"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU TO DO"
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Some explanatory thoughts and application:
1. One blessed thing to realize, right off the bat, is that God has already done something for us that no one else could do. He has saved us. The word "workmanship" and the phrase, "For we are His workmanship" have the idea of that which has been made, or the work of our creator, telling us that as saved people, it's the work of God. He has saved us. Workmanship, comes from a greek word Poiema, which is the same word we get our english word "poem" So, our being saved, from God's perspective, is that we are His poem. He is the artist if you will who has created this beautiful poem, you and I as believers. We are His poem.
2. Another repetition here by Paul, when he says, "Created in Christ Jesus" This seems to be speaking of the fact that we are new creatures as saved people. God has created us as born again people. We have been regenerated, or made alive again, not by our works, but by His Spirit.
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. NLT
Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, NKJV
Regeneration, literally means, new birth, reproduction, renewal, recreation,
3. But to the theme of this Devo. "What God has for you to do?. It's stated in the Eph verse.
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Please notice in the last half of the verse, it says 2 things.
(1) For Good works, which God has prepared beforehand.
(2) That we should walk in them.
4. So, we can conclude, that God in times past, beforehand, I believe even before creation, prepared, or planned out good works or the good things He has for us to do, and He wants us to walk in them, or do them. Sometimes, we call this His will for our lives. And, we often say, and rightly so, that God has a will for our lives.
5. What are these good works? It would seem that there is both a general and a personal answer to that question. The general, would be to walk in obedience to His Word. Simply doing the things that God teaches us to do, and commands us to so. The personal would be the specifics of how He is directing each one of His children. What exactly does He have for you to do, in addition to walking and living as a disciple of Christ.
6. It's comforting to know that if we want to know, we can both ask Him for Wisdom, James 1:I5 f you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. NLT
A prayer:
Father, first of all, thank You for saving us. We would not do it on our own, You did it for us. By Your grace, so thank You. And, thank You for planning out, preparing a life for us to live, and works to do, and walk in. We would like to say this day, that we want to do what You have planned for us. We love You, and it's the only reasonable thing for us to do, in light of what You have done for us. Rom 12:1-2. So, Lord, please give us wisdom to do what You have for us. Show us Your will. And, in general, may we simply walk in Your ways this day.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
