The study I've been working on is the Ephesians Bible study from Good Morning Girls. For the Scripture Sundays, I'll just select some of the verses I have worked on and share how I used the SOAP method of Bible study. For today's lesson, we were to look at Ephesians 2:1-10, but I chose to write out and study only verses 8-10. Here we go:
S= "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.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)
O= We were dead in our trespasses and sins. But God, because He is rich in mercy, has made us alive. We are saved by His grace, through faith. This is nothing we can do ourselves. It is the gift of God. We are God's workmanship. We are not saved by our good works, as these verses make abundantly clear, but we've been created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of doing good works -- work that He has planned for us to do.
Verse 10 is considered to be the key verse of the book of Ephesians.
A= It's completely amazing and mind-boggling that God would choose to use people like us -- that we could ever do good works to bring glory to Him. Of course this is not anything that we could do in and of ourselves, any more than we could save ourselves. The thought of being God's workmanship -- His work of art -- is so humbling and such a blessing to think about. I'm so thankful that God has showed me clearly how He would have me to glorify Him and for the gifts and talents He has given me to use in this work.
P= "Lord, it would take me years (and will take eternity) to fully praise You for Your grace and for all that You have done in saving me. It is incredibly humbling that You would choose to use me and other believers to bring honor and glory to You. I thank You for helping me to clearly understand Your purpose in saving me, and that you've shown me specifically just how you want me to glorify You with my life. I pray that You will help me to be faithful in doing so. In Jesus' name, Amen."
As Courtney, the author of the Bible study, notes in the Reflection Question, "Works do not save us but instead, after our salvation, we are compelled to do good works for His glory. What is the work that you feel God has called you to do?"
My answer: * To bring honor and glory to Him using the spiritual gifts and the talents He has equipped me with -- to use these to encourage and edify other believers and to point unbelievers to Him. *
And there is this week's Sunday Scripture. Hope it was a blessing to you!
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