God's Workmanship

By

Rev. Todd W. Allen

Villa Rica 8/8/04

Ephesians 2:1-10 

We read in Genesis 2 that after God had completed the heavens and the earth and all their hosts that on the seventh day he rested from all His work that He had done. Some folks might assume from reading or hearing that God rested on the seventh day that he had stopped working. But it does not say that God has ceased working, only that he rested on the seventh day after he had created the heavens and the earth. I am glad there is a rest from labor, but I am also glad that God gave us a labor to do.

I heard an amusing story about a man who dreamed he had died and had found himself in a vast expanse where he was exceedingly comfortable. He rested for a while and then, becoming bored, shouted out, "Is there anybody here?" In a moment, a white-robed attendant appeared and asked, "What do you want?" "What can I have?” he replied. "You can have anything you want," answered the attendant. "Well, bring me something to eat.” "What do you want to eat? asked the attendant, "You can have anything you want." And so they brought him just what he wanted, and he ate and slept and had a glorious time. He went on getting everything he wanted whenever he asked for it, but at last he grew bored and summoned the attendant and said, "I want something to do." "I am sorry, but that is the only thing we cannot give you here.” And the man said "I am sick and tired of it all. I'd rather be in hell!" "Where do you think you are?" exclaimed the attendant.

Jesus said on the occasion of leading the woman at the well to Himself that his food was to do the will of HIm who sent him, and to accomplish his work. He said   to the Jews who criticized him for healing a man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, "My father is working until now, and I myself am working (John 5:17). The Church of the living God is being built and it is God who is laboring to build it.

I. We Are God's Workmanship

Paul explains to the Ephesians that they were dead in their trespasses and sins until God made them alive in Jesus Christ. He doesn't say that God found them searching and seeking for the higher life. No. He says that God came to them when they were dead in sin and disobedience. God alone is the Initiator of the salvation he gives. Every genuine conversion is a signal instance of God putting forth His almighty power to bring forth life out of something dead.

A man who has swallowed poison writhing in pain is completely unable to help himself. If he is administered the correct antidote by a skilled and compassionate physician and his life is saved, he cannot claim credit for saving his own life.

A drowning man is about to go under for the last time when a strong swimmer grasps him from the back and saves him from a watery grave and then administers artificial respiration to revive him from the breathless death into which he had drowned as the water entered his lungs and his air had been cut off. Can he later claim to have saved himself?

A fireman enters a smoking burning building and lifts from the floor a woman overcome by smoke inhalation, thus saving her from sure and certain death. Will she later say that she rose up and came to herself and thereby saved herself'?

The sinner is in a state of spiritual death when the Lord comes with the reviving salt of his Word and the quickening power of His Holy Spirit. There is not a single one of us who can claim to have been the agent of our own regeneration. Paul informs us that even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ. Why did he do that? Was it because he saw something in us worth saving, something special about us, which commended us to His interest? No. It was while we were yet sinners, walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  ³Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together ^with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Eph. 2:3 -7 (NASB)
      This scripture is anathema to all the sons of pride.

We don't like to be told that we are common ordinary sinners that can do nothing to rescue ourselves out of this sinful condition in which we find ourselves. We want to be able to claim at least a little credit, if not all, for getting ourselves out of the coffin of sin. But Paul says that we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk        in them.

While we were on vacation some years ago in Daytona Beach on one day the lifeguards rescued ten people. At least one man drowned while we were there. The lifeguards were continually blowing their whistles to get swimmers back closer to shore. The undertow of the ocean currents can at times take you to sudden death, and even the strongest swimmer can be drowned.

The sinner is like a drowning man pulled to safety into a boat and taken to dry land. The scripture says that we are raised from death and seated on high with Jesus Christ in a place of safety and comfort. Thank God that God is working still to save sinners. Thank God that He is the Heavenly Lifeguard rescuing people from the watery grave of sin. I believe if a person has once been saved he will know it and appreciate it. Did those ten people saved at Daytona know they had been in jeopardy and death? I daresay they did. We who have been saved by God's marvelous hand of mercy and grace ought to know it and praise Him for it.

II. We Are Saved To Work

Verse 10 says,  ¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Eph. 2:10 

Before I was made alive in Jesus Christ I did not work for the Lord. I had no inclination to work in God's vineyard. I was not interested or motivated to do the works of God.

Have you ever heard the nursery rhyme? Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow and every where that Mary went the lamb was sure to go

The little lamb Mary had can be likened to our follow-up to faith in Jesus Christ. We want to be with Christ and follow him wherever he leads us, and do whatever he wants us to do. Our works follow the life of faith. Whatever you or I do for Christ is sure to be recognized. Once we have been raised with Christ to newness of life, there is along with that call a call to service and work. Scripture says, 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.1 Cor. 3:7-9       

Paul goes on to say that each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴If any man’s work, which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor. 3:13-15

God has a work for every Christian. We are plainly told in this Ephesians passage that God prepared beforehand the good works we are to walk in. We have a work of prayer. We have a work of praise. We have a work of witnessing. We have a work of worship. We might think of all these things as not being work because there is enjoyment in the doing of them, but they do take time and effort. Prayer is work for sure. If you ever earnestly have put your mind to do it, you will know that it is work and at times a spirit of slumber will come over you.

And then there is the work to do of teaching the Word of God, of ministering in the nursery, of singing in the choir, of working with our youth, of getting involved in evangelism, of doing chores and jobs at the church, of going forth as a missionary or evangelist, and as we yield ourselves to God's service we can let everything we do be as unto the Lord. All of our labor is sanctified as we do it as unto the Lord Jesus Christ. That job you have, the schoolwork you do, the vocation you have been called into is a work you can do for God.

Jesus said, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. John 9:4

All of us have a labor of love to work for Jesus. When you die and go on to glory there is a verse that will be precious to you then if not now, ¹³And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” Rev. 14:13 

The works that men do that are not done out of a life of faith in the Lord Jesus will not gain them admittance to heaven. A person must have his name written in the book of life. He must have repented of his sin and trusted in the finished work of Christ to save him, only then does his work begin to count with God. One must be a citizen of heaven before he can expect to lay up any treasure in heaven.

Have you come to Christ? Is your life showing forth works for God? Make this day a day of commitment to Jesus Christ. Tell Him you want to be saved and that you are willing to come into the vineyard and work for him. He will gladly receive you and put you to work. The saving work is his part; the labor of love you do for him after you are saved is your part. Make every day a day of service for him. Never let a day go by without prayer and some service for him. Work for the night is coming when no man can work.

Hymn #585 “Take My Life, and Let it Be”

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The paper and sermon manuscripts from Pastor Todd W. Allen are made freely available for review and distribution. We only request that proper web page attribution be provided if distributed for any reason. Please be gracious to forgive typos and errors of expression. These notes are faithful approximations of what has been preached. May God be glorified in the preaching of His Word.

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