Who are we in Christ? Have you ever wondered about that? Just who are you, who am I, to God?
Sometimes when I look at the night sky on clear and moonless night, when I’m out in the open, no lights around to obstruct, and I see endless maze of stars about. I really feel insignificant. I begin to grasp what the psalmist was trying to convey:
Psalm 8:3–4 (CSB) When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?
That is what we are to consider today, what we are in the sight of God. I’m talking about those who are in Christ, who have been born again, who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Ephesians 2:10 (CSB) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
We are His "workmanship." The word "workmanship" in the Greek in “poiema.” We get our English word "poem" from this word. Directly translated it means a created object, something that was brought into existence by someone. A “work of art” if you will. We are God’s work of art, His masterpiece. His crowning achievement in Creation. Not people in general, but in context, it means those that are a new Creation in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
We are very special in the eyes of God. We have been made new and we are His creation, we are not self-made, we are God made.
Yes, we are insignificant when compared to the whole of the universe, but not in the eyes of God. We are going to concentrate on Ephesians 2:10, but before we do that, we to put this verse into context.
Ephesians 2:4–10
Have you thought about that before, we, who are in Christ, are God’s masterpieces. Look for a moment back at verse 1.
Ephesians 2:1 (CSB) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins
We were dead and didn’t even know it. That is the condition of the world around us. They are the real walking dead. Look at verse 4 and 5.
Ephesians 2:4–5 (CSB) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
"But God." No one else could have made the change in us. And for that matter, none of us would have made that change if we could. It was all a work of God. Why? Because of His great love for us.
Ephesians 2:6 (CSB) He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
Spiritually speaking, we have been lifted up to to where Jesus is today. Our earthly bodies are here, but our true home is in heaven. This is why Paul tells the church in Philippi:
Philippians 3:20 (CSB) but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter calls believers:
1 Peter 2:11 (CSB) Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.
The NKJV has "sojourners and pilgrims."
The NASB has "aliens and strangers."
As a new Creation in Christ, this earth is no longer our home, we are just passing through. Some us tend to make ourselves too comfortable here and are quite satisfied to stay here. But we don’t belong to the world. Jesus said as much, in His prayer to the Father the night before He went to the cross:
John 17:14 (CSB) I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
As being strangers here on earth, and belonging to the heavenly realms with Christ, certainly in our value system and manner of life, everything changes.
Colossians 3:1–2 (CSB) So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Our perspective on everything changes. We start seeing the world as God sees the world. We begin to love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates. But while we are here:
Ephesians 2:7 (CSB) so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
We being spiritually in the presence of Jesus, illustrates to the world around us, His grace. None of us deserves His grace, and if we did deserve His grace, it would no longer be grace. Yet here we are. We are His witnesses to His grace. To put it into perspective, we are nothing, He is everything. The world see Jesus through us.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (CSB) For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
It is all about what God did for us through Jesus. If we could earn our salvation, then God would owe us. And God is not beholding to anyone. Salvation was a gift. God made us a new creation. It was all God and nothing of ourselves. The only thing we did was accept the gift, whereas many other choose to reject the gift. We cannot not boast of anything from ourselves. If we boast, we boast what God has done. All this leads to the focus of today’s message.
Ephesians 2:10 (CSB) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
We are going to take apart this verse, phrase by phrase. In school, we use to diagram sentences. This is kind of what we are going to do today so we may more fully understand what is being said here.
“For we are his workmanship” As we discussed earlier, we were made by God. Not just our physical being, but spiritually we have been made new. Spiritually we are a new creation, and there is coming a day when our physical bodies will be made new as well. We are His masterpiece, we are His work of art.
Considering the raw materials God had to work with, what I was before, makes His masterpiece all the more remarkable.
“created in Christ Jesus” That word “created” in scripture is a word only associated with God. Only God creates. And God created us “in Christ.” It was by Christ and for Christ we were made a new creation. So the question is why? Why would God create us in Christ?
“for good works” This phrase modifies the previous phase “created in Christ.” There is a purpose for our salvation. There is a purpose God has for us. For good works. We must understand the use of the word “good” in scripture. “Good” is only attributed to God.
James 1:17 (CSB) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
At this point we must be clear. Our salvation was not based on our “good” works. We were made a new creation for His “good” works. Good works did not earn us salvation, but good works are but an indicator of our salvation. I would question anyone who claims salvation, but lack, godly good works.
But here again, we must be clear. We cannot do any good on our own or in our own strength. We might do “good” perhaps in the eyes of man, but not necessarily good in the eyes of God. Only those works that God does through us is “good.” But God created us in Christ Jesus for good works. God truly does have a plan for our lives. This is well documented in Scripture.
Jeremiah 29:11 (CSB) For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the LORD’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
So there must be more, and there is. “which God prepared ahead of time” The works that God has for us, He has prepared for us. Now this phrase is difficult to understand. How can God prepare a work for us that we have not yet done. That’s the beauty of it all. God was the work, “for us to do.” This where a careful study of the Greek is called for. A literal translation of the Greek is for us “to walk in” or “live in” the work that He, God, has prepared ahead of time for us. God has the good work for us all laid out, He has a plan for our lives, and we are to walk in His plan, live in His will, abide in His work, prepared for us beforehand, since the beginning of time.
Philippians 2:13 (CSB) For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.
It is all a work of God through us. We may do so-called good things, but if God is not in it, if not done by Him through us, it means nothing. We do not get to pick and choose. God has laid out the work for us to walk in. And what work God starts in us, he will finish.
Philippians 1:6 (CSB) I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God preparing the work for us to do, to walk in and to live in, God has made sure we have all we need.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (CSB) And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
God has orchestrated everything to work for good through us. You know this familiar verse:
Romans 8:28 (CSB) We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Not that all things are good, but God will work it for our good, not just for anyone, but for those you belong to Him and are called by Him.
He has given us his word, to equip us. Scripture tells tell us the sword of the Lord is His word.
Ephesians 6:17b (CSB) … and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
Many us go to battle for the Lord defenseless, because we do not know the word as we should.
His word is for our equipping:
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (CSB) All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
And the good work we do, the good works we walk in and live in are considered spiritual sacrifices.
Hebrews 13:16 (CSB) Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
These are the sacrifices God seeks. We are called to be living sacrifices for Him.
Romans 12:1 (CSB) Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
Why? Why the sacrifice? Why the good works? Because “We are his workmanship.” It is all about His work in us. We have been made a new creation for His purposes.
Our question for you today is this: Are you one of God’s masterpieces? Are you a new creation. Are you waking in His Works, Are you living in His plans and in His will, or are you among the “walking dead” of the world?
Many in the world will say, “I believe.” James tells us that even the demons believe and shudder (James 2:19). James also tells us in the preceding verses:
James 2:17 (CSB) In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.
If you do not have any God given good works, then you might need to examine yourself to see if you are truly in the faith. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation, God’s masterpiece, created in Christ for His good works.
