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Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

By Kurt Selles

How do faith and actions (good works, obedience) fit together? While recognizing that salvation is completely a gift from God, including the faith necessary for believing in Jesus as Savior, the Reformers were sometimes troubled by James’s teaching about faith and actions.

For a while, Martin Luther was so adamant about justification through faith alone that he doubted the book of James even belonged in the Bible because of its emphasis on actions and faith. But other Reformers maintained that the importance of grateful actions as a demonstration of faith and a proof against hypocrisy show that James delivers a clear and authoritative word from God.
Perhaps it can help to say, as some have said, “Faith is the beginning of obedience, and obedience is the completion of faith.” That resonates with Ephesians 2:10, where Paul, after teaching that we are saved by grace through faith, adds that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” In ­other words, a natural result of the Spirit’s work to bring us to faith in the loving God is to respond by showing thanks to God and by sharing his love with others. So good works are a natural outcome of faith.

Thankful works and obedience can also be a helpful indicator of our growth as Christ followers. In what ways are you showing God’s love lately?

Father, you have provided for our salvation in Jesus. Please help us also to show your love and share your good news with others ­always. Amen.


*  This devotion was found at TodayDevotional.com titled “Faith and Action” by Kurt Selles.