“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – no by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2.8,9

There is no possible way to misunderstand this passage. No one can earn their way into the good graces of God. No human may, by any works of righteous acts, purchase eternal life in heaven. It is impossible to save yourself by your own hand. Jesus has extended His grace to all of us. We are saved through faith in Him. We can boast only of the cross and the sacrifice of our saviour. We owe a debt we cannot pay.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2.10

Our salvation is by grace through faith, there is no doubt. We are a product of God’s workmanship and we are to do the work that God has prepared for us. Simply put; we are saved by grace and we are saved for works. There is no denying it. It is impossible to ignore this directive. Each of us has a field of labor that God has prepared for us. You and I have a ministry to carry out. It is unavoidable. So, what works are we to do and to what end?

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1.27

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matt. 5.13-16

How much of my life is spent to preserve the lives of others? How much of my light is shining into the darkness? What about yours? We cannot call ourselves believers and fail to do good works. The Spirit that lives inside those who follow Christ will not allow it. We must preserve and we must shine. God’s mission is to save this planet and he has chosen us to work that plan. It is time for us to rise and shine.