Saved By Grace...Now What?

 Introduction and Focus Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10
o Focus Scripture:  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,   not of works, lest anyone
should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in
them.
o My previous message “Remember Me: The Theology of a Thief,” focused
on one of the thieves crucified next to Jesus receiving the grace of
forgiveness.
o In this message, I intend to answer the question of how we should live
once we receive grace.
 We will find out just how interconnected and inseparable faith and
good works are.
 The question is once we’re saved, what then?
 Matthew 5:14

o Just to be clear, you are saved by grace through faith alone, not works.
 Isaiah 64:6
o So why do good works?
 We are created by God in Christ for good works.
 We do good works out of grateful heart to glorify God.
 Good works authenticate our faith.

 We are created by God in Christ for good works.
o Ephesians 2:10
o We were made for specific tasks that God already had on His mind for us
to do to advance His Kingdom once we accepted Christ.
o Our Savior sets the example.
 Mark 10:43-45
 Philippians 2:3-8
 You are never more like Jesus than when you humble yourself to
serve another.

 We do good works out of a grateful heart to glorify God.
o Ephesians 2:4
o Matthew 5:16
 He loves us so much and gave up so much to prove that love, how
can we not want to show him that love by doing good in His name?

 Good works authenticate our faith.

o “Put your money where your mouth is.”
 James 1:22-25
 Do you want to be blessed? Be a “doer of the work!”
 Luke 6:44
 You can have all the nicest woodworking tools at your
fingertips, but if you never put them to use, can you really be
called a carpenter?
 You can read the Bible all you want, but if you don’t put
what’s written in it to practice, what does that say about your
faith?
 What your life produces is the best indicator of the type of
faith you have.
 James 2:20-24
 Abraham really did walk the walk!

o Good works can't save you, but faith without works is dead!
 1 John 4:20 – I the love of God in you?

 How are good works manifested?
o In fellowship as part of the body of Christ (the Church).
o In sharing the Gospel and discipleship
o In impacting the culture
 In fellowship as part of the body of Christ (the Church).
o The first place your faith should show up is in your local body of believers.
We are all “put together” for the purpose of growing Christ’s Kingdom.
o 1 Corinthians 12:12,14,18-19, 27-30
 If you are willingly keeping yourself away from fellowship, how can
you consider yourself “part of the body?”
 You have been given unique gifts and play a valuable role in the life
of the Church.
o Matthew 25:14-30
 Don’t deprive God of your best (the tithe of your time and talents)
and the “body” of your part in it.
 God expects you to use what He has given you to advance His
Kingdom. See a need, fill a need!

o Hebrews 10:24-25
 No, you don’t have to be in a church to be a Christian, but that’s like
being a football player without a team.
 The enemy loves it when we go it alone.
 We NEED each other, especially in the days ahead.

 In sharing the Gospel and discipleship

o Matthew 28:18-20
 We have one mandate from Jesus, to spread the Good News!
 You are equipped to do this! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 & Psalm 119:105
 It’s simple: use your testimony and point them to the God of the
Bible!
 J. Vernon McGee – “Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather.”

 In impacting the culture
o We are living in a unique time, and not by accident.
 2 Timothy 3:1,13
 2 Timothy 4:1-5
o You have a ministry and were created for this point in time!
 Don’t be that person that waits for God to do something.
o Outside of creation and salvation, God has always partnered with His
people.
 Isaiah 6:8
 Do something for someone and expect nothing in return, be
involved, inject God’s righteousness into the culture!
 Fight for those that can’t (i.e., the unborn).
 Speak the Truth in love wherever and whenever you can!
 James 1:27
 1 John 3:16-18
 Don’t offer up lip service only, but actual service.
 “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do
nothing.” (This quote is commonly attributed to Sir Edmund Burke).

 Conclusion
o If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, do it today!
 Romans 10:9-10
 Grace says that there’s nothing you can do to make God love you
more, and there’s nothing you can do to make God love you less.
o If you are saved, don’t let complacency turn into a falling away!
 Revelation 3:14-19 - “I will vomit you out of My mouth”.
 Vomit – Strongs no. 1692 from the Greek word eméō (em-eh’-o)
which means to be repulsed, showing utter rejection (desiring total
separation); to reject with extreme disgust.
 You are all in or not in at all! To be complacent, or lukewarm, is to
risk incurring God's wrath.
 Mark 8:34-35
 Luke 12:16-21

 When you hold something of yourself back, when you don't
give God your all, you are literally robbing God!
 You also leave room for the enemy to sneak in and plant
seeds of complacency. Webster’s dictionary defines
complacency as, “self-satisfaction especially when
accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or
deficiencies.” Once sprouted, complacency can turn into
apathy, which is a lack of interest or concern (indifference),
and that will eventually lead to disdain, “a feeling of contempt
(scorn) for someone or something regarded as unworthy or
inferior.”
 It’s the digression of the sinful lifestyle diagrammed in Psalm
1:1.

 You are pursuing first the Kingdom of God, or you are NOT
pursuing the Kingdom of God at all!

o Warning: When doing good works, make sure your motives are pure!
 Philippians 2:3
 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
 Service done out of selfish intentions, instead of for the good
of others, will be shown lacking.
o If you are in the thick of it, don’t give up!
 2 Thessalonians 3:13
 Galatians 6:9
 Keep striving, and the day will come when you hear, “Well done,
good and faithful servant!”

o Time is short!
 Jesus did say to pay attention to the signs of the times.
 Your time is short because you don't know how much of it you
have!
 Get saved, then get busy! Don't get puked out!