Grace and works

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

What do you think of this sentence…?

“We can’t be saved by good works – but neither can we be saved without them.”

Does it make sense? Does it contradict itself?

I think, in fact, that it sums up very neatly the apostle Paul’s doctrine of “justification by grace through faith”. It states perfectly the fact that “good works” – things that we do, actions that we perform – are completely useless when it comes to being put right with God, but that they are absolutely essential when it comes to living out the life to which God has called us.

Ephesians 2:1-10 is one of those passages rammed full of truths to ponder deeply. It’s quite short, but Paul packs into it the essence of the gospel…

First, the human race is “dead in transgressions and sins” (verses 1-3). That is, we are, by nature, a race in rebellion against God and therefore “deserving of wrath”. That’s the bad news.

But, second, God has acted to put this right (verses 4-6). Because he has “great love for us” and is “rich in mercy”, he has sent Christ Jesus his Son to deal with our sin. He has “made us alive with Christ” and “raised us up” with him – clear references to what Jesus did by dying for us and rising again. That’s good news!

And so, third, all that remains for us to do is to recognise “the incomparable riches of his grace” and to gladly receive it “through faith” (verses 7-9). Our “works” just don’t enter into this, for – well, God has done it all in Christ! There’s literally nothing we need – indeed, nothing we can – contribute, so “no-one can boast”.

That’s verses 1-9: a passage that glows with several of the Bible’s most luminous words – love, mercy, grace (three times) and kindness. This is our God!

But having spelled out both the bad news and the good news so clearly, Paul has something else to say by way of a vital rounding off: something we simply mustn’t miss. And he does this in verse 10, where he focusses on the theme of “works”, and the place they have in all this. He makes three statements…

First, “we are God’s handiwork”.

In essence this simply presses home the truth that we contribute nothing to our salvation – “we are God’s handiwork”, not our own or anybody else’s; he has done it all.

I love that word “handiwork” (literally “something made”), because for me it brings to mind the skill of an artist or a craftsman. I confess that when I look in the mirror I don’t really see myself as a work of art. Yet that, Paul implies, is what I am! I am part of God’s fallen creation in the process of being lovingly re-created in the likeness of Christ.

The first Adam fell into sin, and dragged me down with him. But the last Adam, risen from death, has drawn me up to be part of a whole new and perfect creation. (Paul enlarges on this theme in 1 Corinthians 15, especially verses 42-57.)

Second, we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works”.

Ah, so this is where good works come in! We do them not in order that we may be saved, but because we have been saved. To be raised with Christ (verse 6) is to become part of him; and what works did he ever do apart from good works? so how can we possibly be part of him without mirroring those works?

Third, these good works are works “God prepared in advance for us to do”.

In other words, from all eternity God planned that his new creation should be full of beautiful, pure, holy acts and deeds: Christlike acts and deeds.

I think perhaps the NIV version of the Bible lets us down a bit here, for a literal translation would read that God prepared these works in advance “that we might walk in them”. So much better than “for us to do”!

Walking implies progress and development. It implies a relationship. It was said of Enoch that “he walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 5:22-24); the prophet Micah challenges his people: “God has shown you… what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8).

So Ephesians 2:10, rounding off a wonderful passage, invites us to pause, and think, and recognise a challenge: am I in fact walking with God day by day in the good works he has prepared for me? And if I’m not, can I really have any confidence that I am a saved person?

In a nutshell: Good works aren’t an optional extra!

Let’s go back to the sentence we started with: “We can’t be saved by good works – but neither can we be saved without them.”

It makes perfect biblical sense. This is the gospel in its fullness: a gospel that brings comfort and hope - but which also challenges complacency.

Whoever has ears to hear…

Loving Father, thank you for the salvation which has been given to me as a free gift in Christ. Thank you too for the good works you have prepared in advance for me to do. So help me, day by day, to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with you. Amen.