Good Works

If you know the Lord as your Savior, then you have been given spiritual
gifts to use to help expand the kingdom of God and build up the Church.

Good Works

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

(Ephesians 2:8-10)

I read recently of the heroic deed performed by a coach who came to the rescue of a fallen athlete. Andrea Fuentes is a US swimming coach who dove into the water to rescue Anita Alvarez during the World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Alvarez fainted during the competition and sank to the bottom of the pool during her routine on June 22. Her teammates watched and were visibly upset by the dramatic scene unfolding before them. Fortunately, Alvarez is okay. Coach Fuentes said, "Anita is okay. The doctors checked all vitals, and everything is normal: heart rate, oxygen, sugar levels, blood pressure, etc.... all is okay."

(Source.)

But it would have been a different outcome had her coach not rescued her from the bottom of the pool. A good deed indeed!

It is God's will for us to participate in good works. We are not saved by our good works but by the ultimate good work of Jesus, when He died on the cross for our sins. Once we receive Him into our lives, then we begin a life of serving Him.

If you know the Lord as your Savior, then you have been given spiritual gifts that you are to use to help expand the kingdom of God and build up the Church of Jesus Christ. These gifts differ from the gifts God gave you at birth. Everyone has unique gifts; it is simply a fact of God's favor. Once a person receives Christ, they are given spiritual gifts so they can do good works for God and help others.

God has this great plan for us that He has already prepared. It is a plan to use us for His glory and our good. He invites us to join in with what He has for us. When we do, we are truly blessed and become a blessing to others.

In Ephesians 2:10, the Apostle Paul teaches us that we are to walk in our good works. We are to be fully and actively engaged in doing the things God has uniquely equipped us to do. It is of no use for us to compare ourselves to others or wish that we had gifts we do not possess. In God's sovereign plan, He made us the way He did and gave us the gifts He wanted us to have.

Are you doing the good works God has planned for you? You may never be in the position to rescue someone who is drowning at the bottom of a pool, but rest assured, if you know the Lord, He definitely has good works He wants you to perform.

Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 detail many of the spiritual gifts Jesus gives to His Church. Have you ever discovered what your gifts are? If not, I encourage you to find out what they are and then get busy doing the things God has equipped you to do!