The Role of “Works” in the Christian Life
“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)
The presence of questions regarding our identity and purpose is a reality within the human soul. What is our identity? And what were we made for?
Upon discovery, we find that the answers to these questions do not separate us from God Himself. Instead, they further bind us to the Creator as we discover the truth and open our hearts wide to receive His declaration over our lives.
Who are we? Scripture states that we are created in the image of God, “His workmanship,” as Paul wrote in Eph. 2:10. Therefore, to understand who we truly are, we must first go back to the One who crafted humanity; God Himself. The Lord reveals that He is powerful and sovereign over all creation (Psalm 104:1-35). God is gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in a steady, reliable love (Psalm 86:15).
Therefore, He is the only One who has the authority to tell us who we are. Simply put, we are His.
Even when humanity defied God and chose to place ourselves as the ultimate authority within our lives, He still pursued us relentlessly. We were a sinful people, rendered powerless to save ourselves apart from God’s intervention through the cross. This is where Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice to demonstrate how far He would go to display His love. We were not simply a creation but a beloved people dear to the heart of God.
As the Lord over all, He is the only one fully capable of giving us our purpose.
The passage continues: “[we are] created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
The Westminster Catechism echoes this timeless point when referring to the chief end (or purpose) of men, which is “to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever.”[1]
Our purpose is to do good works. But what does this entail?
Let this not be confused with attempting to work for our salvation. It is necessary for us to grasp the order of things. We start with who God is and then discover who we are. We learn that sin is a reality, but so is the truth of redemption through the grace displayed on the cross. Good deeds predestined for us to walk in are what flow from this precious gift of salvation.
Our works are not a way to obtain salvation but rather are a response to the beautiful grace of God.
They are a demonstration of the love that comes from God, which the Holy Spirit fills into the hearts of believers. It then overflows into every part of our lives, including how we choose to interact with others.
In the same way, any loving human relationship which shows commitment and care for one another naturally includes good action. If appreciation stops at words alone, then we would question the authenticity of the love. But when it includes love in action, the willingness to serve the other person, we acknowledge it as a genuine love.
This is how we glorify and enjoy God; through loving others (1 John 4:11-12). As God’s beloved children, we were created to love and serve other people as we see our Saviour washing the feet of His disciples.
While it comes from the Holy Spirit working through us, there also exists an element of decision and discipline.
We are told to “put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Col. 3:12).
The Apostle Paul urged the Romans to use their gifts, as we wrote:
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Rom. 12:6)
This is not a dreary or burdensome task but the pathway to fullness and joy as we live out what we were made to do, established by the Creator Himself. And though we will not do it perfectly, we can do it relying on the grace of the Father to hold us every step of the way.
As you go about your week, my prayer is that our gracious Heavenly Father will continue to reveal the truth about who you are and open your eyes to opportunities that He has set before you today. That service would be a source of joy for you. And that, one step at a time, you would be encouraged to surrender those things back to the One who first served us and loves us with an everlasting love.
Blessings,
[1] Catechism, The Westminster Shorter. “Shorter Catechism of the Assembly of Divines.” Reformed Theology at A Puritan’s Mind. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.apuritansmind.com/westminster-standards/shorter-catechism/.