Main text: Eph 2:8-10
Transcribed by Beluga AI.
While it is true that we are saved by faith, it is a gift of God. We did nothing to earn it. While that is true, we also have to demonstrate through our visible works that our faith is indeed real.
Ephesians 2:8, that we read,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23, ESV)
We know this. It is nothing we did.
It’s just completely a gift called grace.
And then it says in Galatians 2:16,
16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16, ESV)
And usually the gospel presentation ends right there, that you’re saved by grace. It is a gift. Receive the gift, now go on your merry way.
And usually that’s the extent of the gospel that I hear oftentimes. But that is the beginning point of salvation, that is initial salvation.
Now we have to walk out our salvation with fear and trembling. We work it out. And that is where the works come in, the visible works.
It says in Matthew 5:16,
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16, ESV)
So this light that we shine is not in our head. It’s not just what we say with our mouth; it is action.
It is our good works. And these good works can be seen. And other people see it, and they glorify our Heavenly Father who is in heaven.
James 1:22 says,
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22, ESV)
And how many who attend churches are simply deceived? Because they think, I heard it and I accept it, I believe it, and they think I am fine. But it says, don’t be deceived.
It’s not what you think about; it’s how you live. It’s what you do that validates what you heard was real.
And then it says in James 2:14,
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17, ESV)
Is anybody here hungry and does not have a means to put food in your belly? Anybody? I didn’t think so. But if there were, if there was somebody among us that said, actually, I’m out of a job, I don’t have family, I don’t have any money in my bank account, I don’t know where my next meal is coming. And we as a congregation heard that, and we didn’t do anything. That faith is dead. It is useless.
It is a faith in action that sees a need and says, I am the conduit of God, the channel of God to meet that need. That is a faith that is real.
And this just reminds me why in the book of Acts and throughout the Gospels, every church had their ministry, every apostle had their focus or emphasis, but they all agreed we should care for the poor.
I think in America, we don’t think this way, that I am just comfortable and I go to church and everybody’s comfortable.
But there is a real call here in these verses that while most of us in America are well taken care of, there are people maybe in other neighborhoods in America. But even with some social programs, there’s not many people really who are hungry in this country. However, there are people all across this world that are hungry.
It is a call of the gospel that that’s why we go to the ends of this earth. By sharing food, we’re not just giving food to fill their stomach; we’re giving them food as an act of love.
And as we give it to them, we say, Jesus loves you. That person being saved through that act of compassion is what this verse is calling all believers, especially believers in rich countries.
America is by far the richest. And so we need to read verses like this and say what it says about meeting the needs of the poor. Where are they?
And God, will you mobilize me to meet this poor kind of need so that I know that I can prove to myself that it’s not just faith with words, but it’s faith that I can back with my actions?
There’s a Matthew 7:21 which says,
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23, ESV)
And so what this verse tells me is there is a universal will of God, which is we’re all struggling to do, striving to do. We attend church, we try to love neighbor, we try to raise godly homes with God-fearing children, we try to love our spouse, we try to obey the universal will of God.
But here is speaking about the specific will of God that these ministers who are moving in supernatural ways, they missed it.
And in fact, Jesus says, I don’t even know you, which is shocking that you can go to a church and be involved in ministry, and it’s not the specific will for you.
And so a question, like an underlying question as we work out this salvation, that is an invisible gift, but it’s also good works that are visible. Kind of an underlying question is, what is this will of God that I must do in order to inherit the kingdom of God?
There’s a universal will.
We’re all striving to do this, but there’s also a specific, specific will of God that you and I need to find.
Luke 9:23.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23, ESV)
Universal, all of us deny yourself. Don’t live for yourself. Don’t be selfish, don’t just go for the bigger, brighter thing so that people think you’re great. That worldliness we deny. We say we’re not, we’re not after that in this life.
But the specific will of God is your cross.
You take up your cross. My cross is different from Ron’s cross. We each have a cross. You must take it up, and only you can do it. And that is specific to you.
So even in this one verse, you have the universal will of God. We all deny ourselves the specific will. You take up your cross. Hebrews 10:32, specific will of God.
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (Hebrews 10:32-36, ESV)
Did you hear? It says, when you have done the will of God, this is very specific to the audience that this author of Hebrews is writing to.
And did you notice that it’s not just an invisible internal gift and I believe and therefore I’m saved? No, this group of believers proved it through visible works. Enduring suffering, persecution, visiting people in prison, losing stuff and not even sweating it, having this kind of mercy ministry, this compassion ministry, not attached to stuff.
And that’s how they proved that their faith visibly proved to themselves and to the world that their faith was real.
And now we have some snapshots of Faith. James 2:21.
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:21-24, ESV)
And let me read Hebrews 11:8, the version of the same person,
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10, ESV)
Jumping down to verse 17,
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. (Hebrews 11:17-19, ESV)
So we might think faith is this invisible thing that I just received, this grace.
It’s private. Nobody can see it. I can’t even see it. But when you see snapshots of faith being lived out, it is very action-oriented. It’s very visible.
The fact that Abraham is 75 years old, when people are thinking about retirement, God calls him. And this is a specific will of God for Abraham. If you notice, everyone in Scripture has these moments where God comes to them very specifically and tells them to do something that is unique to them. They take up a unique cross. It is not a doctrine that applies to everybody.
