Ephesians 2:10 meaning

Ephesians 2:10 explains that believers are designed with a specific purpose; they are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the good works God prepared beforehand for believers to walk in them.

Ephesians 2:1-10 is one of the Apostle Paul's great explanations of the Gospel or "good news" of Jesus Christ.

The main emphasis of Ephesians 2:1-9 depicts the Gift of Eternal Life and how it is made possible entirely by God's grace. Ephesians 2:1-9 describes what we were saved from (spiritual death) and saved to (eternal life with Christ).

The main emphasis of Ephesians 2:10 depicts the means to gain the Prize and full experience of Eternal Life. It explains the role our works have in fulfilling God's purpose for our lives and inheriting the full reward and benefit of the salvation He has graciously given us.

Ephesians 2:1-9 describes what we have been saved from (spiritual death) and saved to (eternal life with Christ). Ephesians 2:10 describes what we are saved for—for good works. These good works are specifically designed for each of us. We might think of it as a "job description" for His kingdom. Each believer has been appointed to play a specific role of stewardship.

When Jesus departed the earth, He left a transcendent purpose that should unite the efforts of all believers: to make disciples of all nations by bringing them to faith and teaching them to obey His commands (Matthew 28:18-20). Ephesians 2:10 indicates that in order to accomplish this great work, God has appointed specific roles and opportunities for each believer to accomplish. Unlike the Gift of Eternal Life, which depends solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ, the Prize depends on us choosing to walk in God's provision.

God has already prepared the way. The inferred question of Ephesians 2:10 is "Will I walk in God's provision?" God's provision for us to fulfill our purpose is also the path that leads to our greatest blessing—the Prize. But as we see from scripture, following in His way is difficult (Matthew 7:13-14, 2 Timothy 3:12). Our path of least resistance in this fallen world is to follow the world's ways; these are the path of least resistance, but they lead to destruction.

To overcome these obstacles, believers need to first to embrace the immense Gift they have been given as their identity. We are new creations in Christ, wholly forgiven and made new (the Gift). With the foundation of knowing we are safe in God's capable hands, and will never be rejected, we are then free to embrace the great works to which God has appointed us.

In Ephesians 2:1-9, Paul details the hopeless situation we were in as we were spiritually dead and cut off from God in our trespasses and sins before God made us spiritually alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5). And not only that; God will resurrect us with Christ and has given us the opportunity to be seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6-7).

Paul then explains that all of the things he has been discussing in Ephesians 2:1-7 is God's gift to us because we contributed nothing to making these things a reality in our lives. It is entirely by His "grace" (God's favor toward us we are saved from spiritual death to spiritual life through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8).

In Ephesians 2:9, Paul emphatically reiterates that being resurrected into spiritual life from spiritual death was "not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

This begs the question: "If good works do not have anything to do with being born into spiritual life with God, then does doing good works matter in the Christian life?"

Ephesians 2:10 anticipates this question and explains the important role good works have within the Gospel. Paul writes:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (v 10).

Paul's answer is far reaching. And this commentary will unpack the great extents to which this statement projects to, but first we will explain this statement in its simplest terms.

Ephesians 2:10 completes the redemption arc from Ephesians 2.

This arc began in Ephesians 2:1-2 when "you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world" and it comes full circle in Ephesians 2:10 as we are created in Christ Jesus to walk in good works (v 10). God has redeemed us from walking in death and sin to walking in good works.

Paul says that God created and redeemed us so that we would do good works.

God did not give us the Gift of Eternal Life because we deserved it (or ever would deserve it) from our good works. God gave us the Gift of Eternal life by grace because He loved us so (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4). His aim to bless us in this amazing redemption is so that we would fulfill our divine destiny by walking in the good works He created for us to do with Him. In stewarding these good works, we have the opportunity to be fully restored to our design, which is to be servant leaders in God's kingdom (see our article on Why Did God Create Humanity, and What is Our Divine Purpose?).

We do not receive the Gift of Eternal Life by our good works, we receive the Gift of Eternal Life "by grace…through faith" apart from any of our good works (Ephesians 2:8). But the reason God saved us was so that we would become everything and do all the good works He created us for to accomplish in Christ Jesus.

God prepared these good works specifically for each of us beforehand—"before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). Walking in these good works is a major part of our divine destiny and what it means for us to be "predestined…to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself" (Ephesians 1:5). To be a "son" is to inherit a role of responsibility to reign with Christ as a faithful steward in His kingdom (Matthew 25:21, Revelation 3:21).

Again, God saved us for good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 encompass the full scope of the Gospel. Ephesians 2:8-9 described what we have already graciously received from God—the Gift of Eternal Life. Ephesians 2:10 gives us a glimpse of the destiny God has in store for those whom He rescued from spiritual death to spiritual life.

