Ephesians 2:8-10 - Why Faith?

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Message: Why Faith?

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Well, these devotionals continue to hit the message clearly about justification. 

    Faith =>  is the Means => for our Justification = where we are Made righteous by the atoning work of Christ

Romans 4 speaks of: 

Righteousness  -  Apart From Works

                            Apart From Circumcision

                            Apart from the Law

                            By Faith

And then just to make sure that you don't think that there is something else to this, Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

___________

But Faith is the instrument [or what we do] to usher in to our life the finished act of righteousness (Romans 5:18); and it must be received (5:17).

Faith is a Gift -- 

    Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith." Salvation and Faith is conjoined. Both are the gift of God. Thus, His gift is not steps to obedience. 

I look at Jesus' words in John 6:35-40

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”\

Verse 35 reminds me of Matthew 5:6 when Jesus says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." It almost seems like the blessed ones meet the bread of life, Jesus, and are given righteousness. And another point in this passage is that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing meaning the Father gives Jesus followers of him. Some will see him and not believe (v. 36) but when the Father gives followers of Jesus they will not ever not be followers. 

Promise: This faith gift does not return void. It is the instrument men and women practice for their justification in order to receive the finished act of righteousness. 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your Word, for speaking to us through it. For helping me understand it. Thank you for the gift of grace and the gift of faith. Thank you for drawing me and I believe, choosing me and not letting me ever go. You have justified me and made me right with God now and for all eternity. I do not deserve this. I never will. And I am even unworthy to be your follow, but you equip and you work in me and you show me the works I need to do. Let me choose to do those works every day. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Mankind's Condition - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. The Sins of the Jews - Jews thought their status meant only Gentiles were true sinners. Romans 2 and 3 explains that Jews are just as guilty before God. 

The Law Speaks - The Law and Accountability - the Law reminds us we are sinners and doing good will not outweigh this bad; I am condemned. Righteousness According to the Law - The Law can make one righteous if obedient to all. Our sin keeps us from this. Human Inability - the simple reminder that man cannot make himself righteous because he is a sinner. 

Only Justified through Christ (God) - The Obedience of One - with Jesus all obedience was completed in Him which resulted in Him taking on all sin; we trust only in His words, not ours. God's Initiative In Justification - God initiates the act of justification through the work of Christ alone; he saves us out of His kindness. Faith and Justification - no one is continually righteous; only through Jesus one will be made righteous; to be made righteous one must believe in God, ask for His mercy. 

Saved by Faith - Faith and Righteousness - Faith is what God uses in us to build the bridge to being accepted by God and restored to a right relationship with Him. Justification and Sin - Nothing changes the fact that we are sinners, but our status before God changes by Christ's obedience as this declares us to be righteous. Not by any of our works - Justification is by faith alone. By adding any work, we must add all works.