November 23, 2016

Living Out Our Faith

Ephesians 2:1-10

We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

—  Ephesians 2:10

Oxana, one of our listeners from Ukraine, confided to us about her struggles with boredom and lack of motivation in her daily walk with God. This young woman firmly professed her trust in Jesus Christ, but somehow she wasn’t excited about her faith. “I know that I’m already saved. What do I do next?” she asked us bluntly.

In our response we directed her to Ephesians 2:10, which describes believers as “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” In this context “handiwork” can also be translated as “work of art.” We are unique and special ­creations in God’s eyes.

Please note that doing good works does not earn us our salvation. We are saved totally by God’s grace. Rather, doing good is an exciting way to live out our faith and express our gratitude to God for his gift of grace and deliverance.

We challenged Oxana: “What can you do as God’s handiwork to show how thankful you are to the Lord for his salvation?” Later we learned that she got involved with work in a local orphanage.

The same challenge goes to you today. What good works do you see prepared for you by God? Maybe you can volunteer at your local church or food pantry. Maybe you can help an elderly neighbor. There are many people out there who are hungry for God’s love and our care.

Father, we praise you for making us your precious handiwork! Show us how to live out our faith by our actions as well as our words. Amen!s

About the author — Sergei Sosedkin

Rev. Sergei Sosedkin is the Russian-language ministry leader for ReFrame Ministries. He is a native of Moscow, Russia. As he oversees the Russian-language ministry, Rev. Sosedkin works from our office in Grand Rapids and in various locations in Russia.

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