Connect Isaiah 57:12 with Ephesians 2:8-9 on grace versus works. Seeing God’s Verdict on Human Effort Isaiah 57:12: “I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not profit you.” • The Lord announces He will lay bare every “righteous” deed people rely on. • “Expose” pictures pulling back the curtain—no work remains hidden. • Result: those works “will not profit.” However sincere or impressive, they cannot earn favor or life with God (cf. Isaiah 64:6). Grace on Display Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” • “By grace” points to God’s unearned kindness. • “Through faith” shows our response—trusting, not achieving. • “Not from yourselves… not by works” flatly rules out any contribution of human effort. • “So that no one can boast” echoes Isaiah’s warning: works leave us empty-handed, grace leaves us praising God. The Link: Works Exposed, Grace Offered • Isaiah 57:12 tears down self-reliance; Ephesians 2:8-9 builds up God-reliance. • Both passages confront the same issue from opposite sides: – Isaiah shows works failing. – Ephesians shows grace succeeding. • Together they paint one seamless gospel: when our deeds are uncovered and found wanting, Christ’s gift stands ready to save. Why Works Fail and Grace Succeeds • Works are tainted by sin (Romans 3:23). • Law reveals sin but cannot remove it (Romans 3:20). • Grace flows from God’s mercy, not merit (Titus 3:5). • The cross fully satisfies justice, making room for unstoppable grace (2 Corinthians 5:21). Living in the Light of Grace • Trade self-promotion for humble gratitude—“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). • Serve God eagerly, not to earn salvation but because salvation is already secured (Ephesians 2:10). • When tempted to measure worth by performance, remember Isaiah 57:12; when tempted to despair over failure, remember Ephesians 2:8-9. The exposure of our works drives us to the gift of grace; the gift of grace frees us to walk in works God now prepares for us. |
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