This morning, I want to answer this question, “What Good Is It to Obey God?”
We are focusing on four habits/attitudes that every family should have in this series.
Families are so much fun. Teenagers are so much fun! I recently watched a funny compilation by Chip Leighton, a father of two who has been married for twenty years. Here is a compilation of texts one daughter sent to her parents.
“Send me a pic of your signature. Please don’t ask any questions.”
“My friends are almost here. Make sure dad stays in the basement.”
“Don’t bring homemade. We don’t need to look like pilgrims.”
“Can you send the prom picture you took – except not the ones with you and dad in them.”1
I hope you laugh with your family. And I hope your family is a place of peace and joy for you.
Find Ephesians 2 with me, if you will.
Series Overview
We continue a series dedicated to the home entitled Give Me THAT Attitude. Often, we tell our children, “Don’t you give me that attitude.” This is the exact opposite. These are attitudes we want. The series highlights attitudes that every home should have in abundance.
Your family is blessed when everyone seeks to obey the Lord. Find Ephesians 2 with me, and I’ll be there momentarily. In just a moment, I want you to see how the Bible answers the question: Since God’s Grace Saves Me, Can’t I Do Anything I Want?
To help highlight the happiness that comes to us when we have to obey, here are 3 Quick Hitters that I hope convince you.
1. God Is in Your Corner When You Obey
The Bible says God favors people who obey Him: “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).
Do you want God’s blessing and favor in your life? Then, clothe yourself with humility. Do you want God’s blessing and favor in your life? Then, be subject to the elders in your life. So, when you are to be humble, it’s like God’s wind is behind you, like wind in your sails. When you are arrogant and proud, God will oppose you like pushing against the wind.
Again, God Is in Your Corner When You Obey. God's favor flows where obedience thrives. Obedience to God isn't a burden—it's the wind in your sails. Even those who are persecuted around the globe for following Christ have an internal peace because they are obeying the God of the Universe.
1. God Is In Your Corner When You Obey
2. Obey God to Become a Better Witness
Jesus commands us, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Christians who selectively obey God are terrible advertisements for Jesus. Christians who pick and choose when and where to obey God are terrible witnesses for Jesus.
2.1 Ravi Zacharias
Many of you know the name Ravi Zacharias. Zacharias was a globally renowned Christian apologist and evangelist. Zacharias was highly respected for his intellectual defense of the Christian faith, and he preached to millions worldwide. After Zacharias passed away in 2020, several women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, including inappropriate messages, unwanted touching, and manipulation involving massage therapists at spas he owned. These allegations were later substantiated by an investigation conducted by his own ministry. Need I tell you how this impacts those who have yet to embrace Christ? How many people have you spoken to who refuse to believe in Jesus because of a hypocritical believer? There are too many to count. When you humbly obey God, you are a multiplier witness at school, work, and in your family.
2.2 Beethoven and Grady Tucker
By the way, there are so many hypocritical believers out there; how do you deal with this? One of our high school students, Grady Tucker, gives us good insight at this point. When you attend a classical concert, and someone terribly performs a stunning piece by Beethoven, like "Ode to Joy," we don't diminish Beethoven's brilliance. If someone just murders Moonlight Sonata on the piano, I don’t think less of the genius of Beethoven; I think less of the pianist. If someone murders Christianity by acting a fool, sleeping around, and abusing power, all the while claiming to be a believer, I shouldn’t think less of the brilliance of Jesus.
I should think less of the foolish hypocrite.
1. God Is In Your Corner When You Obey
2. Obey God to Make a Better Witness
3. If You Want to be Happy, Obey the Lord
Whenever you see the word “bless” in the Bible, you can think happy. “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you” (Psalm 128:1-2).
Many Christians selectively obey God like it’s a cafeteria. “I’ll obey God when He tells me to love my neighbor, but I’ll sleep with my boyfriend.” “I’ll obey God when He tells me to be honest, but I’m not sharing the money I earn.” Remember this when you don’t want to obey God: Every one of God’s commands when He says, “You Shall…” comes with a sign that says, “Help yourself to happiness.” Remember this when you don’t want to obey God: Every one of God’s commands when He says, “You Shall Not …” comes with a sign that says, “Stay away from misery.” Ask your buddy how happy he is after committing adultery.
The Bible says, “He who despises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is gracious to the poor” (Proverbs 14:21, NASB). The Bible says if you want to be happy, be kind to the poor. (GNT) Believers are happy when we obey God. If you claim to be a believer and homosexual, you are internally miserable. If you claim to be a believer and homosexual, and you are not unhappy, it’s likely that you are a counterfeit believer. Obedience brings internal peace and joy. Disobedience brings internal conflict and anxiety to a believer.
Today’s Scripture
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 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).
In the moments to come, I want to answer this question: Since God’s Grace Saves Me, Can’t I Do Anything I Want? Can you think of someone who says they are a Christian but treats obeying God as optional? Can you think of someone who says they are a believer and sleeps around with others, ignoring the Bible’s command to honor the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4)? Can you think of someone who says they are a believer but is stingy by not giving their money to Christian causes but live a lavish lifestyle instead? Can you think of someone who says they are a believer but never goes to a Bible study, church service, or pray with anyone, and they are not bothered by this? Families, children, teens, and young adults will ask, “Since God’s Grace Saves Me, Can’t I Do Anything I Want?”
Many Americans hear about the cross and God’s grace and automatically believe they can do whatever they want. God designed Ephesians 2:8-10 to show why we should obey God. The beautiful logic to this passage is so simple: Grace leads to faith, leads to works. When God’s Grace awakens faith, it will lead you into a lifestyle of greatness.
1. God’s Grace Saves Me
“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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For many here this morning, this is one of your most favorite passages in all of the Bible. Ephesians 2:8 is so simple and straightforward. You could even put Ephesians 2:8 right above Jesus on the cross.
1.1 Obedience Is Optional
It seems many of our young adults grow up on a message of grace only to run from Christianity and church in their young adult years. Like disconnecting a truck cab from the trailer, many American “believers,” both young and old, have disconnected God’s grace from how we are to act.
Let’s turn back to the Bible for some help.
1.2 Jaw-Dropping
Ephesians 2:8-9 is jaw-dropping. It’s a too good to be true kind of statement. Dads, tell your kids that Ephesians 2:8-9 is more beautiful than owning a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback. Moms, tell your kids Ephesians 2:8-9 is even better than finding a Louis Vuitton handbag at an estate sale when the seller has it priced next to nothing. Again, Ephesians 2:8-9 is jaw-dropping.
When the Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved,” it means you are saved by God’s actions 100%.
1.3 Do You Mean to Tell Me?
Have you ever listened close to someone making you a sales pitch, and it’s so unbelievable that you ask, “Do You Mean to Tell Me?” Something is so outlandish that you have to wonder if you really heard correctly. If I told you that I fell 35,000 feet from an airplane and walked away with only some bumps and bruises, you might be tempted to ask me, “Do You Mean to Tell Me that you fell 35,000 feet and walked away?” So, Ephesians 2:8-9 is so unbelievable that God would require nothing from us but only to repent of our sins and accept Him by faith… …you might be tempted to ask, “Do You Mean to Tell Me that I do nothing to earn my salvation and God does it all?” Yes, that’s right.
1.2.1 What Is Grace?
Grace is God’s inexhaustible capacity to forgive you and bless you despite what you’ve done.2 Grace is doing something good for someone who not only doesn’t deserve it, but he/she deserves the exact opposite.
1.2.2 Three Layers
The Bible offers three phrases to help us understand how we are saved by 100% grace in verses 8 and 9: “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works….” Think of these as three layers to address the question, “Do You Mean to Tell Me?”.
1. “this is not your own doing …”
So, it’s not from any human effort whatsoever.
2. “it is the gift of God …”
Gifts have to come from somewhere. If I went home to see a new car in the driveway, I’d ask my wife, “How did that get there?” God Himself has gifted this to you.
3. “not a result of works …”
The only thing you add to your relationship with God is your sin. It’s 100% God’s work and 0% your work. It’s as if you’ve asked Paul, “Do you mean to tell me,” he answers you with these three layers: “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works….”
Every house needs to go over God’s grace like you would teach how to tie your tennis shoes. Dads need to go over God’s grace, like teaching your child how to tie a necktie. Moms need to reinforce God’s grace like teaching your child how to ride a bike. Every family needs a firm grasp of the grace of God.
Before I turn to the question at hand, “Since God’s Grace Saves Me, Can’t I Do Anything I Want?,” I want to make sure everyone appreciates the value of God’s grace here.
1.3 No Other Religion Teaches Grace
When the Bible teaches that you are saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone, you need to know that no other world religion teaches this. Not one. In Islam, salvation comes from a combination of faith in Allah, good deeds, and divine mercy. Hinduism teaches that there are multiple paths to salvation (moksha). Yes, there is a concept of grace in Hinduism, but grace in Hinduism is typically acheived through one's devotion and righteous actions. In Buddhism, salvation (nirvana) is not achieved through divine grace but through individual effort, meditation, and moral living. Our Sikh friends teach that salvation (union with God) is attained through divine grace (Nadar) and righteous living, including meditating on God’s name and living ethically. Jews teach that salvation is primarily linked to obedience to God's laws (Torah). Lastly, our LDS friends believe the Book of Mormon, which says, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23).
In every single world religion, you do your part, and then God does His part. But Jesus and Christianity say you are saved 100% by the grace of God and 0% by what you do.
1.4 Is That Your Astonished Face?
I’m not sure people really get that because as I look around no one is overwhelmed with wonder and shock. Nobody faints when I say that. The Brits call it gobsmacked, and we call it astonished. We should all be gobsmacked and astonished at the message that God saves by grace alone. Imagine if I took your ancestors from the Civil War and showed them how to make a Facetime call with an iPhone in their hands. That’s gobsmacked! Imagine if I took Leonardo da Vinci into a time travel machine to show him the interest, the security, and the protocols to see his Mona Lisa. They would be astonished!
