Ephesians 2:8-10 gives us a beautiful picture of the progression or outworking of grace. All you have to do is analyze it line by line.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)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.
My prayer is that you will be motivated to do works because of God's free gift of salvation that you received, not by works, but by grace.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)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.
- Grace resulted in us being saved as we believed in Christ's work on the cross by faith.
- Grace says, "My salvation is not my doing, its only God who could do this. Salvation is God's grace-gift to me".
- Grace says, "My works can't save me, only God can save me. None of my own handiwork is capable of saving me so I have nothing to boast about."
- Grace says, "God's handiwork, God's workmanship, God's effort is what has turned me into this masterpiece of grace that I have become through faith in Jesus Christ."
- Grace says, "Now that I am God's masterpiece, saved by grace, I am ready to apply my efforts and my handiwork towards doing the good works that I have been created for in Christ."
- Grace says, "The result of the salvation that did not come by works, must be works, the good works that shout out, "I am a child of God" and which bring glory to the God of all grace".
My prayer is that you will be motivated to do works because of God's free gift of salvation that you received, not by works, but by grace.