This commentary will explain some of what Paul is getting at in Ephesians 2:10. We will consider the meaning and implications of each phrase of this verse separately and how they fit together as a complete thought in the context of Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:10 can be subdivided into three phrases:

1. For we are His workmanship (v 10a),
2. created in Christ Jesus for good works (v 10b),
3. which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (v 10c).
   
   

1. FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP… 

The first phrase of Ephesians 2:10 is: For we are His workmanship.

The word For grammatically connects every phrase of Paul's statement in Ephesians 2:10 to what preceded it in Ephesians 2:8-9. It indicates that what Paul is about to say clarifies or elaborates upon what he just said. For Paul had just said that we were not saved from spiritual death to eternal life by our works (Ephesians 2:9), and now he is going to discuss the role works have within God's redemptive plan for our lives.

So, Ephesians 2:8-9 and Ephesians 2:10 are thematically connected by the word works and grammatically connected with the word For).

The pronoun we specifically refers to both Paul as well as the initial recipients of Paul’s epistle. Paul is clear in his epistles that he views the "job" God assigned him to as a sacred mission (1 Corinthians 9:16). We can see from his life and work that the concept of being created for good works is deeply embedded in Paul as a foundational aspect of his identity.

Paul's primary audience of Ephesians were the Gentile believers of Ephesus (Ephesians 1:1, 2:11). Ephesus was a major city in the Roman Empire and cultural center for Greek paganism. Ephesus is located on the western end of the Anatolian peninsula—present day (2026) Turkey.

Ephesus and the Ephesians were dear to Paul's heart. The apostle visited Ephesus twice during his missionary journeys (Acts 18:19-21, 19:1 - 20:1), and the second time he stayed for three years (Acts 20:31). Paul also met with the elders of Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem to give them a heartfelt encouragement (Acts 20:17-38).

In a broader sense, we refers to all readers of Ephesians who have believed in Jesus Christ and received the Gift of Eternal Life in Him.

The pronoun His refers to God.

Back in Ephesians 2:8, God was the one who gave us the "gift" of salvation from spiritual death to eternal life, and the pronoun His in Ephesians 2:10 refers back to God.

The Greek word translated as workmanship in Ephesians 2:10 is ποίημα (G4161—pronounced "poy-ay-mah"). Poiēma means "something made," "that which has been created," "a product," "a work," or "a thing produced by someone's workmanship."

The English word, "poem" is derived from "poiēma."

"Poiēma" comes from the Greek verb, ποιέω (G4160—pronounced "poy-eh-ō") Poieō means "to make," "to do," "to create," or "to produce."

The emphasis of "poiēma"/workmanship is on something that exists because someone else intentionally made it. It describes the product of a maker or artisan's work. "Poiēma" is a work of art that was fashioned, crafted, produced, or brought into being by the skill and intention of the one who made it.

Paul writes that we are God's workmanship.

We (believers) are His work of art. We are His poem. We are God's "poiēma" that He intentionally imagined, designed, fashioned, and created with His skill and love. A good poem inspires us with a story. Each believer is like a character in a great story—but the story is real. The question is merely, "Will be play our assigned role?" If we do, we are promised immense rewards (1 Corinthians 2:9). If we do not, we will suffer loss, particularly the loss of missing out on being an integral part of a great story (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Paul's use of the term "poiēma"/workmanship naturally evokes the image of God as a Creator, Craftsman, Designer, and Artisan.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are God's "poiēma"/workmanship twice over.

The God who created humanity is the same God who redeems humanity. Creation and redemption are not unrelated works. They are the same work and parts of the same divine plan.

While TheBibleSays.com typically avoids outside commentaries and chooses instead to focus on what the Bible says in our explanations, it may be worth considering what the early church father Athanasius wrote on the point that creation and salvation are the same work, done by the same Creator,

"For the renewal of creation has been wrought by the Self-same Word Who made it in the beginning. There is thus no inconsistency between creation and salvation; for the One Father has employed the same Agent for both works, effecting the salvation of the world through the same Word Who made it at first."
(Athanasius. "On the Incarnation." 1.1)

Athanasius rightly recognized the connection between God's work and workmanship as Creator and His work and workmanship as Redeemer. The significance of this truth is that the God who first created us as His "poiēma" is the same God who saves, restores, and refashions us as His "poiēma" through Jesus Christ.

When Paul calls believers God’s workmanship, he is drawing upon both aspects of creation (original creation and redemption or the new creation).

We are God's workmanship by creation and we are God's workmanship by redemption. All of humanity is God's "poiēma"/workmanship because we were created by God in His image and all believers are God's "poiēma"/workmanship because we have been redeemed and re-created in Christ Jesus. Believers are therefore God's handiwork, twice over.

