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Daily Devotional – Wednesday, November 8, 2023
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 (NKJV)

Ephesians 2:8–9 is a fundamental passage of the Christian faith. This passage reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith’. It is not because of our good works. We cannot add anything to our salvation. Our role is only to believe in the finished work of the cross.

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The Apostle Paul then mentions a different kind of work. He says, “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). While God does not save us because of our good works, we are supposed to walk in good works after salvation.

The apostle tells us that God’s original plan was that we should lead righteous lives. When Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, they lost this ability. Everything they did, even their best acts of kindness, was tainted with sin. Their righteousness was like filthy rags before God.

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Christ’s mission on earth, therefore, was to restore the image of God in man so that that man may walk in works of righteousness once again. In essence, Jesus came to restore us to factory settings. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in us in vain. He will carry on the work of character transformation in us.

We need to cooperate with God so that He can take us back to default settings. God’s original intention is that our lives will be characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, among other virtues. A loving and loveable Christian is the best proof of the outworking of the gospel.

Prayer
Dear God, inculcate your character in me because that is your original intention for me.