Ephesians 2:8-10
“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.”
The big message today is: Our work in the world should be a reflection of God’s work in us.
Verses 8-9 declare that we are saved by God’s grace. Salvation is a gift from God that is received by faith. Salvation is not the result of human effort or good works. We don’t achieve salvation; we humbly receive it.
Verse 10 declares that we are created in Christ for the purpose of doing his works. We are not saved for ourselves, we are saved for him. We are not saved for our purposes, we are saved for his purposes. We are “created” in Christ Jesus. This is a very powerful truth. We are built, made, fashioned, crafted … to do good works.
You are a unique creation of God. God formed you. Sin deformed you. In Christ, God is transforming you.
The word workmanship comes from the Greek word poiema, which means work of art and from which we get our English word poem. What a wonderful, powerful truth! You are God’s work of art. God is the Master Craftsman, and you are his masterpiece. God is at work in you and through you to accomplish his purposes.
As a child of God and one in whom the Spirit of God resides, you have access to the power of the Holy Spirit. God has given you the strength to live the Christian life and do the work of the kingdom. God has given you talents and abilities that uniquely equip you to fulfill his calling on your life.
This is what Paul means when he says you are God’s “workmanship.” God is working in you to accomplish his work through you.
What are the “good works” for which God created us? Some commentators think these are special things that God has foreordained we should do. I don’t think so. Paul here is referring to all of the activities we engage in every day. It is the “have dominion” command from Genesis. In our jobs the work that we do should reflect the work of the Master Craftsman in our life. The same goes for our actions at home, in the community, and in the fellowship of the church.
Yes, at times and in some circumstances the Lord may call you to do something special, but never forget that everything you do every day is “special” because it flows from your relationship with Jesus. The Lord transforms menial, everyday tasks into something unique and special.
Here is another way to express what Paul is teaching. When we look back on our work day, did we do “good work” by God’s standards? Was our work done with quality? With the necessary level of effort? With the right motives? How did we interact with our co-workers? What kind of experience did we deliver to other people? Did we do our work in a way that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
We can ask the same questions about family life. When we look back at time with our spouse and children, did we do “good work” by God’s standards? Did we fully engage with our families? Did we listen and communicate with them? Did we encourage and love them? What kind of experience did we deliver to our family? Did we interact with our family in a way that reflects the presence of Christ in our life?
It is an amazing truth: God is the Master Craftsman, and we are his masterpiece. We are created in Christ Jesus to do the everyday work of his kingdom.
Again, our work in the world should be a reflection of God’s work in us.
