Unto Good Works

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

We are handcrafted by God for the purpose of performing good works. We are physically built for that function. Just like God made Michael Jordan for basketball, He has handcrafted each of us unto good works.

God ordained or hardwired into our body and soul to “walk” or to do good works. It is natural for us to do them. A bird dog has to hunt, an eagle must fly. We are made, through Christ, unto good works. And it is called “works” and not deeds, niceties, favors, courtesies or any other reference to an easy and effortless act. God’s children will work and exert effort towards the benefit of another. God has specially built us for that purpose. We are physically unique and spiritually ready for the benefit and preservation of the children of God.

Our Lord has designed and built us for the task and gave us the spirit of help. But these good works are done autonomously because God made us with free will. God gave us the necessary tools be we must choose to use them.

When a piece of equipment is engineered for a specific purpose but either sits idle or does something it wasn’t built to do, problems will occur. Functions are ill performed, breakdowns happen, rust and corrosion take hold. The same holds true with us. God created us unto good works. If we don’t get involved in service to our fellow man, or if we concentrate our efforts on helping me, myself, and I, then our life is not being fulfilled or used for what it was built for. Our purpose is not being utilized. Misuse or non-use of our purpose and God given abilities can cause misery, loneliness, depression, isolation, and a feeling of disconnect with family, friends, society, and the world. We feel like aliens, strangers, lost and far from Christ. When we are in Christ He is our, “peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:14)

When we are in Christ and Christ is in us, His desire and will is made manifest in us and through us. His will becomes our will. Not to “walk” in His good works would be unnatural for us and we would feel it. Resisting good works is actual rebellion against our Lord.

Now why would doing good to our neighbor, such as loving and helping them be difficult for us? Why does it require effort and most often feel unnatural to help others? A better question would be to ask is why is sin so easy? We all know the answer to that. We have to go back to the fall, to Adam and Eve, when they allowed pride to dictate and they followed the suggestions of the devil. Sin then became an inherent part of all of mankind. This is an unnatural state for man to be in. Let me repeat that. The sin condition is an unnatural state for man. Our default condition is before the fall. The fall knocked man out of whack from the original design and purpose. This is why things that should come natural to us, such as good works, may be difficult for us to do.

God has been leading us back to him ever since the fall. Now good works in of themselves doesn’t get us into heaven. But becoming a new creation in Christ unto good works does. Good works are a result, a manifestation of Christ in us. The good works are part of our natural and righteous self. The righteousness can only come by Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

We are God’s workmanship that have been created in Christ unto good works. This has been ordained by God before the beginning of time and is for us to do, and to be, right now.

Bill Hitchcock