Among other things, the idea that believers are God's workmanship means God is not abandoning His original design for humanity and starting over. God is restoring and fulfilling His purpose for the "poiēma" He created in the beginning.

In Ephesians 2:10, Paul draws the imagery of the original creation as a means to illustrate his main point that all believers are created (anew) in Christ Jesus. In other words, when Paul writes we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, he is evoking the notion of the first creation of humanity to emphasize the second creation believers experience in Christ.

As we see in Hebrews 2:9, it was through the suffering of death that Jesus redeemed humanity's privilege to gain the "crown" of "glory and honor" to have authority in the earth under the leadership of Jesus. Jesus was rewarded as a human with the title of "son" which gives Him the right to reign (Matthew 28:18, Revelation 3:21). He desires to "bring many sons to glory" to share His authority. The path to that great reward is through accomplishing the works He assigned us to complete.

Before we discuss Paul's main point that we are new creations in Christ, it would be helpful to visit his allusion to the first way we are His workmanship—which is from His original creation of humans as His image bearers.

We are His Workmanship as Image Bearers

The Bible begins with the account of God creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). As the Creator, God not only brought the world into existence, He carefully fashioned it according to His wisdom, purpose, and design. Throughout the six days of creation, God intentionally formed, filled, ordered, and arranged His creation until it was complete. After He had finished His work, God saw everything that He had made and declared it to be "very good" (Genesis 1:31).

In the created order, nothing, including humanity, arose by accident or chance. Everything that is was created by God (John 1:3) We are not self-made. We are His "poiēma"/workmanship.

Psalm 139 celebrates God's wonderful craftsmanship of every human life:

"For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
(Psalm 139:13-14a)

Humanity was the crown of God's workmanship. Unlike the rest of creation, human beings were uniquely made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Genesis 2 gives a more detailed description of how God created humanity. God personally formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Later, God fashioned Eve from Adam's side and brought her to him (Genesis 2:21-22).

Every human being is God's "poiēma"/workmanship by virtue of being created in His image.

Being created in God's image entails being:

• Created in God's Spiritual Image
  Humans have a spiritual nature and can know, fellowship with, and worship God. And humans are able to influence the spiritual realm. When we die physically, our spiritual existence continues; the destiny of believers is to be united with another body that Paul calls a "spiritual body" (1 Corinthians 15:44).

• Created in God's Rational Image
  Humans have the ability to rationally understand reality. Humans can discern what is true. Humans can think and reason through our ideas and express our thoughts. We have a mind and conscience that reflect our maker.

• Created in God's Volitional Image
  Humans have the freedom to choose, decide, and act according to our will.

• Created in God's Moral Image
  Humans can love, serve, and choose what is good. Humans are intended to love and serve as God loves and serves us.

• Created in God's Royal Image
  Humans were originally "crowned" with the authority to rule, steward, and exercise dominion over creation (Psalm 8:5-8).

• Created in God's Creative Image
  Humans have the ability to imagine, cultivate, make, and bring beauty and/or order into the world.

All of these attributes are derived from God just as reflection of a person's face in a mirror is derived from the solid face of that person. Therefore, humanity's spiritual nature is derived from God's spiritual nature. Humanity's rationality, freedom, moral compass, power and authority, creativity, are all derived from God's greater rationality, free will, etc. God is the source of infinite glory. We, His image bearers, are derivatives of infinite His glory.

Paul's use of the word "poiēma"/workmanship naturally recalls the creation account and humanity's original calling within God's creation. But while these ideas stand in the background of Ephesians 2:10, as mentioned above, Paul's primary emphasis is not upon humanity as God's original workmanship in creation. Paul's main focus is upon what it means for believers to be God's "poiēma"/workmanship through His work of our redemption in Christ Jesus.

We are His Workmanship as We are Re-created in Christ Jesus

Paul's primary emphasis of his phrase for we are His workmanship is what it means for believers to be God's "poiēma" through His work of redemption in Christ Jesus.

The Bible describes redemption as a new creation (Isaiah 65:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Revelation 21:1). The idea of "new creation" indicates that redemption is a work of restoration whereby God makes all things as they were always intended to be, free from the maladies and disorders of sin, corruption, and death.

The necessity of this new creation becomes apparent when we consider what sin did to God's "poiēma."

When God originally created humanity, He declared His workmanship to be "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Humanity was created to know God, reflect His image, exercise dominion, cultivate creation, and walk in fellowship with Him. But sin was fatal to God's "poiēma" because it separated us from God and cut us off from living within His good design (which is the definition of spiritual death).

