Ephesians 2:

I realize that I have not posted on Chapter 1 as of yet. However, I want to get some thoughts down on Chapter 2 before they are gone. We had a great discussion on Chapter 2 at Bible Study last night. Here are a few things that we talked about:

You can't really separate the last few verses of Chapter one from chapter 2, the flow with the thought and point that Paul is trying to make. In Eph. 1:18-23, Paul establishes who Christ is; Eph. 2:1-3 states the condition of man apart from Christ. Eph. 2:4-10 explains the great gift of grace from God and His purposes for us. verses 11-22 Paul lays out how Christ reconciled everyone to Himself and explains that we are all one in Him and that we "are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundationof the aposltes and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone..."(vs. 19-20_

God's amazing Gift

When I look at the description of who Christ is and the condition we are in, it is humbling, exciting and enduces one to gratefulness when we fully understand what God did for us. Paul explains that while we were dead in our sins and transgression, God sent his Son to reconcile us to Him. Some of the words used to describe God as He does this are 'rich in mercy,' 'great love with which He loved us,' 'His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,' 'gift of God.'
I think many times we think of Christ's sacrifice to reconcile us to Him as an obligation that He did so that maybe He could fix a problem within His creation. However, I think God could have just destroyed us and been done with it. Instead, because He loved us so much, He made sacrifices on a scale we'll never understand to reconcile us to Him. On top of that, He did it out of a free choice to express His love for us. Pretty amazing!
It got me thinking of how I treat others that don't know God or have spoken ill of Christ and rejected Him; I usually write them off and give up. I think God gives us an amazing example to follow. Even when in rebellion against God by people, we can't give up on them becuase Christ hasn't, and we need to joyously do all we can to reach the lost.

Do we abuse God's grace?

Most Christians know that God will forgive us when we sin and are thankful and appreciative of that. However, earlier this week on my way to work, I was thinking about, am I giving my best to God in all aspects of my life? Pastor Mark (NCC, Washington, DC) has mentioned in his sermons and on his blog about being the best at what we do for God's sake. As I thought about this, I was convicted of the fact that I had not given my best to God last Sunday.
I stayed up till 3 am watching season 2 of 24. I showed up tired and a bit loopy on Sunday morning for production. Afterwards I had trouble staying awake and/or concentrating on the sermon (sorry Pastor Mark :D it's not you, it's me!). Obviously I did not prepare myself to give my best to God on Sunday morning, a day I set aside for Him. I asked for forgiveness, knowing I would recieve it. But, if I continually do this, wouldn't that be an abuse of His grace? I think so, only if I don't make an effort to honor Him in this area going forward.
God knows we are going to mess up and He meets us where we are at and will forgive us, that's the greatness of His grace. I know I abuse His grace all the time, and I'm praying that God will reveal to me when I'm doing it so that He can root that out of me.
I challenge anyone reading this to examine your life and find where you are abusing His grace and ask Him to help you not abuse it, take it for granted or anything else that would diminish the awesomeness of His gift to you in your life!

It ain't us, its Him!!!!!!!!!

Eph. 2:9-10 says...'not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works...' Paul just explained God's grace, that we don't recieve it by our works, But we are His workmanship. Anytime we gain a victory over sin or temptation in our lives, it's the Holy Spirit working and moving in our life, not anything we did. The only thing we do is surrender our will to God and allow Him to form us into the Man/Woman of God that He knows us to be; His workmanship!