For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (emphasis added)
Why are we here on earth? What is our purpose? As I’ve said so many times, our purpose is “to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”[1] This statement from the Westminster Shorter Catechism is so broad that there are many aspects of life in which we can glorify God and enjoy Him. So, today, I want to focus on the aspect of being active in life, doing good works in Christ Jesus. We all talk about how we are not saved by good works that I think that we sometimes forget that we are still to do good works. We Christians, as God’s workmanship, are to represent and glorify God in our works, how we live and interact with others.
Looking at Ephesians 2, Paul explains how we are saved “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (verse 9). However, right after, Paul goes on to explain that we are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (verse 10). That word for workmanship is poiema, which “signifies that which is manufactured, a product, a design produced by an artisan.”[2] So what this verse is saying is that God, as the artist, is shaping us into new and beautiful creatures who love Him and want to serve Him in all that we do, and that is evidenced by doing for what we were created: good works. While good works do not save us, they are proof that we belong to God, and by showing that we belong to God, we are giving Him glory, fulfilling our purpose by showing God’s love to others. Because we glorify God and show to the world that He is working in our lives, Paul says that “we should walk in [these good works]” that were “prepared beforehand.” In fact, by doing good works, we are completing God’s plan for our lives as He planned out what all of our good works would be before we were even born, and He is going to use them for the good of ourselves and for those that love God and will love Him (see Romans 8:28). Our works also bear a greater purpose than ourselves; the purpose is ultimately to be a light to the world. So, let your light shine; let God shape you into a godly man or woman by obeying Him by doing the good works that He planned for you so that you can bear God’s purpose in this dark world.
Man’s purpose is to bring glory to God and find enjoyment in Him. For this reason, we must obey the Lord by doing the works for which He has created us, showing that we truly belong to God, but how do we know what God’s works are for us? While everyone is called to different works, we can know what God’s works are for us by reading the Word of God and seeing the commandments that God gives to all His children and by praying and listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as we go about our daily lives. So, as you continue with your life, I encourage you to spend time with Jesus and ask Him how you can serve Him today, tomorrow, and forever. Study the Word of God and learn what God has commanded all Christians to do, and most importantly, pray that the Lord would work in your life so that you can effectively do the works for which He created you and so that you can bear His purpose!
COMMITTING TO GOD’S GRACE AND LOVE,
Jeremiah Yonemura
[1] “Q: What Is the Chief End of Man?” Bible Presbyterian Church Online: WSC Question 1, Westminster Shorter Catechism Project, www.shortercatechism.com/resources/wsc/wsc_001.html. [2] New Spirit-Filled Life Bible: New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 2002.