Submitted by Sam
Nobles
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV
The Bible says that
we were created for good works in Christ Jesus. Those works that we were
created for is only known by God, and He reveals them to His people and church
in the proper time. When God’s work is revealed there are a few things that we
as Christians and we as a congregation must take note.
First, WHAT GOD WANTS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT
I WANT. A mother and her child were hiking in a national park when they
suddenly confronted a huge bear on a narrow trail. The mother had recently been
influenced by the teachings of a sect that believed that if you exercised
enough faith no harm could come to you. So, looking at the bear she told her
son, “Now you realize that the bear can’t hurt us, don’t you?” The small boy replied
dutifully, “Yes Mother, I know the bear can’t hurt us and you know the bear
can’t hurt us. But what does the bear know?” In such a situation the opinions
of mother and child were irrelevant—only the bear’s opinion mattered! Today
more than ever, people have well-formed
opinions on any given issue. They share
their opinions with their friends and co-workers and take great comfort in
finding agreement. There’s only one problem: What really matters is not what I think
or what my friends think about any given set of circumstances. The crucial
question is what does God think about it? Everything else is fundamentally
irrelevant. It's not about what I can do for God; it's about what God wants me
to do. It's not about the person I can be for God; it's about the person God
wants me to be. Only what God thinks matters, not what others think, not even
what I think.
Second, THE EASY WAY IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY.
Jesus compares His way and the way of the world to a narrow and a broad path (Matthew 7:13-14). The narrow path is
God’s way; it requires faith, discipline, and endurance. Choosing to take the
narrow path is difficult, but this
difficult life is the only life worth living. The broad path is the world’s
way. It’s easy to travel and Jesus said that many choose this path. If you choose the easy way, the broad path,
you will have plenty of company, but you will miss God's best for you.
Third, OBEDIENCE WILL ALWAYS FURTHER OPPORTUNITY.
When the gospel message was being spread over the area of Jerusalem and Samaria,
an angel of God instructed a man named Philip to go down to Gaza (Acts 8:26). Philip had no other
instruction besides, “Go!” When Philip made it down to Gaza, he encountered an
Ethiopian official of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia. Then Philip received word
from the Spirit to go and join up with his chariot (Acts 8:29). After approaching the chariot Philip was able to lead
this man to Salvation through the Scriptures he was reading (Acts 8:35). Had Philip obeyed step one,
but not step two, this Ethiopian would not come to know Jesus, and Philip would
have wondered what God wanted him out in the desert for. Every step of
obedience led Phillip into greater opportunity to join into God’s work.
Scripture to Claim:
I glorified you on earth, having
accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
John 17:4 ESV
John 17:4 ESV
