Alive Pt 3

My grandpa instilled in me a love for sports. Because of my grandpa, since I was young, I followed the Lakers (basketball), the San Diego Chargers (football, I don’t recognize the LA Chargers), and the San Diego Padres (baseball). My dad took me to several Padres’ games, and I went with co-workers to one Chargers’ game. There’s nothing like sitting in the stands, eating ballpark food, watching the game from the stands, and cheering until you’re hoarse. I have shirts for all three teams. My husband bought me several Chargers’ jerseys that I would wear on game days as I watched from home.

But what if I told you I was a fan of the Padres (since they haven’t deserted my hometown), but I never watched a game, I never checked the scores online, I didn’t have a single Padres’ shirt or ball cap, I didn’t know where they were from or what the mascot was, I couldn’t name any of the players, and I never talked about baseball at all. If there wasn’t one piece of evidence confirming my claim as a Padres’ fan, would you really believe my claim?

As we’ve come to the end of this section depicting the work of salvation, we’ve considered our “all” dead state apart from Christ, God’s intervention to save us, how God transformed us, making us alive with Christ (the climax of these ten verses), and how salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. Today we will examine why we have been saved.

Let’s read verses 2:1-10 again.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.[1]

Ephesians 2:1-10 (emphasis added)

For – God saved us from His wrath that we justly deserved, but God also saved us for something more. Paul writes that we are God’s workmanship. Workmanship is the Greek word poiēma which carries the idea of a beautiful poem. In the Jerusalem Bible, workmanship is translated as “work of art.” God doesn’t pull us from the fires of hell, so-to-speak, and leave us with singed clothes and hair, and soot-stained faces. No, He has made us into something beautiful. He has made us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) by regeneration.

“Westminster Confession of Faith 13.1 summarizes the nature of regeneration in the following way: ‘They who are once effectually called and regenerated, have a new heart and a new spirit created in them… In regeneration, God implants a new heart – together with a renewed will, affections, and desires – to enable them to walk in a manner pleasing to Him.”[2]

As God’s workmanship, we are being lovingly transformed and conformed to the image of Jesus. This transformation, as stated above, involves our will, affections, and desires. God has promised that He will complete this work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6).

We are created in Christ Jesus. We could not be God’s workmanship apart from Jesus. Paul brings us back to Jesus again and again.

Paul then inserts the word for – we are saved and are God’s workmanship for good works not by good works. This is a crucial distinction. In previous weeks, we’ve repeatedly heard Paul say there is no part of salvation that is our doing. Even our faith is a gift from God. Paul does not switch mid-stream in verse 10 to now inform us salvation is by our good works.

Good works are evidence of our salvation. We are living in accordance with our new, alive state. In Jesus’ teaching of Himself as the true vine, He stated: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). Bearing fruit is proof that we are Jesus’ disciples, that we have come to saving faith.

In Chapter 4 of his letter to the Romans, Paul made it clear that it is faith alone not faith plus works for salvation. Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness before the act or work of circumcision. “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:2-6).

This debate of faith alone or faith plus works arises in James’ letter. If you went through the book of James with me this past year, you might remember that James was writing to Jewish Christians within a short time after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. His audience needed to know how to live in light of their salvation. With this in mind, James wrote: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:14-18). James goes on to use Abrahm and Rahab as examples, but they are examples of faith being evidenced by works not works that save.

Volumes have been written on this topic, but in the space we have, we cannot cover even all the Bible has to say on this topic. I hope you have begun to see why this quote attributed to Martin Luther is true: “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” True saving faith will always result in good works. Someone who was “all” dead and made alive with Christ will delight to do what glorifies God.

Paul isn’t done yet. He has more information on the good works we were created for. First, God prepared them beforehand. Good works were God’s plan for us (2 Timothy 3:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Titus 2:14), and His Spirit empowers us to do good works (Philippians 2:12-13).

Second, we are to walk in these good works. This phrase forms what is called an “inclusio.” Look back at verse 2. Before God intervened in our lives, we walked in our trespasses and sins, following the course of the world and Satan, living in the passions of our flesh. Now, we walk in good works that glorify God and display the gift of salvation God has given us in His grace, mercy, and great love. We live following after God, obeying His commands in love and gratitude for what He has done in saving us.

Reflection

1.    You are God’s workmanship. How does this Biblical view compare with your view of yourself? How does it encourage you? What does it reveal to you about God?

2.    Have you weighed what it means to be created in Christ for good works? How does this impact the tasks you do every day?

3.    Good works are to be a lifestyle for those brought from death to life. Good works flow from a heart amazed by God’s grace. How can you cultivate amazement of God’s grace in salvation?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 2:1–10.

[2] “Regeneration.” Edited by Ligonier Ministries, Ways to Learn at Ligonier.Org, Ligonier Ministries, learn.ligonier.org/guides/regeneration. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.