Eph 2:1-10

We have been studying Ephesians 2:1-10 in our Bible study this past week and I got so much out of it I thought I better study it more in depth this week. We have been talking about how we should live a christian life from inside out, upside down, and advancing across. The focus this week is from the inside out.

Growing up in the evangelical church I have always accepted that salvation is a free gift that cannot be earned and that we can't do enough good things to get us into heaven. You don't have to convince me I am a sinner! However, I never really realized that just because good works don't get us into heaven it doesn't mean we don't do good works! God has prepared good works for us to do in advance even! He has created us in Christ Jesus to do good works! We are supposed to do them... the focus of the study this week is that we are supposed to do them to honor Him and because we love Him. One of the many blessings of God is that He wants to use us... as sinful as we are... WE the church are part of His plan and He wants to use us! So this week I have been asking the Lord to show me what some of those good works are that He wants me to do.

And of course one of them is being a mother and teaching my children to love the Lord. I have been specifically thinking about my motivation for doing good works to honor Jesus should also be their motivation in obeying... honoring Jesus... I do not want to do good works because it is right to do good gifts, it is my turn to do serve(50/50 sort of thing), but because I want to please my Lord. I want to teach my kids to look at obeying in the same way... I don't want them to obey to escape punishment or because it is merely right to obey, but because they want to honor Jesus and be eager to obey Him.

Anyway.... it is a great study written by Andrew Hancock for the 24/7 students and I am sure it might be available if you ask Nate.