Sinful humanity did not cease being God's workmanship, but His workmanship became marred. Spiritual death entered the world. Many other forms of separation from God's design followed, that is to say other forms of death. Fellowship with God was broken. Human purpose became distorted. Our thinking dimmed. Our desires corrupted. Our relationships fractured. Humanity's dominion over creation became twisted and self-serving.

The Gospel is God's answer to the problems of sin and death. It is a complete answer that unfolds in stages and eras.

The God who originally fashioned humanity is now refashioning humanity. The foundation of this restoration was Him becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ. The divine Poet did not abandon His poem. He became a part of His own "poiēma"/workmanship so that we could become part of His "poiēma"/workmanship again. He restored humanity's right to reign, as He intended, through the agency of His own death (Hebrews 2:9).

Because of His faithfulness, Jesus was rewarded as "Son" over all the earth, as a human (Hebrews 1:5). Jesus desires to bring "many sons to glory" with Him; He promises that all believers who overcome as He overcame will share His authority, and be assigned responsibility in His kingdom (Revelation 3:21, Matthew 25:21).

God's ultimate plan is to redeem the whole of creation. God not only gave His only begotten Son for you and me, but also for the life of the world (John 3:16, 6:51). The Gospel is God's promise and express purpose to renew and restore His entire creation.

Just as God created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1, He will create a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation 21. God promised to "make all things new" (Revelation 21:5). Romans 8:21-22 says the entire creation groans under its bondage, having been separated from its design. It longs to be freed, and will be freed "into the glory of the children of God." This speaks of creation desiring humanity to take its proper role as its faithful and loving steward.

The divine recovery project of the new creation is already underway.

The first act of the new creation can be viewed as being the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul calls Jesus the "first fruits" of those who have been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20). Both Paul and John describe Jesus as "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18, Revelation 1:5).

Just as Adam was the head of the first creation, Jesus is the head of the new creation. Christ is the first human to emerge from death into the life of eternal resurrection. He is the firstborn of the new humanity God is creating.

And through Christ's resurrection, God has "made [believers] [spiritually] alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5). Paul writes to the Corinthian church:

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

All believers are God's workmanship in the new creation because they are united with Christ into His new life through spiritual birth, just as all human beings are members of the first creation because their biological life descended from Adam through physical birth. As God's "poiēma"/workmanship in the first creation, we were created in Adam. As God's "poiēma"/workmanship in the new creation, we are re-created in Christ.

And not only are we new creatures who are born again into God's eternal family when we believe in Jesus to receive the Gift of Eternal Life, we will be conformed into the image of Jesus, God's Son (Romans 8:29).

All believers are predestined to be conformed to the image and character of Christ (Romans 8:29).

To become "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29) does not mean that as we gain the character of Jesus, we also lose our individual personality or unique identity. To the contrary. The more we become like Jesus the more we discover who we were meant to be.

The more we become like Jesus, the more we become our true selves as God created us. It is sin, not Jesus, that diminishes the self (Luke 9:23). Jesus came so that we could have life abundantly (John 10:10). The more we resemble Christ, the more we become God's "poiēma"/workmanship.

One of the Biblical terms for the process by which we are conformed to the image of God's Son is "sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says that God's will for believers is their "sanctification." Sanctification literally means to be set aside for a special purpose. In the biblical context for a believer, it is to become holy (set apart) like God is holy (set apart). The primary thing we are set apart from is the sinful, broken state of the world after the Fall. For a believer to be holy like God is holy is to live according to how God designed us to live.

The Biblical term for when sanctification is complete is "glorified" (Romans 8:30). Romans 13:11 calls the glorified state of sanctification "salvation." It is when our sanctification is complete, when we are delivered from this body of flesh and this world of sin, that we are "glorified."

To be "glorified" is to have your true essence revealed. We can see this in 1 Corinthians 15:41 which says the moon and stars have different sorts of "glory" because they differ in essence. Paul says in Philippians 3:19 that those who are governed by their appetites reveal that their god is their appetite. In that case Paul says their "glory is in their shame."

That sanctification leads us to "glory" is another way to say the destiny of all believers is conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

The question for believers is not a matter of if we will be sanctified/glorified into the character of Jesus, but when and how this will take place. There are two ways we can be conformed into the character of Jesus:

1.  We can be conformed into His image by faith through fiery trials in this life and gain great rewards
(Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 2 Peter 1:5-11, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 3:11-15)

— or —

2.  We can be conformed into His image by His judgment fire in the next life and suffer loss of rewards we could have had by being faithful in this life
(Mark 9:49, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, Hebrews 10:26-31)

We can become like Jesus in this life as we adopt His perspective and follow His ways of overcoming life's trials by faith (1 Peter 1:4-9). Or we can be conformed to the character of Jesus at our judgment as His refining fire burns away all our impurities (Hebrews 10:26-30, 39).

