We are His Workmanship
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
God does all things well. Even when He made me. I am a sinner, but He has saved me; yes, even me.
Now that I am born again; He creates me in Christ Jesus. For we are His workmanship.
This comes from the pouring in of a mold.
We are to be molded in the same likeness as Jesus.
We are His workmanship from eternity past to yet eternity future.
In other words He has been molding us; in His plans, before we even were.
By natural circumstances to lead us to Himself.
And since we have been born again, He has been molding us by the Holy Spirit, in every situation.
This is the reason entire of our existence: to be molded into Jesus likeness, so we may do good works.
“Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
To ordain is to prearrange by His Authority, and to provide before all we need in the circumstances. And with the people; and especially with ourselves.
What are these good works?
They are Obediences to Christ in our world (the situations of our life); those things which the Lord would have us to do, which show us standing with Him, against the World, the Flesh and the Devil.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Paul, here, is not showing the Ephesian Christians how to be born again; they are born again.
But He is speaking of one of God’s Eternal Decrees.
This, Paul says, is what God Purposed for us :
To be saved by grace–the unmerited favor of power; God’s power.
Through faith–which is given to us by the Holy Spirit so we may come and believe.
Not of yourselves–Of course not, we can never please God in our own righteousness; For we have none.
It is the gift of God–and a gift is freely given; and either received or rejected.
Not of works–those works which we could come up with, to try and make us acceptable to God.
Lest any man should boast–Which is what we all would do, if we had anything to do with our being born again, besides to receive it.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus–molded, and still being molded; since our purpose is not done till we stand in His presence.
Unto good works, which God hath before ordained–these are the how and what we should do in our lives to please Him, personally.
For it is a person to Person life with Jesus
That we should walk in them–It is a walk with Jesus; in that purpose and doing those works which show we stand with Him.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 