Greetings CrossTrain family! We continue to be beyond grateful to those taking the time to read these messages and to teach these scriptures to their families. There is often talk of wanting to see the Spirit move amongst us and to see Him working in our lives. Let me tell you, that is exactly what is happening as we learn His word and store it in our heart. We cannot separate the Spirit and the word. Just as the triune God cannot be divided, neither can these. We’ve already learned that the word is God-breathed, being written by men as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Not only this, but the Bible says the word of God is foolishness to those who are perishing and that the natural man does not accept the things of God, but rejects His word. We NEED the spirit to soften and illuminate our hearts as we read His word before we can even understand it. It is this work of the spirit that not only brings about regeneration, but also makes us more like Christ and moves us to do good works. THIS IS THE SPIRIT MOVING! The spirit of God uses the word of God to reveal Himself and to bring life.
This brings us to our new verse. We’ve learned SO MUCH in this last year. We’ve learned God is perfect and holy and just. We’ve sinned against him. Because of this we face death and hell. We’ve learned that because God loved us so much, He became a man in Christ Jesus. Jesus, truly God and truly man, lived a perfect life and willingly gave His life on the cross for all who would believe. He died and raised again to life and we’ve learned that if we would turn to him in repentance and faith in Him and His work alone, we would have forgiveness of sins and be granted eternal life. We’ve learned that every bit of this is a gift; the faith even to believe is a gift of God. If this were all that God would have planned for our lives he’d take us to be with himself right away… but he has more!
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” —Ephesians 2:10
Why this verse? God reveals what he has saved us for. He has saved us to do work, good work! He tells us that from all eternity he planned to save us that we would be his workmen who actively are out in his world advancing his kingdom for his glory. And what are these works? Well, as we learned in our very first memory verse, the scriptures contain all the instruction we need to do EVERY GOOD WORK (2 Timothy 3:16). Simply, this would be loving God and obeying his commands and doing all things to His glory. This again is why it is ever so important to know his word!
Questions Ephesians 2:10 can answer:
Why doesn’t God just bring us to heaven the moment he saves us?
What are some of the good works God saves us to do?
Do these good works do anything to save us?
How great is it to know that our God has chosen to save us and to use us to advance his kingdom!? W can work in confidence knowing that he gives clear instruction in his word, it is not us working but His spirit in us, and spoiler alert… of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9). He wins and keeps on winning and he will continue to reign and work through us until all his enemies have been made a footstool under his feet (1 Cor 15). BE ENCOURAGED!!!!!! We pray that God would through his Spirit and by his word continue to transform each of us to better obey him and bring him glory. May we be about kingdom work, for all else is a mist. We love you, church. God saves sinners, so go out and do the good works he has planned for you! Until next time, may God richly bless you by the grace and mercy won by Jesus Christ!
In Christ,
Adam and Audra Griffin
Family Ministries