Verse Study: Ephesians 2:10 (Part Two)

If you haven't read Part One, click HERE.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works

which God prepared beforehand,

that we should walk in them.

Prepared beforehand
-This word comes from the Greek work proetimazo meaning, "predestine, appoint, or ordain".
-This word is only used twice in the New Testament, once here and once in Romans 9:23. Both instances speak of God preparing something for us before our time, before the time of the world, before the time of creation.
-Other versions translated it as "prepared in advance" (NIV), "planned for us long ago" (NLT), "before ordained" (KJV), and "prepared ahead of time" (HCSB).
-It was the good works that were prepared beforehand for us. "Good" has the idea of bearing honest, geniune fruit, and "works" are our actions and deeds. As a believer, our fruitful actions were known and ordained before we existed.

-"Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." (Ephesians 1:4)

-God chose us for salvation and for the accompanying good works that would result from our salvation. He saved us not by our good works, but for them. Salvation and good works cannot be separated. 

-We have only to ask God for wisdom in doing and applying these good works. Because they have been prepared beforehand, God promises to offer wisdom to those who ask for it. (James 1:5)

-Our good works are already known. They have been forseen and planned before our salvation, and once saved, we are responsible, though the help of the Spirit, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, known that ultimately it is God who will complete His good work in us. 

Walk

-This word is found frequently in the NT in 20 of the 27 books, but the most being found in the Gospel of John. 

-This word has the idea of fellowship, or going in a complete circuit. 

-It comes from the Greek word peripateo meaning "to walk around", "to live" (fig.), and "to conduct life".

-Other versions translated it as "for us to do" (NIV), "as our way of life" (BSB), "so we may do them" (NETB), "for us to practice" (WNT).

-The idea here is one of a life beginning and ending (a complete circuit) in good works. We are to live our lives doing these good works, and they should consume and utterly take up our lives. 

-"So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10) 

-These good works evidence our salvation and walk with God. They provide proof of the God we serve, and they cause us to live in a manner that merits our standing with God. 

Putting It All Together

God is our Creator. Through his own physical act of constructing us, He caused us to be made; thereby making us belong to Him. He becomes our Master Artist. As believers He continually is creating a new spirit nad good works in and through us. He shaped us ex nihilo, but also renews good works in us ex nihilo before and after salvation. Only God can do this, and because we are created by Him, we are owned by Him personally. Our relationship to God is Creator to creature. We can never repay our debt to Him. He acted to make us act in good works. These good works is what our life should practice. It's our way of life, and it was appointed for us before He made us. Before earth, before birth, before salvation, the good works were prepared in advance by God. Our conduct and life as a Christian begins and ends in a complete circuit: good works. We practice them--it's active labor. To live in this way is to walk worthy of our calling in light of the debt we ow to Him as our Creator. He chose us for salvation and prepared good works beforehand, so that we could live in gratitude for what He has done. We cannot separate good works from salvation. They do not save us, but they evidence the Spirit's work in our life. Our way of life is to evidence us as God's handiwork.

***Due to my previous blogging break, I will be posting the June Quotes on the last day of this month, Thursday. There will be no post the Friday immediately after, but I will resume regular blogging the Friday after, Lord willing.