Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


6.02.2006  

Journaling While Journeying

The following is part of a journal entry from a few days ago, written while reading through the book of Ephesians. As such, it may sound a bit rough and unpolished, or maybe fluid and lacking solidity. Who knows. That's what happens when I journal, and can only write down thoughts as they come. Oh...I may have written it while flying home...sweet :)

By the way, Gary: this entry's for you. Thanks for the Hawaiian food...it was wonderful. Thanks even more for teaching me...I'm less grateful than I ought to be, but still, more grateful than you know.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Before meditating on this verse, I first want to think upon the severity of the situation we find ourselves in outside of Christ, which Paul speaks of to underscore the amazing work of grace in Christ in verses 1 - 9. This is necessary in order to understand both the nature we have taken on Christ, as well as the nature of the works we now have to walk in. We came from a nature whereby nothing we did was pleasing to God...nothing! Even our most righteous acts were seen as being as abominable as a used tampon! The grace granted us in Christ's work must not be lessened or cheapened by downplaying sin; sin is worse than I think, for the holiness of God is infinitely greater than I think it is.

Therefore, when Paul says that we are His workmanship, we must be seeing this as being the work of Christ, or more specifically, the accomplishments of Christ being transferred to us. The work of the cross makes this possible, and by being His workmanship, we now have the image of Christ stamped upon us - a sort of renewal of image-bearing, I would think. Christ is formed in us, and as that happens, we walk in a manner more and more like Him. Sanctification, if you will. Christ lives in us, and our character changes.

To say that we walk in good works because we are His workmanship would be one thing, but to say that we walk in works which God prepared beforehand is an even more astounding truth. These works are not works that I accomplish! They are not things that set out to do! They are not things that I must conjure up or discover, nor will they be things that are not perfectly in line and harmonious with the works going on for God's kingdom. Wow...this...the beauty of God's providence...it frees the soul to enjoy Christ! It grants humility with which to approach the throne of grace! It restores beauty and dignity to the soul, to the very purpose for our existence! Such is the work of God in our lives, in our works.

posted by Bolo | 2:24 PM
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