Our life must be full of doing good works – Ephesians 2:10

As we live our lives they must be full of good works.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

We cannot earn salvation by our works, yet they can be the proof of our faith. To understand this verse in Ephesians chapter 2 more fully let’s firstly have a look at what it means to do “good works”.

Faith without works is dead

James wrote a passage in chapter 2 and verses 14 to 26 about the idea of faith being dead without works. This is what he wrote in verse 17:

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

This verse is telling us that we must show our faith by our works. Our works are the proof of our faith.

What are our works? Our works are our activities. Our activities include our thoughts, our prayers, our words, our self-control, our daily life and above all our service to the Lord—“doing all things as to the Lord”. Our works are our actions – this can be what we think, what we say, what we do with our hands or where we walk with our feet. All must provide evidence of our faith.

Let’s read again verse 10 of Ephesians chapter 2 but this time including the two previous verses (v 8-9):

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 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.

We can see from Paul’s words that we are to show our faith by our works, but we cannot be saved by our works alone. Paul writes more about good works in his words to Titus. In verse 14 he speaks of Jesus Christ giving himself:

…who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:14

Jesus wanted a people who were passionate for good works. So what does this mean for us? We must be full of good works: we cannot earn salvation by our works, yet they can be the proof of our faith.

Jesus as an example

The example for each one of us is Jesus. He was full of faith and he was full of good works in all aspects of his life. This could be seen in his thoughts, his words and his actions. The same should be seen in those are baptised and have dedicated themselves to God. They are in training to be in service to Jesus Christ. So let’s look at the various aspects of the good works by which we serve the Lord.

To work for the Lord consists mainly of personal effort to control and guide our every thought. It requires personal effort to guard our tongues (what we say). It requires personal effort to direct our energies in the right direction, to fill our time in doing things in his service, to use our resources in a useful way and use our hands to do things in his service. You may find it a daily personal effort to honour God in prayer, to magnify God’s word by reading it. These things are all ‘works’ by which we show our faith.

In one of Jesus parable he says:

Engage in business until I come Luke 19:13

This does not mean each of us must start up a business, but rather that he should spend our time in Jesus’ own business. What is Jesus’ own business – he is engaged in the Father’s business….God’s business. This work involves becoming a member of a church and then actively being involved in the work of that church. Don’t leave the work to someone else to do but get in there and help out. This is part of what it means to engage in business until I come – you are involved in God’s business. Besides work in the church you are a member of it can also include work for God in your personal daily life. For example, telling others about our magnificent God and his book, the Bible.

Dedication must lead to action

By now it should be becoming clear that works are necessary in the life of a Christian. Let’s look at this a little more.

We should be dedicated to our God in a sense of thanksgiving for the grace he has given to those who are willing to be his son or daughter (through the act of baptism). For these sons and daughters of God have been saved by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.

What is a key point here is that dedication must lead to action. As we saw in the quote from James above, faith without works is dead. So true dedication will include doing good works. To find out more about what are “good works” this is what is recorded in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 16:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus does not explain exactly what he means by “good works”. However, these words were spoken as part of discourse that he gave. If we look at the rest of the discourse it becomes quite clear what he means by “good works”. It is referring to the disciples taking on certain attitudes of mind in their life of service. If you read  some of Jesus discourse in verse 3 to 10 of Matthew 5 you can see a theme coming through:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . they that mourn . . . the meek . . . they that hunger and thirst after righteousness . . . the merciful . . . the pure in heart . . . the peacemakers . . . they that have been persecuted for righteousness sake . . .”

If disciples take on these attitudes, then true “good works” have a chance to be produced. But these good works must be done in full acknowledgement of God. As a result, as Matthew 5:16 says: “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”. It means that people who perform works of charity but with absolutely no acknowledgement of God at all would not be considered a “good work” as described by Jesus in verse 16.  They must be done to glorify “your Father in heaven”. First you must be baptised (in order to be a son/daughter of God) and second you must acknowledge God when doing the good works so that He may be glorified.

Created in Jesus

The central verse we are considering in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10 mentions “created in Christ Jesus for good works”. What does it mean created in Christ Jesus? It is talking of the believer cultivating the fruit of the Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

These are the good works for which we are created in Christ Jesus. To be kind to those around is. To show self-control in what we choose to do. Good works include treat others with gentleness.

The following passage in 2 Timothy compares good works with doing things which are the opposite to what God requires from us:

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Tim.2: 11-12

Here we can see what is honourable compared to what is dishonourable. It makes it clear which path we should be taking.

A change in our lives

Dedication is a call to action, and it is now clear to what end that action should first be directed; for we are called first and foremost to a change in our lives:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

This is the work of God in us. We must change the way we think so that we can discern the will of God. We can go through that transformation of our mind by going to the Scriptures—they are the first and foremost source of our understanding. The more we read daily, with care and meditation, in the Word of God, seeking to absorb the Spirit of Him who was its Author, the better we shall be equipped to carry out “every good work” to which His dedication calls us, and to make an effective witness to His righteousness and His abundant grace.