How are you and your Titus 2 and helper works going? I'm hoping well:-)
I love that...His workmanship. I just wanted to title my post that because it's a precious and deep concept of what is going on in our life in Christ. And I'm not doing an in depth teaching on it, because that is for the godly men to do, but it's a great one for us sisters to ponder on and be reminded of and encouraged in! He does a good work in us! And has created us to do good works too! And we choose to surrender to Him...and continue in the faith.
This is that verse where it talks about this (and comes after the wonderful facts of God's gift of grace)...
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
He works in and with us doesn't He sisters as we submit to Him and follow after Him...walking in good works. And it's amazing to consider why He would have such mercy on us after we sinned. What a great God of redemption! What a bright hope we have! And we get to be His daughters!
Glad God gave specific instructions for us women here in the first part of Titus 2. Those sure cover a lot of different areas!
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:...
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
And in Christ we work with what He told us to do (as His workmanship unto good works) and we know these are not 'suggestions' to do if we feel like it. It even says God's word is blasphemed if we don't obey. That is not good. We don't want to do that!
So pretty cloud creations today...
And pretty blessings for food...
God's creations doing what they were made to. And we also want to do that!
After I had started work on this post I received this question from someone...
What a simple answer we sisters know, that Christ saves us! But that does not leave us unchanged, and our actions then so closely follow, after we are new in Him (through the gospel) as we become zealous for good works! We grow like Him and love the light and hate the dark. It may not happen all at once but we will be set on Christ and His ways and searching the scriptures and striving to obey.
So many try to separate things that can never be separated. There's no such thing as a sinful (full of sin/bad works) person going to be saved...because we know we repent to Christ...turn our allegiance from self to Him.
Glad Paul gave us warning (many in many places) of how we can be deceived and spoiled by man's false traditions...
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.Colossians 2:8
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
1 Timothy 4:16
If we are hoping to be saved by Christ...which we sisters trust His promise to do so...we sure better be following God's traditions and not man's. If we didn't (as we have them in front of us in His Word) then that would be proof we are none of His wouldn't it.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:9
Glad we're set free from the heavy burden of the old law and sacrifices though! We well could spend more time reading all we have been set free from for salvation...in order to see how easy Christ's yoke is (because many wrongly confuse freedom from the law with freedom to sin).
So we know that the only way to be delivered...is through Christ, but can I deliberately disobey His ways (commands/ traditions/doctrines) at will and often and not repent and still be His? I'd like to ask this of those who say that we're hoping to work our way to heaven.
So if I know God says don't kill people (a bad work)...so if I do and don't repent...well my sisters in Christ, you know what God's word says about that. That may be an extreme example yes, so let's say God commands for women to be silent in the body (a good work)...and instead I speak up, I become a Bible teacher to a whole group of men. I get warned by those who love God and care about my soul that that is disobedience...but I still keep on going. Not good for me...not abiding in Christ's love because I'm not keeping His commands. We can read what happens with that in John 15.
How strengthening it is to read His Word and see how holy He is and how He abhors sin...as do we. I'm not quite sure how we can say it any clearer and people don't believe us that we know that Christ saves us and we can't on our own...not a chance. But how can we then be careless...and fail the grace of God because sin leads to death?
Let's see this example...God's Word tells us women not to adorn externally with things such as makeup and jewelry...I know it says that (1 Timothy 2, 1 Peter 3)...but what if I go out and buy some and colour my hair and paint my nails and walk around seeking the attention of man...can I claim that I will be saved by Christ if I know it's wrong? Is He really my Master and Lord? No I would be my own god wouldn't I...how prideful. Not good.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6:24
God calls us women unto good works as His workmanship! What a wonderful thing He is doing in us! We cooperate with Him willingly.
For those people who say 'works' (which is obedience to God for us in the NT) are not so important...then I can go to drinking parties, wear pants, watch vile movies and TV and still hope to be saved by Christ if I just believe in Him. Obeying God just cannot be separated sisters from our life in Christ can it. It is proof we are even His. We know He owns us. It's a great mess of confusion if we go that path of saying sin doesn't effect our salvation...for we know the Word says otherwise.
We don't even want to get close to tempting God by living in sin...like the couple in Acts 5 do we? I don't. Sisters....let's keep on fearing God, following after our Saviour who has worked a miracle in us, made the way for those who obey Him.
So many people cry "works don't save us" to us...as if we sisters believed that when we never did. We all need to be strong because there are many who cause sincere people wanting to please their God and Saviour by following Him and they are told they don't have to and are stumbled. Be strong sisters and ready to give an answer of the truth!
Let's abide in Christ's amazing love...and then we will not have to face His wrath and judgment. It doesn't matter what man thinks of us sisters does it. Don't let anyone deceive you sisters and say "do we really have to obey God to be saved"? They can make us feel guilty for purely wanting to please our God...but we look for His approval. He knows sisters...He knows who are His! I treasure and praise you sisters who love God which is your obedience to Him!
We have this hope sisters...
Well I must go sisters! Hope to be back tomorrow. Let's keep serving the Lord with a pure and fervent heart! Let's be faithful to our God who owns us and give Him glory! And let's keep shining our light and perhaps someone will repent and truly follow Christ our holy Saviour! We hope they do because we love their souls and don't want any to perish.
Love in Christ,
Sister Michaela
Find the gospel explained here.