Unshackled Echo ~ January 28, 2017 ~ Called To Do Not To Don't

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

June 4, 2013 as Called To Do Not To Don't.

"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."

~ Ephesians 2:8-10

We don't come into relationship with God whole. Christians, like everyone else on the planet, are a broken and wounded people, at least at the start. That's why we need God. Before being exposed to the healing and restoration that comes from being in relationship with the Master Healer, we're a mess. For many it takes realizing that we have to find an answer to the hurt and destruction in our lives now or die that causes us to seek God with the desperation of the drowning.

The first two of the three verses above make it clear that salvation, relationship with God and His favor are gifts of His grace. They're not rewards for anything we've done or based on any goodness that we have. None of us came to God by filling out an application, having Him look at how we lived our lives and getting hired for the work of the kingdom based on being good enough or qualified in any way to do that work. We have never been good enough to please God, and on our own, never can be. We can't earn it. We'll never deserve what we have received. Period. The end.

But it's not the end. Because while we can't do good works to get relationship with God, He, by grace, made that relationship possible anyway, And the reason that He created us anew in Christ, as His masterpieces (New Living Translation) was so that we could do the good things that He planned for us long ago.

God planned for us to do good things! He remade us into His workmanship or masterpiece so that we could do good, not so that we could repay Him for His gift. It wasn't so that we could then be good enough to continue to receive His blessings and favor or have a right to be in the relationship. Rather so that we could help Him do for others what He has done for us, usually through someone else. 

We look at our lives and our past and see our shortcomings and defects. We see all the ways we messed up. And it's easy to feel like we'll be OK if we can stop living the way we used to or the way secular society does. It's easy to see why the world so often sees Christianity in a negative light. We present our faith in a negative, do nothing way. How often do we say things like "I'm a Christian. I don't do that." How often do we attempt to show to others and ourselves that we are walking with God by what we don't do? I'm a Christian; I don't wear clothes like that. I'm a Christian; I don't listen to or watch..... I'm a Christian; I don't say things like that, etc.

Now I'm not suggesting that we aren't called to holiness. We are. But we are to be known by what we do, not by what we don't do. Jesus said that you can tell what kind of tree you're looking at by the fruit it bears, not by the fruit that it doesn't bear. They are supposed to know that we are Christians, that we have found relationship with God, by our love for each other and for them.

If we dress a certain way, only listen to Christian music or watch "family" appropriate shows or however else we make out the outside of the cup for others to see, we may get the attention of the lost and the hurting. And it is good to be modest, to fill our eyes and ears with Godly material, to guard our tongue from cursing and gossip, etc. It keeps us from hurting our relationship, and it may be the first thing someone sees about us that sets us apart. But if that is all they see, they will only see religion. A suit and tie or long skirt and high neckline may set you apart from the world, but the love of God in your eyes and the smile of Christ on your face is what will show the possibility of hope and healing to the broken and hurting. 

We were created by God to have relationship with Him. And those who have entered into that relationship have been remade so that we can love those who naturally we would not. We are called to be the good Samaritan. The I don't do that attitude of religion is what kept the Pharisee and the priest on the other side of the road and separated from the dying man. But the Samaritan showed love and cared for the wounded. By doing so he fulfilled the work of God.

Yes, we are called to separate ourselves holy unto God. If we're walking with God it should be apparent that the way we live our lives is different from the way those who aren't walking with Him are living. But we are called into relationship to do good, not to stop doing bad. What should scream different to the world is what we do, how we love, and how the compassion of Christ flows through us to them. They need to see that a lot more than they need to see all the things they do that we don't. 

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the Unshackled Moments, Unshackled Echoes and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.