And turn back to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, it's on page 976.
And if you were around this morning you might remember that we thought about good works in church life.
! And we thought about the danger of confusing working for Jesus with loving Jesus.
And so often that is the biggest obstacle isn't it? We think we're loving him when we're busy.
But actually we need to rethink that sometimes.
And so after this morning I thought it would be helpful to think a bit more about good works in the Christian life.
In church, in general and how we think about that in our lives.
And so we're going to focus in on verse 8 to 10 of this astounding passage in Ephesians chapter 2.
So if you look down there.
In verse 8 to 10 Paul is super repetitive, isn't he?
He says the same thing pretty much over and over again, again and again, four or five times.
And what he is saying to the Ephesians is, your salvation, Ephesians, has nothing to do with things that you have done.
We've said that many times in this church before, haven't we?
That the Christian gospel is not about what you can do for God.
It is about what God has done for you.
And that is what Paul repeats over and over again in these verses.
And the first thing I think we want to see about good works from this passage is that good works can never be therefore the source of our salvation.
But they are the goal of salvation.
Let me read those verses out for us again.
Verse 8.
For by grace, by undeserved kindness, you have been saved through faith.
Through looking outside of yourself to somebody else.
That is how salvation has come.
And this salvation is not your own doing.
It is the gift of God.
It's not a payment.
It's not a wage given to us as if we've earned salvation.
It's a gift.
And he repeats it again, isn't it?
Not a result of works so that no one may boast.
For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
So he repeats the same thing over and over again.
Good works can never be the source of our salvation.
But they are the goal of our salvation.
You only have to look at the weight that Paul places on what God has done in the passage that we read earlier.
To see that good works can never be the source of salvation.
Look at verse 4.
But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us.
Verse 5 made us alive.
Verse 6 he raised us up.
Verse 7 he might show his grace.
It is a gift of God.
Verse 8.
So the thought that my works, the good things that I do in the Christian life, are the source of my salvation,
is a thought that he needs to kind of address again and again, isn't it?
It is a thought that just keeps coming back into my mind again and again.
But I have to daily take that thought, that big thought, and grab hold of it and deliberately throw it in the skip every day.
So Paul repeats himself here.
We live under the false impression that there are a certain number of good things, good works,
that need to be done in order for us to have a right relationship with God, to be saved.
But when we do that, we're effectively weighing up the gift that God has given to us.
We're weighing up Jesus' death on the cross with things that we can do.
With cups of tea made, or times cleared up after church, or times reading the Bible, or writing sermons.
So what are we saying when we think that?
When we think that we can earn our salvation?
What are we saying about God when we do that?
We're saying, aren't we, that we don't really think our salvation is a gift.
That he must want something in return.
That ultimately the sacrifice must come from me and not him.
So that's why Paul repeats himself,
By grace you've been saved, not of your own doing.
A gift of God, not a result of works.
These works, these good works, are never the source of our salvation.
But, and here's the thing, they are the goal of my salvation.
Although my works don't bring me a right relationship with God,
our good works are a necessary result of my right relationship with God.
Verse 10, he says to them,
You are created, we are created in Christ for good works.
So salvation is not from my good works, but it is for good works.
My salvation, it should lead me to a changed life.
My right relationship with God will bear fruit.
It will have evidence.
So good works are not the grounds of my salvation,
but they are evidence of my salvation.
I was hearing the story of a teenage lad
who had got into the habit of going up to his room
and closing the door behind him and locking it
to avoid speaking to his stepfather.
There'd been problems in the family
and he just wanted to lock himself away.
He put a sign on the door saying,
Keep out.
But one week he'd heard the gospel.
He'd heard this gospel of the Lord Jesus
doing all that we need to have done for our salvation.
He'd become helpless with Jesus.
He put his faith in Jesus for his salvation.
And he hadn't become perfect overnight, had he, when he did that.
But when he'd got home, according to his stepdad,
instead of locking his bedroom door,
he'd propped it open and replaced the sign
with one saying, Come in.
All welcome.
Now that teenage lad, he still had many sins
to deal with, didn't he?
But he had responded appropriately
for his age and for his situation.
He was obedient to Jesus.
There was evidence of good work in his life.
And that's where we see genuine faith in action, isn't it?
Where it affects the nitty-gritty of our lives.
He didn't prop his door open to earn his salvation, did he?
That just wasn't in his mind.
But it was the evidence of the salvation given to him.
John Newton put it really well when he said,
I am not what I ought to be,
but I am not what I once was,
and by God's grace I am what I am.
Good works can never be the source of my salvation.
And if they ever do,
I've got to put that thought in the skip
and throw it away.
But, good works are the goal of my salvation.
So that's the first thing that Paul tells them here.
And the second thing is that good works in the Christian life
come from God,
but are walked in by us.
Good works come from God,
but are walked in by us.
Have a look again at verse 10 there.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.
When you get to verse 10
of this section in Ephesians,
I wonder whether you sort of think a bit like me
when I first started looking at this.
