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Divine Poetry

Words of Faith Final

Divine Poetry

Words of Faith 2-2-2021

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

www.faithfellowshipweb.com

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Ephesians 2

  [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— [9] not by works, so that no one can boast.   [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

      Good works are part of God's plan. We sometimes miss that in our eagerness to celebrate His grace.  Good works are not the price of salvation but rather the proof.  Works are not the root of the tree but rather the fruit.  A believer is not saved as a result of good works— good works are the result of salvation.

     Good works are the result of God's working in the believer's heart. They are the evidence that a believer is alive from the dead. They are the proof of the glorious togetherness that exists between the believer and the Savior.

     The Lord, when here on earth, lived a life of good works. He "went about doing good," as Peter noted in Acts 10:38. Through His indwelling Spirit, He continues to do His good works in us. We become his hands and feet, eyes and voice.  This was all part of the eternal plan.

    You see, there is a marked change in our hearts at the point of genuine conversion.  It may take time to work out of us completely, but a person who has come to life in Christ is fundamentally different than one who is still dead in trespasses and sins.  The true contrast could not be more dramatic.  The opposite is true that if we profess to be Christians but our lives exhibit no evidence or behavioral change, we are self-deceived.

     Now don't miss this.  The word translated "workmanship" is poiema.  It is the word used to describe a craft or the product of creative work.  We actually get the word poem from this Greek root.  Think about that.  Instead of viewing "works" as some kind of drudgery or a set of chores we are obligated to finish, the Holy Spirit tells us in this verse that we are His poem. We are His masterpiece. Each of our lives is the canvas on which the Master is producing a work of art that will fill the everlasting ages with His praise.

      The poetry that God has prepared in advance to write in and through our lives includes very specific opportunities.  These are divine appointments for us to express the love and mercy of the Lord, lift the burdens of others, and count others as more important than ourselves.  There is nothing more gratifying than experiencing the poetry of God being written in and through our lives, energy, and efforts.

      These poetic moments have been prepared for us.  They are specific to us.  As we are surrendered to the Spirit who saved us, we will enjoy these points of contact and overflow into the lives of others.  They are not chores.  But it does seem that there is a list of some sort, a preparation, and a plan.  I know that I want to be listening so I don't miss any of that plan, any divine appointments, or any of that poetry.

 

      Father God, forgive me for the times I have been resistant.  Continue to change my heart.  Transform my will and reshape my ability to listen carefully for You.  Write Your divine poetry through the works of my days, the efforts of my hands, and the diligence of my soul.  Write Your planned masterpiece in me so that I may know the greatest joy of Your design unveiled.  In Jesus' Name.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2010, 2021

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.