Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
DEVOTIONAL
When Paul says, “we are his workmanship,” he uses a word that implies a deliberate, skillful crafting—like a master artisan shaping something with care and intention. The Greek word poiēma is where we get our word “poem.” You are not a random accident of nature, nor a project God regrets. You are His workmanship—His design, His doing, His delight.
But notice the context. Paul has just finished saying (in verses 1–9) that we were dead in sin, saved not by works, but by grace through faith. It is after this that Paul tells us we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. This is crucial: Good works are not the cause of salvation—they are the result of it. We are not saved by our works, but we are saved for them.
This is the Reformed heartbeat: salvation is sola gratia—by grace alone—and yet that grace is never alone. It always produces fruit. A true Christian life bears the marks of good works, not to earn God’s favor, but because we already have it in Christ.
Furthermore, Paul tells us that these works have been prepared beforehand. Before you took your first breath, before you repented and believed, before the foundation of the world—God had already ordained the path of righteousness He would lead you to walk. He is both the author and the finisher of your faith (Heb. 12:2). This brings a deep comfort: your life is not aimless. The sovereign God who saved you is also sanctifying you, step by step, according to His wise and perfect plan.
So Christian, when you doubt your worth, remember: you are His workmanship. When you feel useless, remember: He has prepared good works for you. And when you feel like you’re failing, remember: the same grace that saved you is the grace that will sustain and finish what God began (Phil. 1:6).
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for saving me by grace and remaking me in Christ Jesus. Help me walk in the good works You’ve prepared for me—not in my strength, but in the power of Your Spirit. Let my life be a testimony to Your craftsmanship, for Your glory alone. Amen.