Paul has done all of the great stuff
in verse 1 to 9,
which is wonderful and lovely,
but now he's getting on to our part of the bargain,
isn't he here?
The word work comes up.
God has done his stuff
and now it's our turn.
We're his workmanship.
We're like his minions
to do his thing in the church.
But if we think like that,
actually we've not really understood
what he's saying here.
The word workmanship there
is not the word for workforce
or a group of employees.
But it's more like the word creation.
We are his creation.
It's the word that is used
for a work of art
or the work of a master designer
or a carpenter,
somebody like that.
We are God's masterpiece.
We are his great work of art,
his handiwork.
So we're not primarily the workers for God,
but those being worked on by God.
We are the furniture.
We are the work of art.
We are the canvas
that the painter paints on.
We are the produce, if you like,
not the producers.
And if you look back to verse 19 of chapter 1,
you see there
that the greatness of God's power
has worked in those who believe in them.
They are benefiting from God's work there,
aren't they?
But in verse 10,
they are God's work.
See the difference there?
The word workmanship is,
it's the same in the Greek Old Testament
as in Psalm 100,
which we read at the beginning.
Remember that Psalm.
Know that the Lord,
he is God.
It is he who made us
and we are his,
we are his people
and the sheep of his pasture.
Now you see the point is the same
in that Psalm
as it is in verse 10.
The point is that we contribute
nothing
to being in his pasture,
to being made by him,
to being his creation.
It's another reason
that everything about us,
who we are,
the reason we are here,
the source of our salvation
is nothing to do
with our good works
because we are not the workers primarily,
but those being worked on.
So when it comes to the good works we do,
they themselves
can only come from God.
We can only do good work
because God is working with us,
firstly.
It means that the works we do
in the church
are not things that we drum up ourselves
on our own
because fundamentally
we are the work of art,
not the workers of art.
We are created in Christ Jesus,
Paul says.
Jesus says,
without me
you can do
nothing.
Do we honestly think
that this church
would be here
in a generation's time
if we weren't
attached to Christ Jesus?
What's more,
our good works
come from God
because they've been prepared
beforehand.
They have a divine origin.
not from us
but from God.
Any good works,
it's amazing isn't it,
have been pre-prepared for us,
decided in advance,
ready for us to do.
So God has not only chosen us
for a relationship with him,
but he's marked out the path
of all the things that we will do.
God has made us
his workmanship.
We only work
because he works.
And we only work
because he's prepared
those things
for each one of us
in advance to do.
So I can only do anything
with God's work in me.
And all the good
that I do do
is prepared
by God
for me.
And that's all
from him,
for him
and to him.
So,
am I really doing
the work at all
here?
That's the question,
isn't it?
Am I just a robot?
Good works
come from God
and yet,
Paul says,
we should
walk in them.
verse 10.
It's no good
thinking that
I can just be
passive in all of this.
God prepares
these things
for me to do
in advance
and like a sort of
puppet,
I'll do them.
It would be wrong
to go to the
opposite extreme,
wouldn't it,
and say that
Christianity
is never about
good works
that I really do
myself.
And we shouldn't
sort of be
embarrassed about that.
The Bible is
full of commands
for Christians,
for believers
to do the
right thing,
to live in
the right way,
isn't it?
Romans chapter 6,
let not sin
reigning your
mortal bodies.
Present your
bodies as
living sacrifices.
And just note
here that we're
not talking about
a list of jobs,
are we?
A do's and don'ts
of the Christian
life.
But the verb
in verse 10
is to walk.
To walk in
these things.
We are called
to a transformed
walk,
a lifestyle.
Galatians chapter
5 I think is
really helpful
here,
isn't it?
It gives us
a helpful list
of what it is
to walk in
the Spirit,
to live in
the Spirit,
to do good
works,
living along
the grain of
God's law,
trusting in
Jesus under
the influence of
the Holy Spirit,
works of love
and of joy
and of peace,
of kindness,
of self-control,
of goodness,
of faithfulness,
of gentleness.
But it is that
funny paradox,
isn't it?
Good works come
from God
and yet
we have a part
to play,
we should walk
in them.
It's that verse
in Philippians
chapter 2,
work out your
own salvation
with fear and
trembling because
it is God
who works
in you,
both to will
and to work
for his good
pleasure.
But that
paradox,
if you think
about it,
is greatly
comforting really,
isn't it?
As we do
work in the
church,
as we live
the Christian
life,
as one
theologian
put it,
we do not
have to do
any carrying
without remembering
that we are
being carried.
we work
because God
works in us.
I think it's
important to
realise that
that paradox
there is,
even though all
our good works
come from God,
we should walk
in them.
We are actually
doing those
things,
aren't we?
And they are
good things.
I think we
sometimes have a
bit of unbalanced
thinking on this,
often I do.
we know that
the things that
I do,
that the good
things that I
do are tainted,
aren't they?
They are affected
by my sin
all of the time.
I don't do
things with a
pure heart.
I do things
out of impure
motives so
often.
And even the
best things we
do are like
filthy rags.
