Grace and Works

Some times exhortations given to live a purpose driven life of good works, seeking to bring glory to God, can seem to fly in the face of the message of grace. Is labor for the Kingdom, or seeking to bring our behaviors in line with Biblical standards works? Some would say yes others it depends on the motivations of the heart.

The Greek word for grace carries the idea of “the divine influence on the human heart." It is God who draws us, rescues us and gives us our standing with Him apart from works. Yet to state that exhortation to live a life of purpose and to make intelligent and reasoned application of the will to that end is works would in my opinion misses the point.

We were created for good works; grace (God's influence) produces that in us. Paul in Ro 12 tells believers to present themselves as a living sacrifice, and them describes that service as reasoned and intelligent service.

Grace invites us to co-labor with the Spirit of God to bring to pass the works that we have been given to do. While I do not believe that ever believer has the same call as, lets say Paul, that said, I do believe that every believe has a specific call and a destiny that sits in God heart for them. For that destiny to be realized takes the cooperation of the believer by responding to God's influence on their heart. I am not talking about salvation; I am talking about how we build on the foundation that grace lays in our life, wood, hay or subtle or precious stones. Jesus states "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8), that is the out working of grace in the believers life. Fruit is the result of being connected to the vine, as Jesus says.

To trust in our works to make us acceptable to God is ludicrous, to respond to that incredible outpouring of mercy from God, putting our trust in the work of the cross leads to a consecrated life committed to the fathers will. We have the choice to give ourselves to the purposes of God or not. God affords us that choice without fear of punishment. I choose to live my life as a slave of God because of the remarkable work of grace. His love and interaction with me leaves me no other sane choice.