As we begin this series, we must have a clear, certain understanding. This series focuses on accepting responsibility for our poor choices, mistakes, and ignorance. This series is NOT about earning our salvation.
A huge problem in many Christians' lives is produced by the belief/conviction that a Christian must earn his/her salvation. That is impossible! No one deserves the blood of Christ. Even after conversion, no one can become deserving of atonement, justification, redemption, sanctification, forgiveness, mercy, or grace. Every gift God provides the Christian through Jesus' death and resurrection is a gift (see Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 4:10 ). It is not a 'pretend' gift, a 'make believe' gift, or merely have the appearance of a gift. Salvation is a gift. It is the gift of inheritance in Christ. The Christian is in continuing relationship with God because he/she received a gift. The Christian does not need to fear death or the judgment because God has given him/her a gift.
Is obedience necessary? Absolutely! Paul's same paragraph that stressed our salvation is a gift made this statement:
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.
The first century world was a world of craftsmanship. There were no assembly lines, no mass reproduction as known in the 20th and 21st centuries. Paul presents God as a craftsman. Christians are the work of the Craftsman. God began by making humans good beings who were in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:31; l:27). However, evil deceived human beings and through deception perverted the good beings God made (Genesis 3:1-7). Though people were perverted by evil [and were no longer the good beings the Craftsman produced], the Craftsman provided opportunity in Christ for humans to be remade by Him. In Christ through the Craftsman's work, humans who are perverted by evil are created again (see also Colossians 3:1-11). By the work of the Craftsman, that which evil perverted is designed to serve God's original intent--to do good works. Those good works are not some 'after thought' or meaningless trivia that exist because of a thoughtless whim of the Craftsman. Those good works reflect the original design and intent of the Craftsman. Those who agree to let the Craftsman remake them are by the Craftsman's design dedicated to doing good works.
Must those who are created anew in Christ Jesus do good works? Absolutely! Does doing the good works the Craftsman designed them to do earn their opportunity to be created again? Absolutely not! There is nothing the created in Jesus Christ can do that will place the Craftsman in their debt!
The issue is not obedience--doing good works. The issue is the motive that prompts the good works. If the motive is to earn salvation, then the obedience (1) stresses a wrong focus and (2) insults the Craftsman. If the motive is to express gratitude to the Craftsman for granting a new opportunity to be true to their original design and the Craftsman's intent, then (1) they seek life's true focus and (2) they exist to honor the Craftsman who redesigned them to live. It is impossible to place the Craftsman in our debt [to earn salvation through obedience]. It is possible to express gratitude to the Craftsman for creation in Jesus Christ. The objective of obedience is not to seek to indebt or to seek to exercise control over the Craftsman. The objective of obedience is to express appreciation to the Craftsman for giving us life and hope. Were it not for the creative gift of the Craftsman, there would be no means of acquiring life and hope! We know the essential importance of what we are given in Jesus Christ, and we never stop appreciating the Craftsman's gift!
In Christ, our design is no accident! It came from the image of the Craftsman! In Christ, our purpose is no accident! It is to gratefully praise the glory of God! Consider Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14. Christians are designed to give the holy God the glory that rightfully is His. Christians do that through the praise of worship and a grateful life dedicated to obedient service. Obedience can honor the gift Giver, but obedience cannot make us deserving of the gift.
Please, never be deceived into arrogantly thinking that by being responsible in the way you behave, live life, and serve God's purposes that you have in some way placed God in your debt. God will keep His promises. That is His divine nature. He is and always will be true to His nature. Never will anyone have 'to make' God keep His promise! Obey Him to thank Him for all He did and does for us in Jesus Christ. Never obey Him in an effort to indebt him.
Consider Luke 17:7-10.
We are God's children [sons], not because we deserve to be children, but because of what God did for us in Jesus' death and resurrection. God chooses to look upon us as children. We did not force Him to adopt us. If we accept the privilege of being a child of God, we also accept the responsibility of being a child of God. If we accept the privileges of the gift, we must also accept the responsibility of the gift. A family is plagued with many heartaches when a child expects privileges, but refuses to accept responsibilities. God's family is not different. When Christians expect privileges but reject responsibilities, God's family is plagued.
Thought and Discussion Questions
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 2