Tag: good works

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Ephesians Devotionals

What God has prepared

Walking with God

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, ESV)

Yesterday marked my 30th anniversary of coming to Japan. When I first came here in 1995, I had no idea I would be here this long.

But I found out over the years that God had plans for me here that he planned ahead of time for me to do.

It’s amazing for me to think back on.

But it struck me that there are still more things God has prepared for me to do. I don’t know what they are. But I want to keep my eyes open to the things God has prepared for me and to walk in them.

My prayer is that you would do the same.

Because it’s not just me.

We are Christ’s workmanship.

We were created in Christ Jesus for good works.

God has prepared good works for us that we might walk in them.

And to do so…together.

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Ephesians Devotionals

Created to serve God’s kingdom

Ephesians

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

As I read that verse today, I thought about the phrase “good works.”

Paul says that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works.

But what does he mean by “good works?” Does he simply mean, reading our Bibles, praying, going to church, and showing random acts of kindness?

Certainly, all those are good things. But Paul goes on to say, “which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

Which seems to go far beyond reading our Bibles, praying, going to church, and doing random acts of kindness.

God has a work he has prepared for each one of us. So let us all take time to seek him and find out what he would have us do.

Father, before I was even born, you had plans for me.

Plans for good works in which I would touch the people around me with your love.

Plans in which I make a difference for your kingdom.

Holy Spirit, speak to me. What does my Lord want to say to his servant?

Show me the good works you’ve prepared ahead of time for me to do.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Ephesians

God’s masterpiece

God's masterpiece

I really love this verse.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

The NLT puts it, “We are God’s masterpiece.”

We’re not simply some slop God threw together because he had nothing better to do.

He took great care and joy in putting us together. He made us just as he wanted us to be. And when he looks at us, he beams with pride at what he has made.

The thing I noticed today was that second phrase, though: “created in Christ Jesus.”

I’ve always linked that back to our original creation, to the time when God put us in our mother’s womb. And to some degree, that’s probably true.

But when I see that phrase, “in Christ Jesus,” it makes me think that’s not what Paul is talking about.

Although we can rightfully say that Christ did create us in our mother’s womb, we never see those exact words in scripture.

I think what Paul is saying here is that when we became Christians, we were created anew in Christ.

We see that in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

And when God created us anew in Christ, he did not do so with the intention that we simply live for ourselves once again, falling back into our sinful patterns.

Rather he created us anew for the good works that he prepared in advance for us to do.

In other words, when he created us and recreated us, he already had plans in mind for us. He had things he wanted us to do. People he wanted us to touch.

And so the question we need to be asking moment to moment, day to day is this: “Lord what do you have prepared for me today? What is it that you want me to do? Who is it that you want me to touch?”

Too often we go through our days never giving a thought to the things God has in mind for us to do. And because of that, we miss out on a lot of the things he had planned for us during the day.

There are probably too many days I have had like that.

Let us not live that way. Today is not just another ordinary day. God has specific things in mind for you today. Let’s keep our eyes open for what they are.

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Romans

But aren’t we exaggerating a bit?

Romans

I don’t think I can go on in this passage without addressing at least one major objection, that being, “Isn’t Paul exaggerating a bit here?

I mean…no one seeks God? I know many people that are seeking God. And no one does good? I know lots of people who do good things.”

Let’s take both questions one at a time.

What does Paul mean that no one seeks God?

We find the answer back in Romans 1, where Paul tells us that people rejected the knowledge God gave them concerning himself, whether it was the witness of creation, the witness of their consciences, or the witness of God’s written Word.

Instead, they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and while they said they were seeking God, they were following after things that were not gods at all (Romans 1:25).

In some cases, they followed idols. In other cases, they corrupted scripture’s teaching of God and started following a different Jesus Christ, a different gospel, and a different Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4).

“But I’m a Christian. I don’t belong to a cult or another religion. I started seeking after God and he saved me.”

That may be true. But it’s only an incomplete picture of what really happened to you. You see, long before you chose Jesus, he chose you. (John 15:16)

Long before you started seeking him, he was seeking you. (Luke 19:10)

The only reason you started seeking God was because he loved you first and started seeking you. He took the blinders off so that you could see your need for him and start going after him.

But had God left you to your own devices, there is no way you would have ever started to go after him.

No one seeks God on their own. They seek God because he touches their lives first. And if you take a careful look at your life, you will come to realize just how he did that.

What then does Paul mean when he says there is no one who does good?

Let’s put it this way. Imagine you make a cake, but instead of using sugar, you intentionally put in salt. When it’s done, the cake looks good on the outside, but is it edible? No. The only thing you can do is throw it out.

That’s what our “good works” are like when we have turned our backs on God.

Doing “good works” when all the while, you’re salting them with an attitude of rebellion against God makes those deeds worthless in his eyes.

Your works may look good, but your attitude of rebellion against God makes it impossible for him to accept them.

The prophet Isaiah puts it this way,

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

In short, no one is saved because of the good things they do or because of some inner goodness within them that sets them apart from other people.

We can only be saved by God’s grace alone, and we’ll see that more as we go along.