We are striving to obey the universal will of God that we find in Scripture. But if you are a true believer, there will be moments. And I pray there will be many moments in your life and mine when God comes to you very specifically and says, I need you to do this.
And for Abraham, instead of enjoying retirement, instead of sitting on his 401k, he goes off on a journey, risking everything at his age. And he waits 25 years and then the son grows, possibly until 30.
I think Isaac is 33 years as a picture-perfect pointer to Jesus.
And so, 50 some years into his faith journey, now Abraham is taking Isaac, his son, up a mount to kill him, because he believed that if I plunge this into his heart and this boy bleeds out supernaturally, God will resurrect him from the dead.
This faith is not faith that is just internal and private. It is a faith that is visible, that you and I will have to test and prove that our faith is real over a lifetime.
And may there be many moments that you hear the voice of the Lord, and you obey Him, and He proves that indeed your faith, and you prove to yourself that your faith is real.
How do you know the specific will of God? And this is the main point. You just have to get to know Jesus. You can’t learn it any other way. Nobody else can tell you what to do. You just have to get alone in a room, get familiar with His voice.
And when he speaks, you’re so surrendered that as soon as he speaks, you obey. But until he speaks, you don’t move. That is hard to do. Everybody else is moving, and you have to just sit there and wait for him to speak.
And it might come in a short time. It might be in the case of Moses, 40 years; case of Jesus, 33 years, 30 years. We don’t know. It could take a while. But in some sense, if he doesn’t speak, you can just rest, just do the universal will of God.
Just be thankful in all circumstances. Just enjoy the rest, the sabbatical, but always tuning your ear. As soon as he speaks, you say, yes, Lord, I’m ready. You got to get to know the voice of the shepherd and all of us. If you’re saved, you’ve heard him at least once. If you haven’t heard him, you can’t say that you’re saved.
It is a gift. You received it. It is personal, is private. And that was something that happened internally, that only you and God knows when that took place.
But I pray we all had at least that first moment. And that voice you have to become familiar with. You heard him at salvation. I heard him at salvation.
I heard him in 1996 when I was graduating from college. When everybody else is stressed about jobs and what am I going to do, God told me, Ray, you’re a pastor. I said, I don’t know what that means. I’m just serving in church. I’ll just keep serving in church. And God tested me for that call for a long while.
But how do I know that voice is from the Lord? Is it because in 2011, I did become a pastor some 15 years later, and knock on wood, there’s been no scandals. I have not disgraced the name of the Lord as a pastor, thank God. So I think I heard him. And I’ve done my best to be faithful to that call.
When God spoke rather abruptly, unplanned, when Timothy was in eighth grade to start homeschooling the boys, I listened. And Jackie and I, we said, okay, we got to do this. And all three boys followed.
And how do I know that God was in it? Because he promised.
Academics, don’t worry; their future, don’t worry. Finances, don’t worry. And for me, it’s like, well, I don’t know what that means. I have no clue what homeschooling is. But, Lord, if you speak, I’m going to do it. And three for three. All of it has come to pass. All of it has come to pass.
Every time the Lord moved us as a church planter, how do I know it was from the Lord?
Because every time we moved, we met somebody we needed to meet. Every single time, every move, there was somebody waiting for us, for us to minister to, for us to meet, to fellowship with. Every move. God confirmed that this is why here is somebody you need to meet.
And then last November, God spoke. you’ve been faithful for 15 years. Now you need to take a rest, and a new assignment is coming. Just wait on me. And we’ve been doing that for. Since December of last year. And it is difficult, but I know his voice.
And as much as I have my own thoughts and my own voice and I watch everybody else, the world is moving. The world is doing stuff. But as far as I can tell, there’s a specific will of God that all of us must find, and it’s only through your shepherd.
No church pastor, no minister can tell you what that voice is. It is not a substitute. They can suggest something. You pray about it. But Jesus himself is your Lord and your master. you’re not following a pastor, you’re not following a church.
You’re following a risen Lord who still speaks because he is the same yesterday, today, forever. In the same way that you see people in the Old Testament and the New Testament, they’re all responding to a voice or to an appearance. And so we should expect nothing less.
So if you are at a crossroads or if you’re just starting out in this next season of life, just keep surrendering your life and say, Lord, I’ll be faithful in doing what I’m doing, but I’m not putting all my eggs in this basket with you.
And if you have something new for me, I want to catch it. I don’t want to miss it. Like Samuel. Just tuning your ear, Lord, is that you? Want to keep tuning your ear to the, to our Lord Jesus.
Let me just end with Ephesians 2:8-10,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 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, ESV)
Maybe if you can have the band come forward as I wrap up the conclusion. We know that faith salvation is a gift, is a gift of grace. And only you know if it was real or not. Only you know. No one else knows what happened internally in that moment when you first heard the Shepherd’s voice and salvation came to you.
But for the rest of our days, we have to prove, in a sense, that that initial voice was real. And we prove it through visible works. We are his workmanship, God says, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
And these are not just general good works. I believe when he’s speaking here about good works, he’s speaking about specific good works which he prepared beforehand, before the foundation of the world. And only you can do is your cross.
It is your life to live, and only you can touch these people that God will put in your path. It is good works that you must, upon hearing the Shepherd’s voice, prove that your discipleship, your salvation, is genuine through the light shining in the good works that everyone sees. They will give praise to our Heavenly Father.
Okay, let’s pray.