GOD HAS SOME EXCITING THINGS FOR US TO DO!
by Tim Thomas
November 20, 2005
Ephesian 2:8-10
Amplified Bible
8For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved ([3]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;
9Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]
10For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship),[4] recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
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3Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon. 4Arthur S. Way, Way's Epistles: The Letters of St. Paul to Seven Churches and Three Friends.
New International Version
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
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Recall that the previous section ended with the Apostle Paul stating that God's desire was for everyone to see the magnificence of His grace which He extended to all who by faith in Jesus were reconciled to God. In this section, Paul tells us how grace and faith interact, and what grace is not: it is not a payment for something we did. Grace is a gift. A gift is not earned. The only thing required is that we take a step of faith and believe that Jesus died on our behalf, and receive God's offer of reconciliation with Himself. We are not saved by what we did or what we do, but by what Jesus did for us.
Verse 9 explains that if we were saved by what we do, then we might have grounds for exulting ourselves -- for pride. But the way of Christ is humility. Jesus himself walked in humility, even though he was the Son of God -- how much moreso should we. As it says in Galatians 2:21, if we were able to save ourselves through our own efforts, then Christ died for nothing. But we were not able to save ourselves, so Jesus's sacrifice on the cross means everything to us.
Verse 10 represents a shift of thought. It takes us from what happened in the past to reconcile us to God and to give us new life, and points to the present and future: it gives us purpose for the rest of our lives. The verse begins, however, with a declaration of God's work in creating us: the Amplified says that we are His "handiwork", and the NIV says that we are His "workmanship". We are not random chance, we are not assembly line produced, we are of the finest of products, because we represent the skills of the Master Creator. This was true of us before we came to faith in Christ, but it is realized even moreso now that we are in Christ, as the verse emphasizes, in that we are "created in Christ", or as the Amplified renders it, "re-created in Christ". While the verb tense gives the sense that this re-creation has already occurred, it is consistent with the rest of Scripture that the work of God in us to transform us ("re-create us"?) is an ongoing process, one which God has pledged to see through to the end.
As He transforms us, we are made more suitable for the things God has planned for us. God has things He wants us to do, good things that He wants us to accomplish on His behalf. The Amplified Bible translates the Greek word used here as "predestined", but then correctly clarifies it as a more literal translation of "planned beforehand". The NIV says that these works God "prepared in advance" for us to do. This is a different Greek word than the one used in chapter 1 of Ephesians when it talk about Christians being predestined. See my comments on those verses to clarify my understanding of the meaning of predestined there (Ephesians 1:4-6, 11-12).
One critical question in understanding this passage is whether we have any choice in undertaking works, if they have been planned in advance for us to do. I suppose some people could argue that if they are truly predestined to do something, God will make it happen regardless. At a bare minimum, the fact that God has predestined or prepared in advance works for us to do says that He has in mind what they are. I personally believe that we can choose not to do the works, because I believe it is possible for us to choose to disobey God.
The fact that God has prepared works for us has some implications. First, that we are to seek God about the nature of these works. Jesus said that He only did what He saw the Father doing. This seems to imply that we are supposed to do likewise. Seeking God about these works implies that we have relationship with God, and therefore we have access to Him, and can communicate with Him, both speaking and listening. The second implication is that God has to help us with these works. After all, He has prepared these works in advance for us to do. We are co-laborers (1 Cor 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).
I believe that as people created in God's image, we have a certain ingrained creative instinct, just as God is creative, and created the entire world. By God preparing works in advance for us to do, He allows us to express this creativity. Here is an example, though perhaps this is a stretch. When Noah was instructed to build an ark, God gave Him a blueprint of how to build it. But for any project of that size, there are myriads of opportunities for expression of creativity within the bounds of what God described: how long and thick to make the timbers; how to decorate the ark; where to put ramps; and many other details that we could imagine if we spent more time thinking about the complexity of such a task. Likewise, even when God give us assignments for accomplishing good works, and He outlines to us the nature of the assignment and often many of the details of what we are to do, there is usually more than ample opportunity for the expression of the creativity God has given us.
For me, the thought that God has prepared things for me to do is exciting! It affirms me. God has a mission for me, a reason for living! The awareness of me having a purpose in this world immediately humbles me and challenges me to draw close to God, so I can understand His purposes for me. Many of God's purposes for us will make us feel in over our heads, and that again forces us back to God for strength, for ideas, for comfort, for courage. The knowledge of God preparing works for me also helps me become patient and relaxed: when I co-labor with God, He is aware of the timing required and all of the materials (whether people or things) required, and I trust that if something is required for His plans to be accomplished, He will open every door necessary, even when they look closed beyond my ability to open.
There is freedom to express creativity in God, and that is so refreshing! Remember that when the Apostle Paul was on a missionary journey, his plans (creativity) were to take the Gospel in one direction. But his creativity was sending him to the wrong place, so God simply spoke to Paul so that Paul's creative planning came back in line with God's plans (Acts 16:6-10). This means that as long as we are trying to obey God and are open to hearing from Him, we don't have to fear making awful mistakes.
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