By now you're all probably back at work and the kids will be going back to school and for you students university is starting back next week.  So it's a good time to think again about a theology for work!

"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 workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

(1) Good works don't save you => God's grace saves you!  It's undeserved and it's incredible.  When you have encountered and received God's grace, it makes you full of His generous grace towards others in how you go about everything else in the rest of your life, including in your work.  How can you be gracious today?

(2) Jesus has done a good work in you => In saving you, Jesus has not just forgiven your sins and given you a free pass into heaven.  It's far better than just that, He has also made you His 'workmanship' which can be translated as masterpiece (coming from the word for describing a tapestry).  You are now defined by who you are in Christ; not by what you do for a job and how well you do it or how much you earn.  Whatever your job description, in Christ the cleaner is as gloriously valued, dignified and worthy as the millionaire businessman in Christ!   Having this sure sense of your identity in Christ because of His good work in you is a helpful dose of preventative medicine to help you stop turning your into an idol - the thing you get your identity from or depend upon for life and sustainence (which comes from God's gracious hand alone!)

(3) Jesus has good works for you to do => You are not saved by good works, but saved for good works!  He has prepared in advance for you to do things for His glory and to demonstrate His goodness.  However, we should beware of just reducing this to solely mean moral good things or spiritual works!  Rather it is all encompassing of the whole new life in Christ you now possess, that expresses itself in whole life discipleship at home, at work and in church!

Pray Today:

• For God to help you to walk in the good works that He has prepared for you.  Pray for your brothers and sisters in Carrubbers many of whom have difficult jobs and face difficult situations which make it hard to work out what those good works are - pray for God's wisdom and discernment for them
• For God to give you opportunities today to deepen your relationships with those you work with in your community, so they have an opportunity to see the demonstration of God's grace in your life and hopefully have the opportunity (now or later) to hear the proclamation of God's grace that is freely available in Christ to them too.

Praise God Today: "Be My Everything"