Either way, whether by faith or judgment fire, because we are predestined for this good thing, our hearts and minds will be conformed to the heart and mind of Jesus. But the New Testament consistently advises the first method (by faith) over the second (judgment fire).

Becoming like Jesus is not easy, but it is to our vast and abundant benefit that we acquire His heart and perspective. God will not leave His children as they are—afflicted by sin. He calls them and redeems them to become mature sons and daughters in His kingdom. As He conforms us into Jesus's likeness, we increasingly become His "poiēma"/workmanship.

So, in a sense we are/will be His "poiēma"/workmanship not just twice, but thrice over.

1. We are His workmanship as human beings created in God's image.
   
   
2. We are His workmanship as children who have been born into His family when we received the Gift of Eternal Life by faith.
   
   
3. We will be His workmanship as sons who are sanctified, glorified, and fully conformed into the character and the image of Jesus.
   
   

2.  CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS… 

The second phrase of Ephesians 2:10 is: created in Christ Jesus for good works.

It begins with the expression: created in Christ Jesus.

A more descriptive translation of Ephesians 2:10 could legitimately include both statements and might be rendered: "We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. We are created in Christ Jesus for good works."

This is because the expression created in Christ Jesus is placed between We are His workmanship and for good works. This means that it applies to both His workmanship and the purpose for which we were saved—for good works.

While the limitations of English force the translators to largely confine the expression, created in Christ Jesus, to one statement or the other, the Greek syntactical arrangement of Ephesians 2:10 means that as it is constructed, both the following statements are fully intended.

We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus.
And we are created in Christ Jesus for good works (v 10).

The first statement describes what we are: We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. The second statement describes what we are created for: we are created in Christ Jesus for good works (v 10)

This commentary has already explained how we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Now it will explain what it means for us to be created in Christ Jesus for good works (v 10).

Broadly speaking, the phrase created in Christ Jesus is used to encapsulate and include all the previous blessings that Paul has mentioned in this chapter that we have with Christ or in Christ. These blessings were:

• Being made alive together with Christ
  (Ephesians 2:5)

• Being raised up (resurrected) with Him
  (Ephesians 2:6)

• Seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ
  (Ephesians 2:6)

• And all of God's surpassing riches of His grace and kindness toward us who are in Christ
  (Ephesians 2:7)

But here in verse 10, Paul does not only write Jesus's office, Christ, which means "Messiah," he also refers to the Messiah by His name, Christ Jesus. The anointed Messiah, the Christ, is the LORD's anointed savior of God's people, God's prophet who directly speaks the LORD's words to the people, the true King of Israel.

Previously in this chapter, Paul has been stating only the office—Christ. But stating the office (Christ) and naming the person (Jesus) makes Paul's claims less abstract and more concrete. These promises are grounded in the literal person of Jesus who is the Christ.

This distinction between the more abstract and the more concrete manners of speaking can be seen in how we might say more abstractly: "the king said…" or "the president did… " versus "King George said…" or "President Washington did…"

Therefore, when Paul writes that we are created in Christ Jesus, he is reminding his readers that every aspect of their salvation, their new life, their resurrection, and their eternal destiny is founded in the literal flesh-and-blood human, Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ.

The word created continues Paul's usage of creation language that began with the phrase His workmanship.

The Greek verb that is translated as created in verse 10 is a form of the word κτίζω (G2936—pronounced: "ktid-zō"). "Ktidzō" means to found, establish, acquire, manufacture, or create. "Ktidzō" contains the idea of proprietorship alongside the creating of something. It describes the act of making or establishing something for one's own purposes.

A few examples of this might be how an entrepreneur "ktidzōs"/creates his new business or an author "ktidzōs"/creates his new book.

Paul tells the Colossians that "all things were created ['ktidzō'] both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities" by Jesus (Colossians 1:16).

In the Septuagint, the ancient translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, "ktidzo" is used to describe the LORD as the "possessor ['ktidzō'] of heaven and earth" (Genesis 14:19, 22), and Deuteronomy says how "God created ['ktidzō'] man" (Deuteronomy 4:32). "Ktidzo" is also used to translate David's prayer in Psalm 51 "Create ['ktidzō'] in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10). Ephesians 2:10 shows how David’s prayer is fully answered as we are created in Christ Jesus.

To be created ("ktidzo") in Christ Jesus describes how we belong to King Jesus, the one who re-made us, and established us in His kingdom. As created ("ktidzo") in Christ Jesus pertains to His workmanship it implies that we are His enterprise.

The prepositional phrase for good works declares the purpose for which we were re-created in Christ Jesus.

We are created in Christ Jesus for good works (v 10). 

This idea that we are created in Christ for good works indicates the positive role that good works have within the full scope of the Gospel.

