«I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampant, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said …» (Habakkuk, 2:1-2).
«Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments» (Psalm, 112:1).
«The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate» (Proverbs, 8:13).
«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).
The underlined part of this verse tells us that God has a plan that we should carry out. One of the main tasks in this life is for us to find out this plan. After his salvation Apostle Paul set his heart on finding out his purpose in life.
To do good work means doing what you can do. God never asks you to do something above your abilities. When God asks you to do something, He definitely gives you a supernatural power and capabilities. Do not think of what you cannot accomplish, better do what you can manage then God will lead you into your promised land. Wherever you are, use every opportunity to do what you can do, so you learn doing good works for Jesus then.
If you had a polluted garment on even a brand new garment, what would you feel like? I am sure you would feel disgusted. This is exactly what those who try to please God through their good works without Christ feel. It doesn´t matter how many good works you do, God would never accept you unless you accept Jesus by faith. God´s peace enters your heart because you get to know Jesus and realise that in Him you are saved and accepted by God.
«For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.»
(Ephesians 2:8-10).
Here we can see that person is not made righteous by his deeds. God never declares somebody righteous by his many good works. Vice verse, God makes righteous those who accept His gift by faith, namely Christ Jesus. A person becomes good in God´s eyes by faith when he believes in good works God has done in Christ.
«For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works …» (Ephesians 2:10).
God has created you with a purpose. We are created and made for ministry on this Earth. Life without purpose is similar to a movement without a direction. Once we clarify who we are in God and what He has done for us – we immediately realise why we are here in this world. So we are made for good works.
It means that in Christ we can discover our gifts and find use for them in compliance with God’s predestination. It also means that in Christ Jesus we are guaranteed satisfaction with life. «You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell there»(Psalm, 68:18).
All the consequence of sinful life, all the guilt, shame and limitations that have entered our life because of sin can be annulled only in Christ. In Christ we have gained new life and new opportunities. Now none of us can complain that he cannot realize his potential because of some past mistakes or difficult circumstances. God has declared us free from any consequences of sin. In Him you will realize all of your inner potential. In Christ God has given all of us a solution and a way out!
We are not only created by God, we are also reworked or recreated by Jesus Christ. We are talking about the opportunity available to sinful people because Christ has come into this world. This is exactly what the letter to Ephesians says:
«You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.» (Ephesians 2:1-10).
