Mission Venture Ministries

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:10) 

God has created us and gifted us to accomplish His will. He has a plan for each of us, and all He’s looking for is a willing heart. 

So, “What are good works?”  Good works are wise deeds that are done for God’s glory.  They are good because they are done to honor God in helping and loving people that are in need. They are works done for God’s glory, by God’s strength, because God commands (Ephesians 2:10).  

“What is the proper motivation of good works?” Christians labor for God in order to please Him, not to appease Him.  Christians do good works because it delights God, not in order to be forgiven.  Christians do good works out of a love for God, not to make God love them. They are done out of thankfulness and not out of fear.  

When we look at the key parts of Ephesians 2:10 we can learn many things:

1. “For…” gives additional evidence that salvation is a gift. Salvation does not come from man or by his works; we are God’s creation, His workmanship. This comes as a result of what was stated in the previous verses, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The good works God is about to tell us we are saved for, are not what we are saved by. 

“Grace” is God’s job; “faith” is ours. Salvation is also God’s “gift.” God exercised His grace by sending His Son to die for our sins. Our part is to rest on or believe what He did on our behalf. Faith involves abandonment of any attempt by us to save ourselves by works. In God’s perspective we can never mix faith with works, since they are mutually exclusive and we cannot justify ourselves. 

Biblical faith rests on statements and promises by God and not on feelings. Faith in the Bible rests on knowing what God says. No one can become a believer without first knowing that they must rest on the death of Christ to pay for their sins. 

2. “…we are God’s handiwork, created…” The word “handiwork” connotes a work of art or workmanship. Believers are a work of art. God made us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14) according to His plan for us, He is an expert craftsman who makes no mistakes. 

3. “…in Christ Jesus…” This was the case at our creation. Christ was there at the beginning. Through Him, all things were made, and in Him was life (John 1:3-4). But not only that, when we were made new, that is, by the Holy Spirit and our regeneration in Christ we were created anew, and are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is only accomplished in Christ, in His finished work. 

God created us by giving us a new status or position before Him forever. We were spiritually dead, but God brought us to life in Christ. 

4. “…to do good works,” We are saved for a purpose. Jesus came to restore what was lost in the garden. This means that we will now, as new creations, saved by Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit, be able to function as man was intended to function – as a thinking, reasoning, living, being, pursuing life for the glory of God and doing the good things He calls us to for the good of the world, the sake of His glory, and expansion of His kingdom. 

This has nothing to do with earning salvation, which was given freely, but is part of the privilege of the life eternal and being bearers of the gift God has given us. 

Remember that works glorifies man, grace glorifies God. 

5. “which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God prepared works for us in advance of our lives. In His providence He sorts out the way, timing our lives and situations so that we can walk and work for His glory. 

God prepared a path of works for the believer to walk. He not only prepared works from eternity as the result of our position in Christ, but He intends that we live in them as a course of life; “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). 

Believers need to understand the proper order of how God works. We do not obtain anything from God by working on our own account, because in His eyes we are totally depraved. We deserve nothing but hell. It is only by God’s grace that He would save us. However, His work produces good works in us. True conversion produces a dynamic faith. There is a divine origin to what we do as believers. The cause of salvation is grace; the effect of salvation is works. There is a difference between cause and effect, but many people constantly get this confused. 

It is important to understand the place of works in the Christian life. Works do not carry a meritorious idea but the concept of bearing fruit. Works are the consequence of the grace of God on our lives. Becoming a Christian makes for a radical change in behavior not due to us ourselves. 

To those who profess Christ, and yet find themselves void of true good works, who boast in their religion rather than in Jesus Christ, let us challenge you, test yourself, to see whether you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Remember, we are not saved by “good works.” We are saved by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins. We are saved by His good work before we are called to our own good works. 

God prepared what He wanted us to do for Him long ago. He has already planned what He wants us to do with our lives. We do not need to copy what someone else has done or is doing. He has a unique plan for each of us to serve Him in this world. This includes certain spiritual gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead us in service to Him. 

Therefore, “let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). 

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