God saved us from spiritual death and created us in Christ Jesus so we would do good works in partnership with Him.

Again, the expression for good works is not the same as the expression "by good works." Paul has just said that we are not saved from spiritual death by our good works (Ephesians 2:9). We are saved from spiritual death by God's grace expressed in the person and work of Christ Jesus. And this salvation is received through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8).

In its broadest terms, good works are anything that we do for the sake of pleasing God (Colossians 3:23-24). God is not pleased so much by our good actions, as He is pleased by our active faith in Him—our faith in action.

The way we do good works that we were created to do in Christ Jesus is to do them in faith in Christ Jesus. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

God is not pleased by the man who has faith without "good" works, nor is He pleased by the man who has "good" works without faith (see our commentary on James 2:14-17).

God is not pleased if we do these good works in our own strength or righteousness. Self-righteous good works are of limited value. Those who self-righteously do good things for earthly reward then have their reward in full (Matthew 6:1-2). A principle which Paul told the Romans when discussing religious customs is "whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23).

When considering that sin is separation from God's design, it makes perfect sense that whatever is not of faith is sin. "Faith" is following all God says, because our actions are rooted in a belief that God knows what is best for us better than we know for ourselves. Any action we take that stems from any attitude of "I know what is best for me better than anyone (including God)" separates us from God's design.

God is pleased when we do good works through faith in Him. Doing good works through faith means trusting that God's ways are best, choosing to do what is pleasing to God, and acting within God's power as we overcome our circumstances and trials. To do good works we must obey God's will in faith.

But the term good works may mean more than we initially realize. Good works include the good things we do in this lifetime that please God and the good things we will do in collaboration with God throughout eternity in the new heaven and the new earth.

Good Works in this Lifetime

Good works in this lifetime entail obeying His commandments by faith and living out our design by faith.

Though God has given His people many commandments, His moral precepts are summed up by the prophet Micah:

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
(Micah 6:8)

Jesus said the greatest two commandments were to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbor as we love and serve our self (Matthew 22:36-40).

The Bible also commands that we teach others to love and follow God—especially our children (Deuteronomy 6-7, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 6:4, 2 Timothy 2:2).

To tell others about God and His ways through our lives and actions, to be just and merciful, to serve people in love out of devotion to God are all examples of positive moral commandments—good things we should do.

God issues negative moral commandments—evil things we should not do. Examples of negative commandments include: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet (Exodus 20:13-17, Deuteronomy 5:17-21). He also tells us the positive perspectives we should adopt as well; for instance, that husbands who love their wives are actually loving themselves (Ephesians 5:28).

If we keep and obey God's commandments (both positive and negative) in faith we are doing good works in Christ Jesus. But we can also do good works in Christ Jesus during this lifetime by living within God's design by faith.

God is our Creator. He created and uniquely designed each person. Psalm 100:3 says that God determines our design and that we do not determine our design. Right after Genesis reveals that humanity is made in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27) it reveals God's original purpose for humanity. God endowed humanity with dominion to rule over His creation as His stewards (Genesis 1:28). God's granting of dominion and His charge for humanity to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28) is sometimes called "The Creation Mandate."

God designed humans to rule creation in harmony with Him. He wanted humanity to cultivate and keep the garden of His creation (Genesis 2:15). To keep means to protect and preserve its goodness. To cultivate means to develop and improve something. To cultivate the garden means to apply skill, art, science, technology, ingenuity, and effort to better unlock and maximize its potential.

Humans were to take the good, raw materials found throughout creation and fashion them into something better.

In other words, God designed humans to collaborate with Him as co-creators.

God's creation was already "very good" (Genesis 1:31) when God entrusted its cultivation to humanity.

These scriptures (Genesis 1:28, 2:15) reveal that God invited humans to collaborate with Him as His co-creators.

It is amazing to consider how "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31) and that He empowers and enlists humans to collaborate with Him to make it even better. It has been said that "grain and grapes are good, but bread and wine are better."

But Humanity's divine assignment to cultivate creation extends far beyond agriculture. Humanity's cultivation of nature has included many incredible wonders such as to invent and develop language, discover and harness the laws of nature to build machines that travel across the world and into outer space. We have cultivated sound into music, movement in dance, developed government, commerce, industries, technologies to the flourishing of civilization.

It is interesting to ponder along with Psalm 8 and wonder "what is man that You [God] take thought of him?" (Psalm 8:4a). And how "You [God] crown him with glory and majesty [over creation]!" (Psalm 8:5b). "You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet" (Psalm 8:6).

As we apply our talents to these projects in faith and in partnership with God, we do the good works for which we were created to do in Christ. And when we collaborate with God to cultivate creation we are acting in our design as co-creators with God.

