Ephesians 2:10

Sunday's epistle concluded with the words
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I tend to hear that as proof that God created us for the purpose of Being Good. I also tend to hear that in a rather fatalistic way, like we're robots doing the good works that have been laid out for us to accomplish.

But that doesn't fit with the rest of what the Bible says.

I noticed this week that the preceding verse says that faith does not come by works. But then this verse goes on to talk about God's works.

I noticed too this week some connections to other verses. Paul say in 2 Corinthians 5, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." We are created in Christ Jesus for good works. I find it hard to believe that Paul is talking about two separate things when the wording is so similar. And then, talking in Galatians 2 about works and the place of the Law, Paul reminds us that it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.

Pr Wiest told us that the "good works that we walk in" are Christ's work. We "walk in them" by faith.

Old things have passed away;
behold, Jesus makes all things new.