The Challenge of Our Reconciliation

Eph. 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.

I thoroughly enjoy reading the works of Harry Ironside, eighteen-year pastor of Moody Church in Chicago and author of over 60 volumes, including devotional commentaries and other works. In his exposition of Ephesians, In The Heavenlies, he tells a story of a train trip he took while holding meetings in Southern Californian. The trip had barely begun when a strangely dressed woman sat down beside him. Dressed in what appeared to Ironside to be red bandana handkerchiefs pieced together and a shawl, this, coupled with the subject of conversation made it obvious she was gypsy. “How do you do, gentleman,” she began, “like to have your fortune told?” Ironside replied, “Are you able to tell my fortune?” Holding out her hand, she answered, “Cross my palm with a silver quarter, and I will give you your past, present, and future.” “You are very sure you can do that if I give you a quarter?” he asked. “You see, I am Scotch, and would hate to part with a quarter and not get proper exchange for it.” “Yes, gentleman,” she assured him, “I can give you your past, present, and future. I never fail.” To this Ironside replied, “It is really not necessary, because I have a little book in my pocket that gives me my past, present, and future.” “You have it in a book?” she asked, puzzled. Pulling out his New Testament and turning to Ephesians 2:1-7, he said, “Yes, and it is absolutely infallible. Let me read it to you. Hear is my past, ‘And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.’” In obvious uneasiness, she replied, “Oh, yes, it is plenty, I do not care to hear more.” Holding her gently by the arm, Ironside said, “But I want to give you my present also, ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’” Again in growing discomfort she said, “That is plenty, gentleman, I do not wish to hear more.” But Ironside continued, “Oh, but there is more yet, and you must get it; and you are not going to pay me a quarter for it either. I am giving it to you for nothing. It is my past, present, and future. Here is my future, ‘That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.’” Not able to take any more, she jumped to her feet and fled down the aisle saying, “I took the wrong man! I took the wrong man!”[1]

Indeed, as we’ve seen, God has done it all. He is in our past, present, and future. And as I read that story, I couldn’t help but wonder if Ironside would have also gotten to verse 10, for it too is part of our future: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Our future does indeed include good works.

There is an amazing comparison between verse 9 and verse 10. In verse 9 Paul says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Now he turns right around and says that we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Did Paul lapse for a moment? Was he confused about the place of works in salvation? Which one of these statements is correct?

The answer to the last question, of course, is both. What Paul is saying is crystal clear when you just read the context. Verses 7-9 declare unequivocally that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, but verse 10 declares with equal clarity that good works are the result of that salvation and are now the rule of life. As John Eadie writes in his commentary on the Greek text:

The statement that salvation of works involves the fallacy of mistaking the effect for the cause. Good works are not the cause of salvation; they are only the result of it. Salvation causes them; they do not cause it.[2]

May we also observe that for salvation to be caused by works, works would have to precede salvation, that is, come before it. In this verse, however, they clearly proceed from salvation, that is, come after it.

This verse is the fourth and final emphasis in verses 4‑10—the Challenge of our reconciliation. In other words, in light of the nature and character of our reconciliation, there is a demand placed upon us because of what we have received. One commentator relates this personal testimony that underscores the importance of this verse:

There are few verses both more important and more misunderstood than 2:8-9. This is partly because verse 10 is often not quoted along with them. When I was a young Christian I acquired a pack of Bible verses to memorize. Among the first were Ephesians 2:8-9. I began quoting them in witnessing, but it took me years to realize that the omission of verse 10 was one reason I was having trouble persuading my morally sensitive friends that salvation is only by grace. The almost inevitable response was that if this is true, Christians can live as they please and still go to heaven. Romans 6:1 deals with this issue as well, but when we quote Ephesians 2:8-9 it should not be necessary to leave the Ephesian context, because verse 10 gives the needed corrective: we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works.[3]

Many Christians think that since our salvation was a gift, it, therefore, does not demand anything of us. Jesus is presented today as a “fix-it” for all our problems, but He doesn’t demand anything from us. This is serious error! Any gift demands a response even if it is only a simple “thank you.” But truly our salvation demands much more than a “thank you.” Why? Because our salvation is a life‑altering reality; it transforms a depraved, hell‑bound sinner into a blood‑bought, heaven‑bound saint. Verse 10 declares what our response to this should be by presenting two thrusts: God’s work in us and God’s work through us.