Thus, humanity is at once both a part of God's creation and co-creators with God.  Incredibly, humanity is both God's workmanship and His fellow co-workers. Humanity is God's "poiēma." We were originally created as both expressions within His poem and as His co-poets.

But sadly, because of sin and the fall, humanity has widely used its dominion to exploit and manipulate others to serve their appetites and lusts (Ephesians 2:1-4). And yet, as we believe in Jesus and follow His example of doing good works in faith, we are reconnected to God and are able once again to participate within His good design.

Following God's commands which always leads to the flourishing of life and using our talents to keep and cultivate creation in partnership with Him are the good works God created for us to do in Christ Jesus.

As long as we are walking this earth, there is an abundance of opportunity to do good works in this lifetime. However, in the scale of eternity, only a tiny fraction of the good works for which we were created in Christ Jesus will be done in this lifetime.

Most of the good works which we were created for will be accomplished in the life to come.

Good Works in the New Heaven and the New Earth

God created us to do amazing things in the new heaven and the new earth.

The Bible reveals that God intends humanity to co-reign with Jesus in the New Heaven and the New Earth:

• Jesus told Peter that for his faithfulness that he would be rewarded with authority to sit on a throne in the regeneration (Matthew 19:28). And Jesus promised that every follower who is faithful in this life will inherit many times as much in eternity (Matthew 19:29). All believers who overcome as faithful witnesses are promised to share in Christ's authority to reign (Revelation 3:21).

• Paul told Timothy that believers who are faithful will reign with God (2 Timothy 2:12).

• Paul scolded the Corinthians for their immature bickering because they would one day be judging angels (in the new heaven and earth) (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).

• Paul told the Ephesians in Chapter 1 that God purposed us to be part of His kingdom administration in the fullness of time (Ephesians 1:9-10).

When the Bible speaks of entering the kingdom or inheriting eternal life it is often talking about the future responsibility and capacity faithful believers will have for good works in the life to come. It seems that this present life is a sifting process for believers; those who walk in faithfulness to serve will be rewarded with great responsibilities to serve.

There is a primary difference between those who typically rule in this world and those who will co-reign with Christ in the next. With limited exception (and those exceptions are notable and noble), those who rule in this world use their power to extract from others what they want. Authority will not be abused in the new earth. Those who will co-reign with Christ in His kingdom will use their authority and power to serve. Jesus said:

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave."
(Matthew 20:25b-27)

The path to exaltation in God's kingdom is to serve now and be a servant-king later. We learn to serve now, and we will be entrusted with even more service in the life to come. Jesus provided the example. He who made the world came to earth and took on the form of humanity but came as a servant. He said He did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45).

Many of the people in Israel's history who prefigured the Messiah foreshadowed this pattern:

• Joseph was sold as a slave, a servant, and later imprisoned in Egypt before he rose to power at the "right hand" of Pharaoh.

• David was also a shepherd who was anointed as king, but waited patiently and served the people of Israel for years before he was recognized as king of Judah and Israel. He was persecuted by the current ruler (Saul) just as Jesus was persecuted by the current ruler of the world (Satan).

Christ Jesus also followed this pattern of humble service before being exalted (Philippians 2:5-10). Jesus refused Satan's temptation to become king before serving, and He embraced the cross (Matthew 4:8-10, 16:21-23, 26:39). He was already the anointed, but patiently waited and served and was exalted in due time, just as God promises believers He will do for them if they will humble themselves (1 Peter 5:6).

As the Son of God and the anointed Messiah, Jesus had the rightful claim to all authority and worship, but instead He did not regard these things as His privilege and He set them aside and obeyed God by faith, sacrificing His life for the world on the cross (Philippians 2:5-8). Consequently, Jesus became the greatest human in the history of the world (Philippians 2:9-11).

When His disciples James and John asked to have authority in His kingdom, Jesus called His disciples to emulate His life of serving others: "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).

God called us to be great by using our gifts and talents to serve one another.  He created us in Christ Jesus for good works (of service). Those who will be the greatest in Christ's kingdom will be those who serve the greatest in His name in this life. And by being faithful now we will receive a greater reward and opportunity to become great ourselves

God created us in Christ Jesus for good works to do both in this life and in the life to come. And this was God's intention from before the beginning of time.

3. WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND SO THAT WE WOULD WALK IN THEM.

The third phrase of Ephesians 2:10 is: which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

God prepared the good works we are created in Christ Jesus to do beforehand.

There are two parts to this phrase:

• which God prepared beforehand;

And:

• so that we would walk in them.

The relative pronoun which connects the antecedent good works to the relative clause: which God prepared beforehand.

The English expression prepared beforehand is translated from the Greek verb: προετοιμάζω (G4282—pronounced: "pro-et-oi-mad-zō"). It is a compound word consisting of the preposition "pro" meaning "before" or "in front of" and ἑτοιμάζω (G2090—"etoimadzō"), meaning "make ready" or "prepare."

