Through the years we have been providing the Man to Man, we have spent a lot of time discussing the character of our lives to which God calls us. Most recently, we have examined the example Jesus gives us to follow in living consistently in the will of the Father. For the next few posts, I want to look at how these character qualities translate into the roles God calls us to as men pursuing him.
Scripture is clear that our salvation does not come through any effort of our own. The Apostle Paul teaches us this in Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. God deserves and receives all the credit for the redemption he offers through the shed blood of Jesus. My only role in receiving this redemption is to accept it by faith. It is truly a gift offered with no strings attached.
However, the next verse says, 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Wow! First, he says it’s a free gift from God, then he lays on the expectation that we are to do good works. Which is it? The truth is in understanding what the Holy Spirit is communication through the pen of the Apostle.
Salvation is free, unmerited; there is nothing we could ever do to earn it. But the next question is, “How do we respond to this amazing gift?” Verse 10 is the answer to this question. As an act of gratitude for the unimaginably great gift God offers, we can say a big, “Thank You!” This is done through our acts of service. Failure to offer this thankful response does not take away the gift or lessen its value in our lives, but it is a missed opportunity to express our love and appreciation to the giver.
If you are a dad, husband, or boyfriend, you may have given a gift to the object of your affection. When you do this without expecting a gift in return, you have offered it as a pure expression of love. In your heart you may wonder, “Did they like the gift? Was my wish to give them joy accomplished? Were they able to sense my deep love for them through the gift I offered?” These questions can be quickly answered by the reaction of the recipient of your gift. If they immediately express a genuine thankfulness and go on to tell you how much the receiving of this gift means to them, you get a sense of joy in knowing your gift was important.
This is what doing good works in honor of God, does for him. It affirms your appreciation for all God has done for you. We have the amazing privilege of bringing a smile to the face of Almighty God by simply responding in actions of praise to him. How we accomplish this is as varied as our own personality and abilities. For some, this “thank you” may take the form of serving other people in Jesus’ name. It may entail changing priorities from seeking my own fulfillment to focusing on seeing the lives of others find joy. The good news is that if we are open to God’s direction through his Word, our opportunities for doing good works are endless. Our entire lives could be devoted to one long expression of thanks.
This doesn’t mean leaving your current life and responsibilities behind. In fact, for most, the greatest gift that can be offered to our Lord is to be salt and light right where we already find ourselves. Think about how God would be honored if your family saw patience and peace in your interactions with them without criticism or bursts of anger. What impact would there be on coworkers if you didn’t join in the complaining about your job or the people you work for. These are simple acts of service that could have eternal impact.