I. God’s Work In Us (v. l0a)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus

Paul makes two statements here that are vital for our understanding.

We Are God’s Workmanship

There is a beautiful Greek word used here for workmanship. It is poiēma, which refers to what is made or created. Another form of the word is poiētēs which refers to one who makes something or to a work of art. This word was also used in ancient Greek to refer to an author or poet. In fact, our English word “poem” is derived from poiēma. So, as we will see, we are God’s workmanship, His “work of art,” His “masterpiece,” His “poem,” if you will. While Milton’s epic poems Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained are true masterpieces, they pale to the masterpiece of the true child of God.

Notice more specifically that we are His, that is, God’s workmanship. There is an important contrast between the English text and the Greek text. In the English, this statement begins with we; in the Greek this statement—in fact, the whole verse—begins with “Him.” Literally the verse reads: “For of Him we are a product.” We point this out for good reason. The world says that each of us is a product of our environment or a product of our own experience. But God’s Word declares that the believer is actually the product of God. Even Christians have a tendency to think this way. Many preachers are even products of a particular Bible college or seminary. But what we really are products of God.

There is even the tendency among Christians to think that their salvation had a little something to do with them. For example, some say, “Well, it was my believing that justified me,” or, “It was my yieldedness and commitment that sanctified me.” Again this is dreadfully wrong! GOD HAS DONE EVERYTHING. How could we possibly think otherwise when we read the words: “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:1)?

Think again of the Greek poiēma in the context of a potter. Does the pot say to the potter, “Well, you know that I had a little something to do with what I have become?” Of course not; the clay has nothing to do with the process. It is the potter who goes out and seeks the clay, brings it into his workshop, and molds it according to his own vision. Likewise, the “Divine Potter” molds us into the vessels He can use. This is exactly what Paul illustrated to the Romans:

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (Rom. 9:20‑21)

I have seen some Christians, and even a few preachers, who really don’t like Romans 9 because they don’t like the idea of a sovereign God. But we had better read it carefully. Before we start questioning God, we’d better stop and think to Whom we are speaking. God must make us exactly the vessels HE wants us to be; He can never use us otherwise. I don’t find that “damaging to my self-image” or “an attack on my dignity” as is the view of today’s “Christian” pop-psychology. Rather I find it absolutely thrilling and assuring. God takes a worthless lump of clay and molds it into a vessel He can use for His glory.

This leads to Paul’s second, and even deeper, statement.

We Are Created In Christ Jesus

This is even more dramatic than, “For of Him we are a product.” The Greek for created is ktizō, another word which means “to create or produce,” but one that goes deeper than poiēma; it is the word often used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word bara, “to create from nothing,”[4] as in Genesis 1:1. Think of this creation in light of our text. Lost men today, and tragically even some Christians, speak of “self‑improvement,” “self‑help,” “self‑image,” and many other “selfisms.” But the principle we see in our text is that God created the believer from nothing. Think of it! What were we before Christ came into our lives? NOTHING. Each of us was a worthless lump of clay, dead in trespasses in sins—no value, no form, no purpose. But God has created us!

Going deeper again, God has created us in Christ Jesus. This is the fourth time in verses 4‑10 that our position in Christ has been emphasized. May we review a moment:

· Verse 5 — made alive together with Christ;

· Verse 6 — raised up together and made to sit together in Christ;

· Verse 7 — grace has been bestowed upon us through Christ.

Now in verse 10 we discover that we have been “created out of nothing in Christ.” Do you see? Everything we are and everything we will ever be is because of Jesus Christ. It’s not our experiences, our education, training, or our talents; rather it’s Christ. Without Him we are nothing; without Him there is no purpose or meaning to life. How this thought opens up II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (emphasis added). The Christians I pastor, and I, are very biased toward the beauty of the Rocky Mountains on Colorado’s western slope. And who of us has never marveled at the intricacies of the human eye or a new born baby’s fingers and toes? But there is something that is far more beautiful than those—a Christian. A child of God is the most beautiful of God’s creation, for we are made in His image. As Augustine wrote:

Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the season, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.