1.5 A Corner on the Market
Because we lack the proper astonishment, let’s pause to consider this if grace were a business. What if grace were a commodity like gold and silver or a business? If grace were a business, then many would say that Jesus and Christianity have cornered the market. Some investors in the room know that Nivida has a tremendous technological edge in AI computer chips. The stock is through the roof in the early parts of 2024. As good as that is, Jesus and Christianity are NOT Nivida. Jesus and Christianity do NOT just have a competitive edge over Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. They have cornered the market; Christianity has a monopoly on grace. Let me say it again: Jesus has a monopoly on grace. If grace were operating under the business rules of our nation, then the American government would seek to break them up. The courts would tell Jesus you have an unfair advantage.
Pause and consider: can you imagine the pressure you’d feel if your eternal destiny was based on your daily success and your personal choices?3
1. God’s Grace Saves Me
2. Since God’s Grace Saves Me, Can’t I Do Anything I Want?
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
2.1 It Doesn’t Matter What I Do?
Because of God’s grace, people will then ask, “It Doesn’t Matter What I Do What I Do Then?” Like disconnecting a truck cab from the trailer, many American “believers” have disconnected God’s grace from how we are to act.
“Jesus died for my sins? I’m going to sleep around with whoever!”
“Jesus died for my sins? Forgive my enemies? They can go to hell!”
Some are sitting here saying to themselves, “Then I can do whatever I want to do, and God forgives me by His grace. I can simply pray this prayer, and God will forgive me.” The logic of this seems flawless.
2.2 Ephesians 2:10 to the Rescue!
Ephesians 2:10 comes riding to the rescue as soon as we think this. The logic of verse 10 is that it flows directly from verses 8 and 9, like a river flowing into the sea. The beautiful logic to this passage is so simple: Grace leads to faith, which leads to good works. When God’s Grace awakens faith, it will lead you into a lifestyle of greatness. Let me show you.
2.3 “Workmanship”
When grace and faith in Christ come into your life, you become His workmanship. The word “workmanship” in verse 10 is used only twice in your New Testament. The word “workmanship” is a little Greek word poiema (Pee ma), from which we get our word poem. You could write the word “poem” over the word “workmanship” in verse 10. It means believers are a work of art. Art is beautiful, art is valuable, and art is an expression of the inner being of the maker, of the artist. Imagine what that means. Let’s put verses 8-10 all together: when God’s grace and faith in Christ come into your life, you become a work of art. You’re beautiful, you’re valuable, and you’re an expression of the very inner being of the Artist, the divine Artist, God Himself.4 When the Bible says, “For we are his workmanship,” the Bible is saying you are a new creation. The cross of Jesus had made you new.
2.4 “For Good Works”
Why did God make you new? What purpose did God have in mind to make you into a new creation? He “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Think of the cross as a conveyor belt in a widget factory. Your good works are the widget. God’s purpose in saving you was to produce “good works.” Good works, like feeding the poor. Good works, like forgiving people who’ve hurt you. God designed Christians to practice good works. Grace leads to faith, which leads to good works.
2.5 Prepare Beforehand
Please note the phrase, “which God prepared beforehand.” The Bible tells us that God has a plan. God’s grand plan is to put His Son on the cross so you will live a life of compassion. God’s grand plan is to put His Son on the cross so you will be generous with your money. God’s grand plan is to put His Son on the cross so you will be free of anger but filled with patience. God’s grace saves us, but it also shapes us. This is the plan all along. God has “prepared [this] beforehand.” Does grace mean I can ignore God's commands about sexual purity or generosity? Certainly not! Grace transforms and empowers your obedience (Titus 2:11-12). God’s Grace awakens faith and leads you into a lifestyle of greatness.
2.6 The Sculptor and His Clay
When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He said, “I’m going to die, I’m going to bleed, for your beauty. I’m going to turn you into something beautiful. I’m out to turn you into something splendid, magnificent. I’m the Artist, and you’re the art. I’m the Painter, and you’re the canvas. I’m the Sculptor, and you’re the marble. You don’t look like much there in the quarry, but I can see what you can be.”5
If God is the Sculptor and you’re the marble, that means he may be coming at you right now with a big chisel. It means His chisel may be coming after something in your life right now. He is knocking ugly behavior and attitudes off of you like a sculptor would his marble. If the Sculptor says it needs to go, then you don’t need it. You insist, “I have to have that! I have to have that!” “No,” says the Artist. The troubles in your life are His chisel. You were made to do good works from eternity past. Why not allow the Artist to make your life beautiful?
EndNotes
1 https://www.instagram.com/the_leighton_show/; accessed September 17, 2024.
2 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Grace,”Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988),vol 1: 899.
3 https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/mormon-friend/; accessed September 17, 2024.
4 Timothy J. Keller, “God’s Workmanship,” The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
5 Timothy J. Keller, “God’s Workmanship,” The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
