I always want you to remember. What’s that? You can’t merit or earn your salvation. You have received your salvation and have faith in me as a free gift. Yes, I have. I know that all I have received from you has come to me as a gift. My service to you is being given because I love you. I’m not trying to earn your love or your favor. Why is that? You already love me. You have already shown me your favor. My service to you is not being given in an attempt to pay you back for all that you have done for me. Why is that? I could never pay you back. To even try to pay you back would be a sin. Your gift of salvation would not be a gift at all if I had to pay you back. That’s right. I am indebted to you however. What do you mean by that? Maybe, I’m not expressing myself correctly. Here is what I mean. Because you love me I love you. Because you gave yourself to me I’m giving myself fully to you. Because you have done so much for me I’m giving you all my thanks and praise.  I’m not trying to pay you back. I’m not trying to earn anything from you. It is just my desire to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. So, when you say that you have good things planned in advance for me to do my only questions are, “When and where do I start?” Those are good questions.

You start by listening to me. You continue by following me. You do know that apart from me you can do nothing that will bear real fruit and last for all eternity? Yes, I know that. Then listen to me. Then follow me. I will speak so that you can hear from me. I will lead you to where I want you to be. I will give you what I want you to do for me. Yes, Lord, that is exactly what I will do. That will be very good.

Lord, thank you for making my salvation and faith in you available to me as a free gift. Keep molding and shaping my life. Make me into the masterpiece that you want me to be. Guide me to do the good works that you have planned in advance for me to do. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship study guide click here:

So That – Ephesians 2-8-10 – No One Can Boast – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com