And as Shakespeare’s Hamlet put it:

What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals![5]

But the only reason those are true is that God has done it. We have had nothing to do with it; God has done it all. We are His masterpiece.

Based upon all this, we also discover that God’s workmanship is forever continuing in us. Not only has God created us, but He is also continuing to develop us. Aren’t you glad He is still working on you?

The story is often told of the rowdy, disruptive young boy in a Sunday school class who continually frustrated his teacher. One morning the teacher asked him, “Why do you act like that? Don’t you know who made you?” To which the boy replied, “God did, but He ain’t through with me yet.”[6]

Indeed, God is still working on each of us, but we all forget that from time to time. One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is “satisfaction,” that is, being satisfied with our spiritual level and understanding. Many Christians, and even many preachers, think they have “arrived;” they think that they have reached the point in their Christian experience where they no longer need to grow. That is, of course, either unbelievably naïve or incredibly arrogant. We touched on this thought back in our study of 1:17-23 (Chapter 8), where we quoted Philippians 3:7‑10. May we now note verses 12‑14:

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Think of it! At this point in his life Paul has been in active ministry, has been preaching and planting churches, has been writing Scripture, and has closely communed with the Lord for some 30 years. But do we read here that Paul thought he had “arrived?” Indeed not! Who then are we to think otherwise of ourselves? Earlier in Philippians (1:6) Paul wrote: “Being confident of this very thing, that He Who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Oh, that believers would realize that God is continuously working in them, molding and fashioning them into the vessels He can use for His glory.

What is the main tool with which God molds us? It is, of course, His Word. As Paul declared to the Thessalonians:

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe (I Thes. 2:13, emphasis added).

As a pastor, I often hear people say, “Oh, we want a good music program in our church.” Music is certainly a wonderful thing. I love music and am myself a musician. But music does not bring growth. It is the proclamation of God’s Word as truth, the teaching of doctrine, that brings growth.

I am convinced more every day that the main reason, if not the singular reason, that Christians do not grow and mature is because they do not feed on the Word of God. Why are Christians cantankerous, rebellious, worldly, undiscerning and a host of other things? It is because they are not feeding on the Word of God. Tragically, this is most often than not the pastor’s fault; many evangelicals and fundamentalists are not teaching the depths of God’s Word, deferring instead to entertainment and other modern more “relevant” methods of ministry. In other cases, however, it is the fault of Christians whose minds are just not set on spiritual things. God cannot work in us if His Word does not have first place in our hearts.

There are several examples in Scripture of God working in His servants before He can work through them. One that comes to mind is Moses. Self-willed and impetuous, Moses killed an Egyptian who was mistreating a fellow Jew and had to flee East into the Sinai Peninsula as a result (Ex. 2:11-15). There he spent forty years learning humility, control, and God-dependency. Only then could God use Him for an incredible service.

Had they lived in the same age and known each other, no doubt Moses and another servant of God would have clashed, and that man was Peter. Having much the same problems as Moses, in his zeal but poor aim, Peter defended His Lord by cutting off a man’s ear with a sword. He, too, had to learn many lessons before God could use Him (John 21:15-17 record the turning point in Peter’s life and ministry).

We could also note Joseph, David, Paul, Timothy, and many others who had to be first trained before they could serve and lead. It is tragic, indeed, that there are many in Christian leadership positions today who are not qualified to be there simply because they have not be trained. God must first word in us before He can work through us. Do you rejoice every day that the Divine Potter is working in you? This leads us to Paul’s second point.

II. God’s Work Through Us (v. 10b)

unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The here, of course, is that God can never work through us unless we are allowing Him to work in us. With that in mind, Paul gives the purpose of God’s working in us—so we will walk in good works. At first glance that does not seem like much, but this is the culmination of God’s work of grace. All that He has done in us is for the purpose of now working through us to accomplish His purposes.

