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 (RSV)
We generally have something that we don’t like about ourselves. Many times, we wish for a makeover. In this devotion, we discuss how salvation provides the way to remake ourselves.
Nuggets
- The first thing we need to do to work out our salvation is to make a total commitment.
- The second thing is living as God would have us live.
- Finding God’s Will for our lives is the third thing.
- To accomplish His Plan, God has prepared works for us based on our talents and nature.
In Ephesians 2: 9, Paul emphatically told us that works were not necessary for salvation. In verse 10, he told us that we were “… created in Christ Jesus for good works …” (Eph. 2: 10 RSV). Did the boy lose a screw switching from one verse to the next?
We have to look at this a little closer.
Let's Put It into Context
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus …” (Eph. 2: 10 RSV).
Usually, there are things we don’t like about ourselves. We would like to remake ourselves.
We are remade when we accept the gift of salvation. When we gain salvation, we are transformed. We become a spiritual as well as a physical being.
Sometimes, after we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we don’t feel like we’ve changed. We don’t feel we are God’s workmanship.
What we do feel is God was having an off day when we were created. There are a couple of reasons for that.
One, we tend to just look at the physical body. The list of the things that we don’t like about ourselves is generally long.
Cutting ourselves down is a consequence of the original sin. However, we are “… fearfully and wonderfully made …” (Ps. 139: 14 NIV).
Two, we forget that we are made a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (II Cor. 5: 17 ESV).
Churchy word alert. That is called regeneration. Yep, we probably could (and should) do a whole devotion on that sometime.
What does regeneration mean? It is the spiritual transformation through which God changes us from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive by instilling in us a holiness of heart and life.
We can’t see any of these changes since they are spiritual. Sometimes we don’t feel totally different — or we can go back to not feeling different.
But let’s go on to the “… created in Christ Jesus for good works …” part (Eph. 2: 10 RSV). We just spent a whole devotion on how it was faith, not works, and here Paul slips in good works.
To read So, What Are the Foundations of Salvation?, click the button below.
I know. I had trouble with that, too, at first. But I think Paul has it right.
Paul makes the argument that, by doing the good works, we become the creation that God has just recreated. He is saying, to me, that this is how we work out our salvation (Phil. 2: 12) and live a Christian life.
Good Works to Work Out Our Salvation
We could say that making the decision to ABC is the fairly easy part. The D part is a little more challenging.
The ABCDs of Salvation
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
God knew that it wouldn’t be easy. He also knew that a lot of us learn by doing.
Another thing God knew was it was probably going to take us a little time to get used to the idea that now we are disciples of Jesus. Remember, what Jesus taught was countercultural — then and today.
The first thing we need to do to work out our salvation is to make a total commitment. We have to believe that only He can — and will — change us. This is more than just head knowledge. This is believing it and putting it into action.
The second thing is the action — living as God would have us live. That encompasses faith, love, and obedience. Here are just some of the things for which He is looking.
- Transformation (Rom. 12: 2)
- Avoidance of sinful activities (Col. 3: 5-10)
- Followers of God’s Word (Jas. 1: 22-27)
- Quick to hear, slow to anger (Jas. 1: 19-20)
- Be kind and forgiving (Eph 4: 32)
- Be content (Heb. 13: 5)
- Be true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable (Phil. 4: 8-9)
It must be a daily, consistent walk with and for God. “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good” (Ti. 3: 1 NLT). We have to be ready to do His work.
We work out our salvation by being obedient in doing the good works God has for us. By doing those works, we are distinguished as being disciples.
Finding God’s Will for our lives is the third thing. Many times, we struggle with this. Satan tries very hard to distinguish what God has called us to do. We need to remember that God has plans prepared for us.
Good Works Prepared for Us — and We for Them
“… created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2: 10 RSV).
God’s Plan utilizes us to accomplish it. Our responsibility is not to just live our our lives. We are called to expand God’s kingdom.
To accomplish His Plan, God has prepared works for us based on our talents and nature. God knows He is not going to use me for anything math and science related. But He knows I can organize and teach.
Don’t know what your spiritual gifts are?
Take this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
God has prepared us to perform those tasks. He has given us natural abilities. He has also provided us with the capacity to learn. He knows that these tasks will grow us into the disciples we need to be.
Because it is God’s work that we will be doing, we will be successful at it. Now, we have to be careful that we don’t define success by the worldview. We will be successful in furthering God’s kingdom.
Let’s think of it this way. God knows we will be successful at what He has called us to do, so He expects great things for and from us.
There are also times where God can seem to suddenly take us in a different direction. We have to daily make sure we are following God’s Will. But read the last sentence of the last paragraph again. Even though plans have changed, God still expects great things from us. He can and will still use us.
Look at verse 10 again. “… created in Jesus for good works …” (Eph. 2: 10 RSV). Jesus is in heaven. We will continue working once we are called home. Remember, we have said that this life is a practice for our next life.
Making the Connections
What Paul means here by the term good works is living a Christian life. Good works means that we give God our best to complete whatever tasks He assigns for us to do.
We think of good works as activities we do. We don’t think of it as the worship and praise that we raise.
Growing up, we may have been programmed to watch out for our pride in our accomplishments. Matthew 5: 16 puts a little different spin on that. “Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5: 16 CEV).
Luckily, we aren’t on our own. God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and instruct us. He also inspires us to perform these works in love. God also uses the Holy Spirit to refresh us.
Don’t you think the good works are tied to the fruits of the spirit? It ties into what we were talking about in the last devotion.
To read How Should We Give Thanks to God?, click the button below.
Jesus said. “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act …” (Mt. 7: 16 NLT).
We said before that the fruits of the spirit show a pure heart: “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5: 22-23 HCSB).
Good works are going to come out of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and gentleness. We use these to glorify God.
How Do We Apply This?
How do we apply this? We live it.
The Disciple’s Job Description
To read How Should We Give Thanks to God?, click the button below.
Mission Statement
“… If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me”
(Mt. 16: 24 ESV).
Job Description
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Job Duty #3
Bring Him Glory (Matthew 5: 16)
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #7
Other Duties as Assigned
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1)
If you’ve read previous devotions, you know how much I struggled with is this really what God was calling me to do. I wish I would have known/remembered this then.
God has a plan for us. It is the best plan. He has equipped us. Get on board.
Verse 10 has verified what we discussed in the previous devotion. Works aren’t necessary for salvation. They are imperative for living for Christ.
Gracious Heavenly Father. You humble us. That You love us so much You devised a plan to restore our relationship with You is something more than we can understand. But You don’t stop there. You have developed a plan so that we may complete tasks that will further Your kingdom and grow us. You chose these tasks based on the abilities we possess and the interests that we have. You have equipped us to accomplish them given us the Holy Spirit to help us. Lord, we pray that we are successful in these plans so that — whatever he outcome — Your kingdom be expanded. Amen.
What do you think?
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