Tag: Ephesians 2

Explaining my thoughts

I had a discussion with a friend about the works vs faith debate. How do we settle the differences in opinions that seem apparent between James and Paul. There are people, far smarter than me that can be called on to give the fine debate points. It can be a complicated argument. Bogged down by historical doctrines and even personal opinions about which is more important. Works based religions are very attractive, as we can see by the abundance of them.

My issue with this has always been that if we focus on works alone we are making it about us, not Jesus. This is not what James was suggesting, and it is what Paul is speaking about directly in his letter to the Ephesians.

I was thinking how can I represent this visually. So I tried laying it out in a diagram. I came up with this.

I wanted to make sure Jesus was at the centre. But then I realized this actually shows my problem with the basic debate. Whether we gain our salvation by works or faith is not the point. Both are products of our own efforts. They are both about us.

It needs to be about Jesus and His gift of grace. Without Jesus we have no redemption of sin. Without Jesus we have no salvation. So the diagram should look like this.

Paul says it best and it seems quite simple to me. Faith is what we bring to the party, along with our efforts and works to show the love of God to the worlds. But EVERYTHING else God and Jesus provided.

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—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Secrets of renewal

When we are rebuilding ourselves and renewing our spirit there is no guidebook. There is no step by step or self help book that outlines a clear path. But there are a couple of secrets that will assist in our renewal efforts.

The first secret is having a target. When someone goes bowling they can’t hit consecutive strikes if they are wearing a blindfold. We need something to aim at. For healthy renewal we need to find a worthy target. In my opinion there is no better vision to keep in our sights than that of Jesus. This involves learning about him from God’s word. As you move forward keep your eyes on Jesus.

The other secret is that the key to good mental health and wellness is found outside of our own heads. If you are feeling down or depressed go do something for someone else. When we focus on the needs of others we leave God the space to work on building us up. It is actually a bit of a miracle. The less we think about our own problems (which is hard – I know this personally) the more we are capable of handling.

Now I understand there are times when this is very hard, but as you find yourself moving through the darkness and towards the light, start to look outward. Look to Jesus and look for places to do the work he puts before you.

Ephesians 2: 8 -10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.