The Purpose Stated

unto good works

Once again, there is a great difference between works for salvation and works as a result of salvation. This difference is made all the more clear by the fact that both thoughts are in this context. Verses 7‑9 say that we are saved by grace without works; verse 10 says salvation is followed by good works.

To make sure the matter is clear, as mentioned in our last study, any theology that mixes grace with works or faith with merit is simply heresy, plain and simple, and is to be cursed (Gal. 1:8-9). But may we add that a theology that eliminates works altogether and says that a person can be a Christian but show no evidence of it in his life, a person can do anything he wants to do, is equally heretical. Works most certainly are involved in the Christian life; while they are not the cause, they most assuredly are the result. Or to put it another way:

· We are saved by grace without works;

· We now live through grace, which produces good works.

As the well-known confession puts it: “Good works are not an usher to go before justification, but a handmaid to follow it.”[7] Or to put it in the simplest terms, as does commentator William MacDonald, “Good works are not the root but the fruit.”

It is also extremely significant that the works in verse 9 are not called good. This truth alone should obliterate any thought of salvation by works. Why? Because they are not good in God’s sight. Before Christ, there were no good works, not matter how good we might view them. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” that is, a “menstrual cloth” (Jer. 64:6). At best our works are self-serving, but not God-honoring. Yes, we can “boast” in them, but they are not good. However, as we will see in a moment, the works in verse 10 are good in God’s sight.

The Purpose Elaborated

which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Here is a thought that is perhaps the most thrilling thought about living the Christian life. We can remember this, be reminded of it daily, it will transform our living. Here is a thought that we can write down on a piece of paper and post it in a prominent place, such as on the door of our refrigerator: The thought is this:

The good works that the sovereign God is doing in me today have already been prepared.

Why are these works “good?” Because God has dictated them; that is, we do not produce them. God has already marked out what works are good and what works are not good. The reason the works of verse 9 are not called “good” is because they are man‑made instead of God‑ordained. Moreover, any works that man produces are “works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11; Rom. 13:12).

All this is proven by the words before ordained. The Greek here (proetoimazō) means “to prepare before, to make ready beforehand.” One Greek authority sums it up well: “God prearranged a sphere of moral action for us to walk in. Not only are works the necessary outcome of faith, but the character and direction of the works are made ready by God.”[8]

Many Christians walk around like “Christian boy‑scouts,” looking for good deeds to do in order to receive their merit badge when they get to heaven. “After all,” we sometimes think, “am I not working for one of those five crowns spoken of in the New Testament?” Yes, but what we forget is we will cast those crowns back at Jesus’ feet (Rev. 4:10). Our motive is not to get a crown, rather to honor our Lord.

Further, the problem with such an approach is that it leaves man to decide which works are good. This attitude is precisely what has caused much of the pragmatic ministry of our day, where we think that any ministry is okay. It it this attitude that has created the seeker-sensitive “mega-churches” that have become so popular to masses. We have decided what ministry is and how to conduct it. Instead of looking at Scripture alone, we think it up as we go along. But God never leaves man to decide anything. Rather, God has defined what is good.

This, then, leads to the question: What works are good? The answer is summed up right here in Ephesians: “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (4:24). We will, of course, closely examine this verse later in our study, but the thrust of it is a good work is whatever is right and holy according to the Word of God. Furthermore, these are the works we are to walk in. We again see the word peripateō in the Greek text. Back in verse 2 we found that without Christ we walked in “the sphere and influence of trespasses and sins.” But now we walk in “the sphere and influence of good works.”

Do you see the principle? God has defined good works. Just as we have nothing to boast about concerning our salvation, we likewise have nothing to boast of in our good works. God has ordained them. Man tries to do good works in himself; he gives money to this charity and that foundation; he gives some more money to the research of this disease or that syndrome; he gives still more money to feed the hungry overseas or to buy them shovels and hoes so they can plant their food. Even though some of this has merit, it is all man’s definition nonetheless, and provides him something to boast about.

