Commentary
The Productive Purpose of God’s Renovation
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:10 ; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
by Jacob Abshire on December 25, 2017
Although these home renovation shows appear to fashion a house in hours, it takes weeks and months—even with all their manpower and tools. A lot of elbow grease must be injected into the project before it will yield a masterpiece. It takes work.
In the same way, God is making new life for new living and a great deal of work goes into it. As the purchaser and possessor of your soul, God considers you his project and desires that you be His divine masterpiece—for good reason. He has a productive purpose.
God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11) and “according to the working of his great might” (Eph. 1:19). He makes you into what He wants using all of His resources to do it. “We are his workmanship, created in Jesus Christ for good works” (Eph. 2:10). God works to produce works in you.
The works that God produces in you is qualified as good. The term refers to godly things that are profitable, benefiting others—works produced by God’s Word.
[blockquote class=”scripture”]“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).[/blockquote]
God works in us through the working of His Word making us fit for the use of the Spirit and the good of others. It is a work that only God can produce in us (Ja. 1:17). Ephesians 2:10 implies to us that good works flow from good hearts, good works mark the genuines Christian, and good works point to God’s glory.
Good Works Flow from Good Hearts
For the Christian, good work goes in and good work comes out. God works through us “according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). We are channels of good works—spiritual water hoses that surge from regenerated hearts.
Sinners are unfit for this kind of work (Tit. 1:16). “But God,” as Ephesians 2:4 says, saved us according to His work and created us “in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). We are made new for new living—godly living, which is good works. Goodness flows from the new heart that God has formed (Ez. 36:26).
Good Works Mark the Genuine Christian
We are not saved by good works, but unto good works (Eph. 2:9). Salvation is a divine positioning of man by God. It is like He takes us out of one “unfit” box and puts us into the “fit” box. Now in Christ, we are new creations, no longer dead to Christ, but alive and able to walk in the ways of Christ (Gal. 2:20).
James wrote that “faith apart from works is dead” (Ja. 2:26). Yes, “dead in the trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Good works are an indicator genuine faith (Ja. 2:24). They prove that God has done a soul renovation.
Good Works Point to God’s Glory
God does not want His people to take part “in the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11) for obvious reasons. They are inconsistent with the new heart and cause the believer to struggle with doubt. But more importantly, God wants His people doing good works because it glorifies Him.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Good works point to God’s glory. We are God’s stars shining His radiant glory by displaying His handiwork through our actions and attitudes.
“Like derelict castles restored far beyond their former glory, our transformed lives point others to God, who is rich in mercy, grace, and love.”
D. C. McCasland
What do your works prove? Are they good works or unfruitful works of darkness? See how God is working in you today and live a life worthy of His name. God’s work is like the “strumming and pressing of strings that momentarily stings / but in the end it ultimately brings us to a place that causes hearts to sing” (Odd Thomas).