“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).

The two more familiar verses immediately preceding our text for the day emphasize the fact that we are not saved by works, but rather by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Ephesians 2:10, however, explains a major reason for God’s saving us—that we would do those good works which He ordained beforehand. The Greek word translated “before ordained” is used only one other time in the New Testament (Romans 9:23), where it is translated “afore prepared.” The idea here is the amazing fact that those good works have been prepared beforehand for us to do, probably even before we were born. God evidently had specific purposes in mind for each one of us, both creating us and then re-creating us in Christ to accomplish these plans.

Some day, we Christians all must stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10), where “every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (v.12) regarding our work here on Earth. If God has plans for us, having prepared beforehand good works that we should carry out, it is sobering to contemplate what our response will be when we stand before Him to account for our activities.

In order to avoid displeasing Him, it is necessary that we, as those who have been saved through faith and who desire to please Him, be obedient to His Word and sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be faithful in carrying out those good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. RRA