Prepared for Good Works

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

Ephesians 2:8–10 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Introduction

Well, here we are. The last Sunday of the year.

And, we gather this morning having brought in a mix of emotions into this room.

Some of us are relieved 2025 is over.

Some of us are grateful.

Some of us are tired.

Some of us are hopeful — but cautious.

Year-end moments invite reflection.

We can look back and ask, what did this year take from me?

But, scripture poses a better question for us.

What is God preparing to do through me next?

Our Scripture reading is one of the most familiar passages in the NT.

We know verse 8 by memory:

Ephesians 2:8 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

These are powerful words.

They remind us that our salvation does not rest on our performance, consistency, or success.

But we must not stop there.

Grace is not the end of the conversation — rather here, Paul treats it as the beginning.

We celebrate forgiveness - and we should.

We rejoice in mercy - and we must.

But grace was never meant to park us in place.

Rather, it is meant to place us in motion.

God did not save you to park you.

He did not rescue you to sideline you.

He did not forgive you so you could simply sit, observe, and coast.

He saved you on purpose for a purpose.

And so as we stand on the edge of a new year, our text today should help us reset our thinking.

2026 is not about doing more things.

It’s not about guilt, pressure, or filling slots.

It’s about coming to a better understanding of why God has saved us in the first place.

Today we will discover three simple, but life-changing truths.

Grace gives us a new foundation.

Christ gives us a new identity.

God gives us a new purpose.

And if we can get that, looking into 2026 shouldn’t feel heavy - it should feel hopeful.

I want you to listen very carefully to what God says about who you are and

what He has already prepared for you to walk in.

Saved by Grace: The Foundation, Not the Finish Line

First, let’s begin where any conversation about salvation must begin:

Ephesians 2:8 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

This should not be hard to see.

Salvation begins with God - not us.

Grace means that what we most desperately needed, we could never earn.

Grace means that God acted when we were powerless to fix ourselves.

Grace means that salvation is a gift before it is a calling.

Now, v. 9:

Ephesians 2:9 CSB

9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

See how Paul strips away every trace of self-congratulation.

Not from you.

Not from your works.

No room for boasting.

When we come to the cross, the ground is perfectly level.

When you take these two verses together -

You are protected from pride on one side and despair on the other.

You are not saved because you are good enough.

You are not kept because you are strong enough.

You are saved because God is gracious.

We Must Not Misunderstand Grace

Grace does not mean inactivity.

Grace does not mean disengagement.

Grace does not mean spiritual passivity.

Grace is not opposed to effort.

Grace is opposed to earning.

Do you see the distinction?

You don’t work to be saved.

But you must certainly work because you have been saved.

Nowhere in scripture do we read that works are irrelevant.

but we do come to see that works are the wrong foundation.

Let’s look again at v. 9:

Ephesians 2:9 CSB

9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

If works become the basis of salvation, we boast.

If grace becomes the basis, God is glorified.

And that’s the point, right. God gets all the glory in our salvation - not us.

Grace doesn’t remove responsibility - it removes anxiety.

We don’t obey to secure God’s love.

We obey because we already have it.

Grace should never be seen as a finish line where we collapse and stop running.

Grace is the starting line from which a new life begins.

You have been saved from self-reliance so you can live in faithful obedience.

Grace is the foundation of your salvation - but God has never intended the foundation to remain empty.

We Are His Workmanship - A New Identity

In our text, Paul is now going to move from the means of salvation - the meaning of salvation.

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

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

This single phrase should change how you see yourself.

“Workmanship” comes from the world of craftsmanship, referring to something shaped intentionally — not accidentally.

You have not been stamped out on an assembly line to look just like everyone else.

God is at work crafting, forming, and shaping you.

Every one of his sons or daughters in this room is the result of divine intervention.

Your story, your experiences, your struggles, and your growth - is not random.

God has been at work in your life long before you ever recognized Him.

Look again at the verse:

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 For we are his workmanship, …

It’s not you were His workmanship. He says you are.

This is not a past event. It is present reality.

God is still working in you, shaping you, and forming Christ within you.

You are not finished and you are definitely not forgotten.

Where the New Identity Comes From

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 … created in Christ Jesus for good works,

“Created” is a strong word. It means “to be brought into existence.”

You were dead (2:1), now you have life.

Look at 4:24:

Ephesians 4:24 CSB

24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

This is not self-improvement.

It’s not behavior modification.

It is new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

In Christ, God doesn’t just forgive what we were - He begins forming us into what we are becoming.

If God has/is crafting you - He intends to use you.

