Equipped, for a time like this!

Equipped, for a time like this! 

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 KJV

The Context:

Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, had to address burning questions relating to salvation and good works. The people of Ephesus must have seen the new wave sweeping across the then Asia minor and they wanted to be part of the action. A lot was going on at the time, and it was nice to be noticed. Imagine the shock then when Paul writes and makes it clear that there is a place for works and physical labour, but it is best expressed in the context of daily dependence on and sustenance by God. None of us came to God on our own, and none can sustain himself in God all by himself. It is in this context that Paul writes these words.

The Message:

We come to God by faith but the demand of faith requires a daily walk and work that is the proof of my faith in God. God, Grace, Faith, salvation and works all come together to achieve a work in me that nothing else can sort out. And it was not a sudden or  accidental thing, or the result of an afterthought, but the result of careful planning and divine arrangement.

Let's look at how the past, present and future all come together in the same verse. My creation had a divine purpose; I was not placed on earth to run aimlessly. I was not called to a mediocre life; God does not do mistakes. If he took his time to form me, and give me peculiar fingerprints, then I am not useless. I was created IN Christ Jesus unto good works, so it is only IN Him that my life will make sense. It doesn't matter what anyone else tells you; if my life is not found in God, the devil will try to  shake and unsettle you.

Now, I am God's workmanship: the one to show Him off to the world, the testament to God's power. There is no room for pride or self-, sufficiency;  no room for claiming advantage over anybody else. God speaks into the present and the future, using the past only as a reminder of what He has brought you through and where he can take you.

Workmanship is never done; it is always a work in progress. I am constantly pruned, so I can bear more fruit. Whatever is in me that doesn't align with his purpose is brought under his control and dealt with. Am I God's workmanship or my own personal salesman, marketing myself to the world and celebrating my own achievements?

When the issue of ownership is sorted out, the good works that should follow then applies. The order must be maintained: good works only become possible when a man knows the reason why he was called by God and what he needs to do. And God would not first create me, then fret over what he will give me to do. All that is required from me is laid out by God and written in His book about me.

The Response:

I cannot be inconsequential. The deposits and investment of God in me make it impossible for me to go through life without impact. I am owned by God; gifted by God, fitted for his purpose and planted by him for impact and relevance, and headed for both earthly relevance and eternal life. Am I living the life I was gifted and fitted for? God does not make mistakes, and my life must not be one. God wants to be glorified in me; is my life such that God can shine out from? His time of favour is here.