Jews prepared/"etoimadzō" for Passover (Matthew 26:19). Spices were prepared/"etoimadzō" for burial (Luke 24:1). Dinner and Banquets were prepared/"etoimadzō" (Matthew 20:23). Jesus told His disciples that He was going to heaven "to prepare ['etoimadzō'] a place for you" (John 14:2). From these examples and others like them, it is apparent that preparation is work done in advance so that another moment or action can be fulfilled in its proper place and time.

Combining the preposition "pro" to the verb "etoimadzō" adds another layer to the preparation—specifically when that preparation was done. Adding this preposition to the verb is like saying "long beforehand."

The idea is that God does not wait to begin preparing the good works for people once they believe. He does not "find something for us to do" once we become a member of His family. God prepared these great tasks and good works for us long beforehand—before we believed, before we were born, before time began, "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).

These good works are a part of our divine destiny and inheritance that we have in Christ and His kingdom,

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared ['etoimadzō'] for you from the foundation of the world.'"
(Matthew 25:34)

The closing expression: so that we would walk in them refers to the good works which God prepared beforehand (v 10).

This expression modifies the meaning of the idea that we are created for good works (v 10).

God did not create us for the sake of good works.

God prepared the good works for us—so that we would walk in them (v 10). In other words, God prepared good works for us so that we could experience doing them. The emphasis of this phrase shifts the purpose from the good works themselves to believers who have the opportunity to experience doing them.

The idea that God created us to experience doing good works rather than created us for the sake of the good works getting done makes sense, because God does not need us to do good works. God is all powerful. He can do whatever He wants, when He wants, without any resistance or limitation whatsoever. But like a loving father with his children, God chooses to share His life and experiences with us. God wants us to have the opportunity to walk in doing good works because He loves us, and wants us to experience what it is like to do great things for His kingdom.

God sharing His experiences of doing good works with us is similar to how Jesus promised the Laodicean Christians that if they overcame their earthly trials by faith in Him, He would allow them to sit on His heavenly throne (Revelation 3:21).

An analogy to the good works God has for us might be that God is the superstar on the team, but He passes us the ball and wants us to get a chance to make the game-winning shot, or He puts us in the lineup so that we step into the batter’s box with the game on the line and two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

As co-creators with God, He graciously gives us the opportunity and the ability to do amazing things in His kingdom.

For the Christian, this life counts, but it also is training for the even bigger moments and good works in eternity. He who is faithful in the little things (here) will be entrusted with much greater things (in the new creation) (Matthew 25:21, Luke 16:10-12).

God has prepared good works for every person to walk in. God has created some “big moments” for everyone to experience in this life and even more so in eternity. This means that no circumstance that we find ourselves in is accidental. Believers live and exist within not only the divinely designed self that God has made them to be, but God has also placed them within circumstances for them to do good things. And as we are faithful to listen to Him and find and do the good works He has prepared for us before the foundation of the world, He will give us even more good works to do in His kingdom.

This eternal life is an incredible opportunity.

God has predestined and prepared good works for us long beforehand, but we still must choose whether to walk in them. If we do not, then we will not receive the benefit we could have gained.

So, invest the talents of your time, skills, connections, resources, etc. wisely. Do not squander them selfishly on the fading world and its lusts (1 John 2:17). Do not "bury your talent" from fear (Matthew 25:24-28, 30).

Walk in the good works God has prepared for you in eternity past and use the talents God has given you in this life profitably, so that you will receive your full inheritance.

If we are to walk in all that God has for us in the life to come, we must be faithful now. If we bury our talents now, then God will give our inheritance to someone who is faithful (Matthew 25:28-29).

Back to the sports analogy, if we are lazy and don't hone our skills, we will be in the stadium but we will be on the bench or in the stands (we will still be saved from eternal separation from God) rather than being in the lineup when the big play God predestined for us to accomplish happens (lose our eternal reward).

Such a person will be like the believer who had all of his works burned up at the Bema of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Such a person will be like Esau, "who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears" (Hebrews 12:16-17). Whatever benefit we seek from this world will be like a single meal as compared to the eternal rewards Christ has in store for us.

Let's not be like Esau. Let's not let eternity's moments pass us by in the present. Run the race set before you with endurance (Hebrews 12:1). Look at the "joy" before us of being assigned responsibility in God's kingdom, and run the race with endurance, to the end, following Jesus's example (Hebrews 12:2). God has predestined and prepared good works for us long beforehand, but we still must choose to walk in them now, so that we can walk in them in eternity future and hear our Lord say to us:

"Well done good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."
(Matthew 25:21, 23)