But God has defined good works and these good works are to be the rule of life for the believer. We do not run about saying, “Oh, what can I do today that is good? What shall be my good deed for the day?” No, good works are the rule of life; we do them automatically because they have become part of our nature through the Spirit of God. We help others, we minister to one another, we live holy, and much more because it has become “reflex” to do so. May we put it simply: The rule of life is to do that which is right and holy according to the Word of God. And, of course, this brings us back to the thought of the Word of God being the first priority of life, for we cannot know what is right and holy if we do not know the Word of God. It’s not up to us “to see what needs to be done,” rather to look to what God says we are to do.

A sure way to know what works are good works is to examine the principle of “God’s will.” A question that is often asked is, “What is God’s will in a given situation?” Or, “How do I know what God’s will is?” Or, “What is God’s will for my life?” To answer such questions, some interpreters teach some magic formula for “finding God’s will” or advocate “putting out a fleece.” But what we find in Scripture is that it is actually Scripture that reveals the bulk of God’s will. We see no less than seven principles in Scripture that specifically tell us what God’s will is for our lives.

First, it is God’s will that you are a Spirit-filled. Later in Ephesians, Paul writes: “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is]. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (5:17-18). We will deal with these verses in detail later in our exposition, but let’s look briefly at three principles.

1. The Meaning of Spirit-Filling. We are not to be drunk (or “soaked” as the Greek says) with wine, which leads to excess, rather “filled” (pleroō), totally influenced, fully controlled by the Holy Spirit. Spirit-filling is not “speaking in tongues,” “doing miracles,” or any such things, as is taught by some today, for Scripture says no such thing. To be filled with the Spirit is to have our thoughts, desires, values, motives, goals, priorities, and all else set on spiritual things and spiritual growth. When this is true of a Christian’s life, all other things will fall neatly into place.

2. The Manifestations of Spirit-Filling. There are at least eight manifestations of Spirit-filling in the believer’s life. One result is joy and fellowship with other believers that will be manifested through music. As Paul writes in the next verse, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” The same verse also declares another result—true worship of God. Verse 20 declares another result—thanksgiving: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Verse 21 declares another—submission, that is, proper ranking in the Body: “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” In other words, when we are spirit-filled, we rank ourselves properly in the economy of God, as Paul then details in remained of that passage. Another result is divine leading, as Luke 4:1 declares: “And Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit. . .was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness.” When we are spirit-filled, we will be free of anxiety restlessness and have peace in Divine leading. Faith and trust in the Lord is another result of spirit-filling. Acts 6:5 tells us that Stephen was “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,” and we will only be able to trust the Lord in any situation when we are controlled by the Spirit. This leads to another result—boldness in witness. As a result of his Spirit-filling, Stephen could be so bold in his witness that he was willing to die for Christ (Acts 7:55-60). No one would be willing to die for his faith who was not spirit-filled; the flesh would never allow it. Finally, Acts 11:25 reveals another result of Spirit-filling—holiness. Barnabas “was a good [righteous] man” only because he was “full of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 11:22-24)

3. The Method of Spirit-Filling. There are all sorts of teachings about how to spirit-filled, but Biblically there is only one thing that brings it about—YIELDEDNESS. Spirit-filling is not something magical or mystical; it is not the final goal or outcome of the Christian life; it is not something “special,” meant only for “special people.” Rather, it is an all-important and foundational principle of Christian living. In fact, if it does not come early in our Christian experience, much of our lives will be totally wasted! As we’ve seen, “Spirit-filling” means “Spirit-control.” Therefore, the only way the Spirit can have control is if we yield it to Him.

Second, it is God’s will that you be morally pure. As Paul wrote the Thessalonians (I Thes. 4:3-7):

For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no [man] go beyond and defraud his brother in [any] matter: because that the Lord [is] the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Every believer is to rightly possess, rightly control, his own body. If we are living in the Spirit, we “mortify the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13).[9] This all-inclusive passage declares three principles: stay away from sexual sin (pre-marital, extra-marital, homosexual, etc.), control your body (that is, any lustful excess to gratify the flesh), and never defraud (cheat) someone else. This leads to a third principle.

