4-27-14. Ephesians 2:8-10. God Created Each Of Us For Good Works That He Prepared In Advance-my devotional
God Created Each Of Us For Good Works That He Prepared In Advance
Ephesians 2:8-10 Reflection by Kevin E. Jesmer
Key verse 2:10 4-27-14
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (ESV)
God is our Creator and our Heavenly Father. He made us and he saved us by his grace. Verses 2:8-9 read. “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.” What then was God’s purpose for our salvation? Look at verse 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Each one of us was created by a loving God for a good purpose. But, before meeting Jesus, when we were slaves of sin, following the desires of our sinful nature, we could not do the good works for which God created us for. But God saved us by his grace. He loved us and he set us free, so that we might serve him without fear and glorify his name. God saved us as his workmanship to do good works. Workmanship is something made or produced. God is the Workman and we are his workmanship, the product of the workman. God is the potter and we are the clay. A potter takes a lump of clay in his hands and molds and shapes it until it is done according to his plan and design. God is working hard to remold and shape us according to his perfect plan and design, like a craftsman producing a masterpiece.
We became God’s workmanship when we were created in Christ Jesus. No one becomes God’s workmanship by his own decision. God recreated us, who were once spiritually dead, to be alive in Christ Jesus. Those who are new creations in Christ Jesus are God’s workmanship and have a part to play in the eternal purposes of God. When God created His plan for the history of the world He planned on using his children. God created good works especially for each of them. When one finds, and actually does, these good works they bring glory to the name of the Lord. We find the purpose of life and deep happiness when we do the unique good works which God wants us to do.
Some may be wondering how they can know these good works that God has called them to do. We can say that they are unique and personal. They are from God. We are led into them along life’s journey, by God. No one can really tell you that these are the good works that you need to do. Then how do you know? I have been a Christian for 28 years and for many years I was unaware what God was doing. I was unaware of his plan for my life. But, yet I was doing the good works that God had intentioned for me. So how do we know?
Pastor Steve Leston suggests that if you made the following five things an active pursuit of your life, you would begin to walk in the works God has prepared for you from the creation of the world. These five active pursuits are derived from the Book of Ephesians and are as follows:
- The importance of being unified in the body of Christ
- The importance of exposing the deeds of darkness in the world
- The importance of building each other up in love
- The importance of being mission minded in my earthly pursuits
- The importance of being gospel strong in the world
Pastor Steve also stated that walking in the works of God is not just found in doing things, it is found in living for the things that God exists for. Think of these things that God exists for.
- God exists to build a body
- God exists to reveal His righteousness
- God exists to show grace and mercy to people
- God exists to advance His kingdom in the world
- God exists to make His name known among the nations
The key to finding the good works God has in store for you is to pray – “God change my heart and mind so that I would live for what you live for.”
(Pastor Steve Leston: Unpacking the Meaning of the Incarnation. What is the Point of Life?
Ephesians 2:4-10. 12-9-12)
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