Now,
Paul knows
that,
doesn't he,
about the
human condition.
but oddly
in this verse
he still
calls these
works
good.
Good works.
He doesn't
shrink from
that,
does he?
He doesn't
add a little
footnote to
say good
works,
asterisk,
but really
they're a bit
like filthy
rags.
No.
The reason
he doesn't
do that
is because
they are
really good
works.
because we
are God's
workmanship.
As God's
masterpiece,
we are
created in
Christ.
And so
the things
that we
do are
in Christ.
We are
attached to
him.
And so
God really
is pleased
with the
good works
that we
do because
of Christ.
He is
pleased with
them because
we are
attached to
Christ.
like branches
attached to
a vine,
to a tree,
whose
spirit,
Jesus,
produces
good fruit
in us.
And this
does not
stop him
from being
pleased with
the good
works in
themselves,
from a
regenerated,
renewed
heart with
the Holy
Spirit.
He sees
our good
works and
he recognises
Jesus in
them,
doesn't
he?
Because they
are empowered
by the
Holy Spirit.
You see
how all of
this fits
together.
When we
think that
our good
works come
from us,
well,
then yes,
they are
just filthy
rags,
aren't
they?
But good
works come
from God
for us
to walk
in them.
They are
not the
source,
but the
goal of
our salvation
from God
walked in
by us.
So as
we close
now,
I just
want us
to think
about how
this works
a little
bit in
church life
and how
we talk
about these
things.
How do
these things
work themselves
out?
When all
ways in
which we
serve the
Lord are
from him,
firstly,
there is no
room for
boasting
in church
life is
there.
Paul says
to the
Corinthians,
what do
you have
that you
did not
receive?
If you
then received
it,
why do
you boast
as if you
did not
receive it?
There is
always that
temptation,
isn't there,
certainly for
me,
for rivalry,
to slip
in to
things that
we do
in church,
for jealousy
of one
another's
gifts
around us,
of seeing
other people's
good works
in their
lives.
But the
gospel,
it fumbles
me because
I can
contribute
nothing on
my own,
I cannot
do anything,
I can't do
any good
without God
working in
me.
So we
should thank
God,
shouldn't we,
for all of
the gifts
and all of
the good
things that
go on in
this church.
Because they
are from
the Lord,
there is
no room
for boasting
even quietly
in our
hearts.
But at
the same
time we
do, I
think,
have a
warrant to
say to
each other,
you have
done good
work,
well done.
The works
come from
God,
but we
really do
walk in
them
ourselves.
Paul says
in 1
Corinthians
15,
by the
grace of
God I
am what
I am,
and his
grace towards
me was
not in
vain,
on the
contrary,
I worked
harder than
any of
them.
That is
audacious,
isn't it?
I worked
harder than
any of
them.
Paul
gives us
a warrant,
I think,
there,
to say,
no,
we have
worked hard.
We are
allowed to
celebrate
one another's
good works.
we can
say,
well done,
you did
that.
We can
do that
because
they're not
the source
of our
salvation,
and it's
no dishonour
to Jesus
to say
well done
to each
other when
we see
growth and
good work
going on.
That is
not ungodly
to do that
because we
know that
those works
come from
God and
they are
evidence of
his work
in us.
It's
important to
note how
Paul
couches
that phrase
I worked
harder than
any of
them,
isn't it?
It's in
1 Corinthians
chapter 15
verse 10
if you want
to look it
up later.
He says,
by the
grace of
God
I am
what I
am.
He says,
though it
was not
I,
but the
grace of
God
that is
with me.
We can
say,
well done
I worked
hard,
but actually
it was
God
who did
the work.
It was
his grace
in me.
And there
isn't a
person in
the church
anywhere
who doesn't
have some
work to
do,
some role
to play.
We are
all God's
workmanship,
it's plural
isn't it,
that we
are God's
workmanship,
collective,
it's corporate,
together.
There is
all good
work for
us to
walk in.
Let me
tell you a
quick story
before we
finish.
It is
told that
a man
went
eagerly
to a
revival
meeting,
but he
was late.
And he
found the
workman
tearing down
the tent
in which
the meeting
had been
held a few
moments earlier.
And frantic
at missing
the evangelist,
he decided
to ask
one of
the workers
what he
could do
to be
saved.
The
workman
who happened
to be a
Christian
replied to
the man,
I'm afraid
sir to tell
you that
you are
too late.
You cannot
do anything.
What do you
mean?
How can I
be too
late?
The
Christian
replied,
because the
work has
already been
done.
There is
nothing left
for you to
do other
than to
believe it.
That is the
gospel.
And when
you forget
that,
take hold
of that
thought and
throw it
in the
skip.
And keep
it there.
Good works
prepared for
God,
for us to
walk in
in advance,
not the
source,
never the
source,
but the
goal of our
salvation,
entirely from
and through
him,
attached to
Christ,
empowered by
him.
So we
can say
well done
to one
another,
because it
is by
grace,
the grace
of God,
that I am
not what I
ought to
be,
and I am
not what I
once was,
by the grace
of God,
I am what
I am.
Let's
pray together.