You are not unnecessary to His body.

You are not an extra.

This should destroy two common lies:

“I really don’t have much to offer.”

“Others are more gifted, they’ll handle it.”

Paul leaves no room for either.

You have not been saved to sit.

You have not been saved to spectate.

You have been saved to belong - and belonging always comes with purpose.

You are not a spiritual consumer.

You are God’s craftsmanship.

So, if God has crafted us with such care and precision, what exactly are we crafted for?

Created for Good Works - Prepared Ahead of Time

Let’s look back at v. 10:

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 …created in Christ Jesus for good works, …

This is the destination of your salvation.

God has saved you. Christ is reshaping you. And God sends you forward with purpose.

Now, notice first what Paul says - and what he does not say:

He does not say we might do good works.

He does not say good works are optional.

He says we were created for them.

Good works are not a bonus feature of the Christian life. They are part of its design.

Your Service is Not Accidental

Look again at v. 10:

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 …, which God prepared ahead of time ….

God didn’t save you and then have to scramble for something for you to do.

Before you ever stepped into Christ, before you ever understood grace, God was already preparing paths of obedience for you to walk in.

Three Important Truths

Good Works are Intentional

God is not improvising the mission of the church.

Your opportunities to serve are not random chances.

They are divine appointments.

The work God calls you to is not meaningless or wasted - even when it seems small, quiet, or unseen.

God prepares the work before He calls the worker.

Good Works are Personal

Paul says these works were prepared for us.

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

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

Not just for the apostles

Not just for elders and deacons.

Not just for preachers and teachers.

For us.

Every member of the church has a role.

Every member of the church has a place.

Every member of the church has something to walk into.

This should dismantle the idea that ministry belongs to a few while the rest observe.

If you are in Christ, God has already written your name into His plan.

Good Works are Ready - We Do Them, Not Invent Them

Let’s look again at v. 10:

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

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

ESV: Walk in them.

NASB 2020:

Ephesians 2:10 NASB 2020

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Walking implies movement - but not panic.

Direction, but not confusion.

We are not called to invent our purpose - we are called to step into it.

God has already gone ahead of us and the path is already laid out.

The only question is whether we will walk in them or walk past them.

God has work ready - are you ready to walk?

And this impacts how we view the new year ahead.

2026 is not about pressure.

Its not about fixing every slot or fixing everything at once.

It’s about faithful movement - step by step - into what God has already prepared.

Sometimes that step is visible.

At other times it is quiet and behind the scenes.

But every step matters.

Let this also be understood:

God is not asking you to do everything.

He is asking you to do something.

One step.

One area.

One act of obedience.

Faithfulness begins with a willing heart and a moving foot.

As We Close

No Christian is Unneeded in the Work of God

There are no unnecessary Christians in the body.

We were all saved to walk.

And when one part of the body does not walk in the way God prepared - the whole body feels it.

This is not about guilt - its about design.

God intends the local church to function together.

We are His body (1:22)

We are in His household (2:19)

We are a living structure (2:21)

Each part matters

Each role matters

Each act of faithfulness matters

Will you walk in what God has already prepared? Some of the good works God has prepared are already right in front of us:

Food collection for the needy.

So many of you are doing such a great job with this.

Your generosity in this matters. It literally feeds people.

It’s a quiet, faithful work that God can use more than we realize.

Teaching or assisting with children’s bible classes.

Shaping young hearts in the word is never small work.

You may not preach a sermon, but you can help form a soul for life.

Starting or hosting a small group study.

Sometimes growth happens best around a table - not in a crowd.

Opening your home or leading a study might be just the thing God is calling you to do.

Visiting and caring for widows or widowers

James calls this pure and undefiled religion.

A visit. A call. A prayer. Presence matters.

Preparing food for grieving families or members going through difficulty.

A meal says “you’re not alone.”

It’s ministry in its simplest and most christ-like form.

Mentoring our young people

Walking beside them, listening, encouraging, modeling faith.

This may be the most important investment we make as a church.

God is not asking you to do all of these, but he is asking you do something.

So, what is one good work you can walk in this year?

Not someday.

Not theoretically.

But intentionally.

This is how the body is built up.

This is how love becomes visible.

This is how we are knit together in love.

Invitation

Grace saves you.

Christ shapes you.

The path has been prepared.

The only question is will you walk in it?

If you need to come to Christ, grace is ready.

If you need prayer or encouragement, help is here.

If you are ready to step into the work God has prepared for you, the new year is the perfect time to begin.

How can we help you?