Are You Living on 110 or 220?

Last Friday I met with a good friend so that we could encourage one another in the Lord, and spend some time in prayer. Somewhere along the way, he asked me a question someone had asked him sometime back: "Are you living on 110, or 220?" 

"Huh?" I responded. 

"Well," he said, "Galatians 1:10 says, 'For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.' So, to live on 110 is to live in the fear of others." 

"Hmm, I get it - living on 110 is not a good thing!" 

"On the other hand," he continued, "Galatians 2:20 says, 'I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.' So, to live on 220 is to live by faith in Jesus Christ." 

"I see - living on 220 is a great thing!" 

So, are you living on 110 or 220? 

Our Only Obligation - Really?

Yesterday I shared about how Ephesians 2:10 encouraged me last Tuesday as I returned to work from two weeks vacation by reminding me that my only obligation in life is to walk in the good works that God my Father has already created for me. This thought was, and has continued to be, so freeing and joy-producing for me, and I pray that it will bless you as well. 

That said, it occurred to me yesterday that someone might object to this thought and suggest instead that our only obligation is to love the Lord our God and our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:28-34). In other words, someone might say that I've overstated the practical implications of Ephesians 2:10. 

This is a fair objection, but I would suggest that the primary work that God has prepared for us from before the foundation of the world is that we should love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then love our neighbors as ourselves. We are saved by grace, we are granted the works of God by grace, we walk in these works by grace, and as we do, we learn above all things to love as God wants us to love. 

So, after giving this some thought, I'm still willing to say that our only obligation in life is to walk in the good works that God our Father has already prepared for us. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. May the Lord richly bless us as we embrace the life he's prepared for us! 

Our Only Obligation

Yesterday I returned to work after two weeks of vacation, and to be honest, I wasn't ready to do so. It's been a challenging year, and while our time away was refreshing, I felt that I needed just a bit more time. But alas, I had to go to work! 

So, I got up, ate breakfast, put myself together, and spent some time in the Word. Among other things, I read Ephesians 1-6 and while I've given much thought to Ephesians 2:10 over the years, this verse gripped my heart and prepared me to take on the day and begin a new year of ministry. 

Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 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, emphasis mine).

Part of my reluctance to return to work was the anticipation of what might be awaiting me there. What had I forgotten to do before I left? Have any fires erupted in my absence and how serious are they? Who's upset with me about what, and how upset are they? While these are understandable concerns for a pastor or any leader returning to work, the Lord used Paul's well known words to minimize my anxiety and maximize my joy in him and the role he's called me to play.

Specifically, as I meditated on verse 10, it dawned on me that if God the Father has created me in Christ Jesus to do good works and has even prepared the works he wants me to do "beforehand" (which I take to mean "from before the foundation of the world"), then my only obligation in life is to walk in them. All I have to do is look to him, listen to him, and walk with him--period. He's already prepared the way. He already knows what's coming. He's committed to providing me with everything I need to do his will. He's fully prepared to use all things to exalt his glory by shaping me into the image of his Son and my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I look to my Father, listen to him, and walk with him, the things I do may or may not be pleasing to others. The things I do may lead others to bless or curse me. Whatever the case, my only obligation is to walk in the works that God my Father has already prepared for me. Hopefully, I will always be open to the counsel, critique, and even criticism of others. I have much to learn, and much growing to do. But again, my only obligation in life is not to please people or avoid suffering, rather, it is to walk in the works that God my Father has already prepared for me.

In this case, what's true for me is true for everyone who lives by faith in Jesus Christ--our only obligation is to walk in the works that God our Father has already prepared for us. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. May this truth set us free!