Displaying God's Handiwork

 

“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

Many times, when I look at a nature photograph, I feel such joy as I observe God’s handiwork. God has such creativity: “My lips can hardly describe what my eyes can see.”

Do you realize that we Christians are also God’s handiwork? The Apostle Pail makes just such a declaration in Ephesians 2:1-10:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

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.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Many people sincerely believe their good works will help them “buy” their way into heaven. But Jesus is the only way. He paid the price for our redemption on the cross. He conquered sin and death through His resurrection. He transformed temporal human life to eternal and everlasting life through His ascension.

We receive God’s gift of eternal life, through Jesus, by grace alone through faith alone. As a result, the Holy Spirit motivates us to do good works to honor God, celebrate this great gift He has given us, and acknowledge the reality of His great love for us.

Good works are not a payment for our entrance into heaven. Rather, any good works we do are a result of the fact that we already have a place reserved for us in heaven through the precious blood of Jesus. Our good works are simply the manifestation of the new life that God has given us through His precious Son. We are motivated to show our obedience to God through the good works that He prompts us to do by the divine presence of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit.

Let us rejoice this day that we who belong to God’s Son, Jesus, are God’s living handiwork. We are products of His grace through faith and recipients of His unfailing love. Our obedience to His perfect will for us is what motivates us to do good works in His name.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, August 27, 2015

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