God’s workmanship

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

• We are God’s workmanship
• His creation, idea, what he planned to make.
• What is God’s model for us, his pattern?

Gen 1:26 “Let us make man in our own image after our likeness”

• You do what he does because you are like him.
• He made you that way.

Ephesians 4: 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. NIV

• What is that?

• Created in Christ Jesus to do Good works.
• created in Christ Jesus
•   To do – action, works, James 2: 20 /You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. NIV*/
• good works
• Name a few…

• What is your name and who are you?
• My name is and I am a school teacher, I am a businessman, I am…
• I didn’t ask what you do, but “who are you”
• We often identify ourselves by what we do instead of who we are.
• Buddy Harrison “How long have you been full time?”
• My answer was based on how long I worked what Job and then gave myself to be Pastor and got paid.
• The correct answer was “all my life, I was born, saved to do this.

• Which God prepared in advance for us to do
• Which God prepared vs. which man prepared
• in advance for us to do
• in advance
• the plan is already made
• The plan is not being made along the way, God has it finished and is waiting for us to discover the path he has laid out for us.
• He is not circumstantial in is his dealings with us, but very purposeful and deliberate.
• for us to do
• individual plan
• for our personal lives (my personal responsibility)
• Which includes my different roles (Husband, wife, Father, mother etc…)
• distinct plan
• A tailored plan for our makeup and abilities which he created in us.
• Side thought: when I am not doing what I was created to do, I will affect the effectiveness of others I work with or that depend on my gift.
• i.e. I use a shoe for a cup, it works but it was not created for that anymore than someone wearing a cup for a shoe.
• The shoe and cup suffer, but also the one using them.

What is it that YOU were created for?

What is God’s advanced plan for your life?

What has he planned for you to do that no one else can do?

True fulfillment only comes when I do what I was created to do!