Third, it is God’s will that you are constantly being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2). Such renewal of the mind comes only by holiness and exposure to the Word of God. We should grow weary of those today who say “I want to know God’s will” but who don’t want doctrine and teaching. Such people do not want God’s will, rather they want their way.

Fourth, it is God’s will that you thank Him in all things, that is, you are submissive to the sovereignty of God. This is a hard one, and even for this preacher, too. I Thessalonians 5:18 declares, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” How many of us would admit to sometimes thinking, “I sure wish that verse didn’t use the word everything?” But that’s what it says. God’s will is that we thank Him in everything; no matter what happens, we trust His sovereignty. How many of us say we want to know God’s will, but when something happens that we don’t like, we murmur and complain? We have just violated God’s will.

Fifth, it is God’s will that you pray. As Paul instructed Timothy: “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (I Tim. 2:8). As we’ve study already, prayer is constant communion, a continuous consciousness of God’s presence in us.

Sixth, it is God’s will that you submit to authority. There was no better person to write on this subject that Peter: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (I Pet. 2:13-15).

Seventh, it is God’s will that you be willing to suffer for Christ. Here’s another tough one. We are being told today that you shouldn’t preach about sin because it offends people, or that we shouldn’t take a stand on anything because it might alienate people or invite criticism of our ministry. But Peter also writes in his first Epistle: “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (3:17) and again, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (4:19). In fact, this will be the case when we stand for Christ, as Paul declares, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12). Yes, standing for truth might offend, or alienate, or invite criticism, or even cost us our lives, but our willingness to do just that is part of the will of God.

All these are “good works,” works that are God’s revealed will. Many Christians ask, “What is God’s will for my life in this specific situation?” Well, when we are doing these principles of His will, we will be able to see the rest easily. God’s not going to lead in any area unless we are first obeying His already revealed will. First and foremost, God’s will is found in God’s Word.

As we close this chapter, may we each ask ourselves a series of questions:

· Am I allowing God to work in me?

· Am I allowing Him to have constant control?

· Am I allowing Him to mold and fashion me according to His sovereign will?

· Do I really desire growth that is only produced by a constant involvement with the Word of God?

· Do I live right and holy as revealed in the Scriptures?

Pastor Ray Stedman recounts when he and one of the interns in his church flew to Albuquerque for a few days of ministry there. Right before landing, they prayed together, and it was actually the young intern who maturely prayed, “Father, thank you for the good works You have already prepared for us in Albuquerque. Thank you that those good works are just waiting for us to step into them and carry them out.” And sure enough, God had prepared a lot for them. They met with a missionary who had become so discouraged in South America that he was quitting the ministry. After the three men searched the Scriptures and prayed together, the man decided to return to the field. They counseled a rebellious girl, and God enabled her to start communicating and understanding her parents. They counseled and encouraged a young pastor who was dealing with division and dissension in his church. God prepared these and other good works for these men.

Likewise, what are the good works God has prepared for you tomorrow and the day after that? Only He knows, but how thrilling it will be to discover them! As that great expositor Alexander MacLaren once said, “What He bids us do He fits us for; what He fits us for He thereby bids us do.” Oh, God’s work in us and through us has only begun!

Michelangelo was once asked what he was doing as he chipped away at a shapeless rock. He replied, “I’m liberating an angel from this stone.”[10] It is also a well-known fact that he personally went to the quarry to select the marble block on which he would work, allowing no one else to touch it lest they mar it in some way. Likewise, God, the Great Sculptor, who brought all things into existence with a thought, chose us and is now molding us and then using us to glorify Him.

In light of the meaning of workmanship, it is only fitting to close with a sonnet titled “God’s Work of Art:”

God’s Work of Art

We marvel at God’s wondrous creation.

We gaze in wonder at how it can be.

Awestruck by its balance and perfection,

We rejoice in each new discovery.

But greater awe is what God did in man

Through Jesus the only Lord and Savior.

Who defeated sin, death, Hell, and Satan,

And now transforms men’s minds and behavior.

God is now working mightily in us

Ever molding and sculpting our image.

Then can He work gloriously through us

As we do good throughout our pilgrimage.

The Christian is God’s classic work of art.

A masterpiece that’s truly set apart.

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