We are His Workmanship...

(Ephesians 2: 10) “For we are his workmanship…”

Why after salvation, that glorious day when the switch to life was triggered and truth flashed before our eyes, the day we met our Saviour the Lord Jesus. Our encounters may have differed, but all were by grace through faith. Let us never forget how this happened! “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) 

I would like us to consider our purpose as individual and what is meant by these good works that God has prepare beforehand (before creation) for us to walk in: – “… And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.” (Revelation 17:8) - In other words God in His brilliance has so amazingly scripted the outcome of His plan in such detail, that in fact He actual through wisdom preordained all things in and through His Son (our Saviour) before life began as we know it. This thought is far beyond the grasps of our vain imaginations, that without uncovering this truth through God Word, the Bible, we could never understand it. But now because we have His Spirit and with the help of God the Holy Spirit, who reveals all truth we are now able by faith and with sound reasoning to see and understand the beauty of God’s plan as it unfolds in our lives.

These “good works” that we now need to find for our lives is not always as clear as we would like them to be. The Apostle Paul teachers us that we need to work them out; “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function.” (Romans 12:1-4)

Then we must conclude that we all have our roles to play in and through God’s plan, but we must never forget that we need one another, God has so ordained it! “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function.” We all have our roles to play, and yes it must begin in our local church, but we are also part of the universal church, in other words all Christians are part of the same global body of Christ. We must be concerned for all the members of God’s army, all true Christians must lock hands and we must get involved and look out for each other. At times that may mean we may have to be “harsh in love” with one another. If we stray we need the truth from God’s Word to realign our footsteps. God has often chosen to use prophets to speak into the lives of His children. (And no I am not implying that I have prophetic gifts. God knows who we are and what we are!)

Let us look at a case in point; Remember the account of David and Bathsheba, David had sinned against God and had wronged one of his most valiant soldiers Uriah the Hittite. He slept with his wife and then had him killed in battle. Sin had blinded David to such an extent that he tried to push it aside, but it was only until Nathan approached the king that David feel to his knees in repentance. It took a hard word from the prophet to help David realize the severity of his sin and it worked in him repentance. This encounter was full of heartache, in fact David’s son died because of His sin. And yes God was merciful as He is a merciful God and forgave David; just as He has forgiven us more times than we can remember (I make reference to us sinning after salvation). These failures in our lives should be proof enough that we can never boast of our own achievements; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

I suppose it is easier for me to understand than possibly some, that in me there is no good thing outside of His Spirit. The reason for this is I have failed more than most. I am under no delusion that I have somehow arrived. If it had not been for the saving grace and the mercy of God my Heavenly Father and the work of Calvary I would be as I have said before in some gutter somewhere begging bread.

We must never be fooled into thinking that once we find forgiveness as Christians that there won’t be consequences for our actions. Forgiveness is on offer if God so wills it. But God will not be mocked! All that simply means is He is righteous and always does what is right in His eyes. We often reason in unrighteousness and therefore are left asking this question, why?

Did David find forgiveness for his treacherous sin, we know he did! Where there circumstances to his sin? We also know there was!

This was the outcome…

“Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'" David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die." (2Samuel12:11-14) 

Why then do we feel it should be any different for us? Are we greater than those who have gone before us? Why then do so many of us grapple with the circumstance of our sin? And I will say it again so that there are no misunderstandings, not the forgiveness our sins as believers; we have that if we truly repent but the consequence in our lives after we have sinned is what I make reference too. We must accept them and find grace to press on. We need to understand the full council of God in our lives. We often spend so much time praying for things that go against the will of God. No matter how much David prayed and fasted for his son, it had been settled by Almighty God that he would die. Let us not waste time on the things we cannot change. May God help us to understand the difference between His will and our wants, so that His name will be glorified and so that we eventually learn to be helpful to one another in the body of Christ! May we never forget that it is only by grace through faith in and through the Lord Jesus that this will ever be achieved! Our first consideration must always be Him and Him alone, Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone