Created for Good Works

Good morning, welcome, please open your Bibles to Ephesians 2.

New sermon series begins next week- The Hymnal.

Exploring the biblical and theological themes of hymns younger and older.

Read Ephesians 2:10- “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Pray.

A nice summary of everything that Paul has said throughout the first 9 verses of chapter 2.

We are reminded this morning that all of what has been said up to this point is meant to make a difference in the way that we live.

This is not mere head knowledge. It is meant to be consumed to give us energy for life in Jesus Christ.

Oscar Joseph- “In his lofty flights of though the apostle always has some practical and homely end in view. The earthly and heavenly, the mystical and the matter-of-fact were not distant and repugnant, but interfused in his mind. The love which viewed us from eternity, the counsels of Him who works all things in all, enter into the humblest of daily duties.”

We are always meant to see how our faith, trust, hope and belief impact those daily decisions made in all of life.

1. We are God’s creation.

Let’s begin here. Notice what the text says- We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.

Masterpiece- somehow drawing attention to self.

We all likely know ourselves to have God as our Creator, but Paul is making a different sort of point here. He is not speaking of our physical creation.

Creation is spiritual.

Language that is found all throughout the Bible, but in particular, the NT.

2 Corinthians 5:17- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

What used to be has been put to death and God has brought new life.

Colossians 3:9-10- “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Taken a step further to realize that this new creation, or new self, has implications for the way in which we live. Don’t lie. That is the old self.

Romans 6:4- “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Called here to walk in newness of life- all of life is meant to display our spiritual resurrection.

Ephesians 4:21-24- “...assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Paul describes the new life- living rightly and holy.

The language is constant. Paul here is not speaking of all mankind, but instead, those for whom all of the blessings noted have been promised and have taken place.

Creation assumes purpose.

This is why the language of creation is so important.

When we consider the physical creation of people, we are meant to see that they were given godly purpose.

When man and woman were in right relationship with God, they were called to obey His commands.

God had made their bodies and gave purpose to their bodies.

Now consider rebirth, new creation, from spiritual death to spiritual life.

When God creates, God gives purpose.

So, what is this purpose?

2. We have been created for God’s works.

I am guessing that we all know human nature well enough to know why v. 10 was necessary.

V. 8-9- You’re saved by God’s grace, saved by faith, all of which God gives to you, and you have no room to boast in yourself, your goodness, or your efforts.

Perhaps the greatest challenge to the doctrines of grace- Well then what is any of this life for? Why be holy? Why be righteous? Why evangelize? Why pray?

Loaded with questions when it comes to understanding grace and faith. Or God’s sovereignty and providence and our own human responsibilities.

Likely, these are questions we all ask regardless of our view on grace.

Thus, we find ourselves paralyzed when we can’t fully comprehend the deepest puzzles of God.

Here is where I find myself encouraged this morning. Even when I am swimming among the answers that I can’t quite hold onto, there is a truth that I can grasp.

We were created in Christ to do good works.

Titus 2:11-14- “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

Our comprehension of any theology is meant to drive us in this direction- What are you doing with the knowledge that you have and after which you seek?

Paul answers the question- you are created for good works, for what God designed this world to be about.

For so many, their faith ends with them. It’s personal. It’s private. It’s appreciated, but never shared.

Thus, we begin to believe that faith is merely thinking certain truths.

Consider the Christian faith of many in America- Yes I am a Christian because I believe in God.

Elizabeth Elliot and Amy Carmichael.

Biblical faith is alignment with Jesus. Emptiness driving us to His riches.

Oscar Joseph- “The overflowing wealth of blessing poured upon Paul and the first churches had an end in view that reached beyond themselves, an end worthy of the Giver, worthy of the magnitude of His plans and of His measureless love. If all this was theirs- this fullness of God exceeding the utmost they had asked or thought- it is because God means to convey it through them to multitudes besides.”

The Christian faith is meant to be lived and given. This is why we were given new life, that it might spread.

And we don’t have to have every answer in order to do this.

Man born blind in John 9. All I know is that I was blind, now I see.

We have received life in order that we would live such life and give such life.

3. Some really great news.

Ephesians 2:1-10- “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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.”

This is what life is all about. This is what faith is all about.

We have been brought from death to life, by God, for His purposes in His world.

In a directionless world, God makes clear what He has done and why He has done it.