Steve’s Biblical Devotions

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

This verse teaches that all Christians are “created in Christ Jesus” for the purpose of walking in “good works“. Yet, in no way are “good works” equivalent to salvation. The two verses prior to this one describe the prerequisite for “good works” as being “saved” “by grace… through faith“.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9

The distance between grace and works is infinite; it has to be 100% grace and 0% works that saves you. Grace by definition is “unmerited favour”; so no amount of “good works” can earn grace.

“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Romans 11:6

So what is the purpose of “good works“? The answer to that question lies in the word justification, you see, “faith” is what justifies us before God, but “good works” are what justify us before men! Consider the “apparent contradiction” between the two verses below.

• “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.“ Galatians 2:16
• “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” James 2:24

Allow me to explain; the Galatians verse describes how we are justified before God, i.e. by “the faith of Jesus Christ“. Think of “justified“, as just-as-if-I’d never sinned! The verse in James describes how we are justified before men, i.e. by exhibiting “good works“! Think about it, how else can someone else know if we are saved? No one knows if anyone else is saved unless they see some manifestation of Christ living in them via “good works“.

James goes on to say, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26). If your body didn’t have a spirit, you would be physically dead; also, if your body doesn’t have the Holy Spirit residing in it, you are spiritually dead. If you are not working for God and you are saved, your faith is dead; also, if you are working for God without being saved, they are dead works. Righteousness is only “counted” to him that “believeth“, apart from works.

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:5

Friend, God wants you to work for him, but if you aren’t redeemed “from all iniquity“, your “good works” are “spotted by the flesh” (Jude 1:23). Christ “gave himself” for you, why not believe “on him that justifieth the ungodly” today and let him “purify” you anew unto “good works“?

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14

Author Steve Fleshman, copyright © 2004, all rights reserved. You may copy this material or use it as long as it is not changed and this copyright, and author’s information is left intact. All scripture references are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16, 17

A “gate” is basically a point of controlled access by which one is allowed or denied entrance. Jacob was allowed to see, in a dream, the “house of God” and “the gate of heaven” by which angels were ascending and descending. Earthly Jerusalem was later patterned after heavenly Jerusalem by constructing it with 12 gates as recorded in Nehemiah and Revelation 21. Currently “wisdom” stands at these heavenly “gates“, calling unto the “sons of man” to listen and receive understanding.

“Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?  She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man… Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.” Proverbs 8:1-4, 34

Although there are 12 entrances into Jerusalem, there is only one gate / door into the actual temple. In a spiritual sense, Jesus Christ controls that entrance to “Jerusalem which is above” (Galatians 4:26), in fact he calls himself “the door” by which, “any man” can enter in and be “saved” (John 10:9). To enter “the gate of heaven” we must go through “the door“! The method of entering “the door” into Christ’s body is by being “born again” (John 3:3). Jesus promises that once we are in his body, the “church“, that the “gates of hell shall not prevail against it“.

“…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Mt. 16:18b

So “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22) is the Christian’s city of refuge by which we can flee, to avoid being prevailed against by the “gates of hell“! Jesus spoke of these two ways by which all men trod; and he described one as being strait and narrow, and the other as being wide and broad, and pleads with us to “enter” the “strait gate“!

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14

As you can sadly read, “many” enter into “destruction” but only a “few” find the way into “life“. Which path are you on friend? Jesus provided the only “way” to the Father (John 14:6) because he “suffered without the gate“, “that he might sanctify the people with his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12). One day the “gates of death” (Job 38:17) will receive us all, if the Lord tarries, and we will either spend eternity in the splendor of “life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:16), or suffer the torment of a Christ-less eternity in “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Like Jacob you too can see God’s house, which Christ said has many mansions in it; by coming to him in faith. Don’t be foolish, open your “mouth in the gate” and ask Christ, who is the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24) to come into your heart and save you today.

“Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.” Proverbs 24:7

Author Steve Fleshman, copyright © 2004, all rights reserved. You may copy this material or use it as long as it is not changed and this copyright, and author’s information is left intact. All scripture references are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Hebrews 13:4

“Marriage” is an institution created and ordained by God for man and is the “honourable” union between one man and one woman designed to last one lifetime. Yet there will be 1.6 million divorces in the USA this year alone, not counting the break ups of those living together outside of wedlock. Of those remaining married, studies show that only 1 in 10 marriages consider themselves happy and fulfilled. There is a myriad of reasons for these sobering statistics of how Satan has corrupted the very core of our society, but I believe most, if not all, come down to a perversion of, or failure to meet one or more of God’s reasons for marriage.

• Procreation (Genesis 1:28) - God created marriage as a means to “be fruitful“.
• Partnership (Genesis 2:18) - God gave woman to man to “help meet” God’s mission.
• Purity (1 Corinthians 7:2) - God created marriage as a means to “avoid fornication“.
• Picture (Ephesians 5:23-32) - Every problem in marriage can be resolved by considering the example of “Christ and the church“.

In spite of the bad press that marriage has received due to divorce, and in spite of legislation trying to deviate from the Biblical definition, “marriage is honourable“. You can hardly log onto the Internet without getting an advertisement from a dating service. For most, there is a built-in something that makes us desire that special one and only soul mate, and rightfully so, because it is a “good thing“.

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” Pr. 18:22

The way to find that “good thing” however is not by matching 29 personality traits with someone else. God gives you and me that “good thing” that you desire when you “walk uprightly” before him.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

While “marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled…whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” The Greek word for “whoremongers” is where we get our word “pornography” from, so these two labels include all sexual lusts and sins outside of marriage, from which Christians are to “flee” (2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 6:18). Sexual purity is not old fashioned to God!

Not only is marriage honourable, but we even have a “maid of honor” at weddings and one of her functions is to verify the vows between bride and the bridegroom. The first of the vows typically goes something like this, “do you _______ take _______ to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, till death due us part, etc.”? This is not unlike the choice / vow that each of us must make to be espoused (engaged) as the bride of Christ and not unlike the choice that “Rebekah” had to make before she could be married to Isaac. What about you friend, have you “taken” Jesus to be your husband, till death do you part? If not, “wilt thou go with this man” today by saying “I will”, to him in prayer?

“And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.” Genesis 24:58

Author Steve Fleshman, copyright © 2004, all rights reserved. You may copy this material or use it as long as it is not changed and this copyright, and author’s information is left intact. All scripture references are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.