Created to Believe

I find Ephesians 2:8-10 to be most encouraging concerning God's grace.  Paul wrote, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹  not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  No one could deserve or earn salvation, but God grants forgiveness, redemption, and purpose for all who trust in Christ.  We are not approved by works, but being God's workmanship He has prepared works for us to do which glorify Him.  Salvation, as well as the privileges of serving God and others, are God's gifts to us.

In our own strength and wisdom we are incapable of doing anything for God, yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit we are helped to both will and do what God has ordained.  The crazy thing is God did not just make works for us to do, feeding us like raw materials into a machine to churn out a product, but He has especially created us to fulfil a particular role as a part of His Body, the church.  The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah presents a worthy example.  God devised a job for Jeremiah to do, but He also created Jeremiah with to do the particular job He had in mind - like a customised machine or tools are engineered to perform specialised tasks.  When I tried to fix the clutch on my truck, I found the flywheel very hard to remove until I borrowed a Snap-On flywheel wrench.  Having the right tool and the right person called by God for a job is key to accomplishing the tasks God intends.  Crazy He would include us, right?

Jeremiah 1:4-10 reveals the ability of God to create people fit to do a role accomplished only by His grace:  "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." ⁶ Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." ⁷ But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. ⁸ Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD. ⁹ Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."  The revelation of God's specific plan and calling of Jeremiah was a shock to him.  As a child of God are you blown away to realise before you were born God knew, sanctified, and ordained you for His purposes?  I cannot say exactly what this will entail, and despite our protests has a plan He will see worked out in and through us according to His grace.

God will be with those who fear and trust Him, even as He was with Jeremiah and Paul.  He might not have set us over nations and kingdoms, but Jesus our Saviour is KING OF KINGS.  Many times we do not even know what to say, but He has put His Word into our hearts, minds, and mouths.  We do not need to be afraid because God is with us and will empower us to fulfil the purpose for which we were created, that He may be glorified and praised forever.  All the work God's calls us to is far beyond our ability and comprehension because it is God's work.  If we think ourselves sufficient for the labour and able to endure by our strength, we will falter and fail.  Yet when we look to Jesus Christ we will find our strength renewed, for our life is in Him.  There are many good works God has created us to do, and the first is to believe and trust Him.