CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE IN CHRIST MINISTRIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE STUDY ON YOUTUBE
Ephesians 2:11-13
God made a covenant with Abraham through Circumcision. All his descendants were to follow this as God’s chosen people. Until Christ came and died for all man’s sins, Gentiles (those who are not Israelites) were not included in the covenant made with God and Abraham. But because Jesus died for the sins of humanity, the door was open for the Gentiles to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. Being raised from the dead, Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all (Romans 6:10–11).
This is an example of salvation by grace through faith, and not by works.
The Jews (Israelites) continued to believe that it was necessary to be circumcised in the flesh even after Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, defeating sin, death, and Satan, but the circumcision that Jesus called us to is to circumcise our hearts. What we wear, eat, or look like in our physical appearance does not determine the purity of our hearts. It is only through our faith in Jesus that saves us from sin and purifies our hearts through the righteousness of Christ Jesus. The Bible teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV), “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Let us all proclaim that it is the purification of our hearts that Christ brings to us in our salvation. The good works that come from us do not save us but are the product of our salvation—in Christ.
There are passages in the Bible that may seem on the surface to be in contradiction to one another. One of these such passages is of the teaching of Paul and the teaching of James. Paul teaches us in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” James teaches us in James 2:14 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” Also, in James 2:18 “But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
These passages appear to be obviously in contradiction to one another, but Paul also teaches in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” In this passage, Paul is in agreement with the teachings of James. If we dig a little deeper, we will find that Paul is teaching in Ephesians 2:8-9 the way to salvation, or answering the question, “How do we obtain salvation?” Paul then goes on in Ephesians 2:10 to explain why we should be saved in Christ, or for what is our purpose as Christians.
James is teaching those who have accepted Christ that true faith should produce good works. He teaches in James 2:20 “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” And in James 2:22 James teaches “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” James was teaching that doing good works is a product of our faith in Christ. If we truly have received salvation in Christ, we are compelled by our salvation to do the good works that Christ teaches us through His Holy Spirit that now lives in us in modeling our lives after Christ Jesus.
Dear Lord,
Help us to see that it is by Your never-ending grace that we are saved and not by anything that we would try to do to earn salvation. Your Son Jesus died as the ultimate pure sacrifice paying the debt due for all our sins, and in accepting that through faith in Him, by Your grace to us we are saved. Praise the Lord, In Jesus name I pray, amen.