Ephesians

Ephesians 2:10 reads “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” But doesn't that contradict what comes two verses earlier: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Which is it-the “grace” of verse eight, or the “works” of verse ten?
Let's take a closer look.
Ephesians 2:10 starts with the phrase “For we are God’s handiwork.” The word “for” connects verse 10 with what precedes it, especially the fact that we have been saved by grace. Salvation is not only deliverance from death into life. It also involves being newly created in Christ.
The word “handiwork” comes from the same Greek word that’s related etymologically to our word poem. It means “made by someone,” a “work” of someone’s hands. The ESV goes with “workmanship.” The NRSV has “we are what he has made us.”
The next phrase-“Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”-raises some questions. Why do good works show up so positively in this verse?
The preceding statement in Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear that salvation does not come by works. But we miss the full implications of salvation if we stop reading in verse 9. No, our works do not earn our salvation. But our salvation should indeed lead us to a life of good works, works God has prepared “for us to do.” Yes, we are saved by God’s grace. But receiving this gift means living with and for God in a new way. The Greek reads, “in order that we might walk in them,” thus ending 2:1-10 as it began, with a description of how we walk or live. When we receive this grace, we aren’t merely delivered from a bad way of living into some kind of neutral existence. Rather, we are created anew in Christ for a new way of living, a way embodied in good works.
The truth that God has good works for us to do is fully consistent with the rest of Ephesians. God chose us to be holy so that we might belong to him and be devoted to his purposes (1:3). God determined that we should exist “for the praise of his glory” (1:12, 14). In the latter chapters of Ephesians, we’ll learn much more about the nature of these good works that glorify God.
Our good works are an expression of a Christian community. We can easily miss this through an individualistic reading of Ephesians 2:10. Yes, you are individually God’s handiwork. And, yes, God has good works for you yourself to do. But that’s not the whole story.
As becomes clear in the next part of Ephesians 2, God has good works for the community of the faithful to do together. In fact, you and I cannot walk in the good works God has for us apart from intentional fellowship with other members of Christ’s body, as Ephesians 4:16 tells us:
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
WATCH THE 18-PART LECTURE SERIES ON EPHESIANS: masterlectures...

[@jewishbride5010]

Praise God for stirring up love in us in order we can share from our overflow to others! I therefore bind one to desire to do good works while binding to hell every resistance and lack of desire to do good works in my life, the lives of my family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquitances, opponents and the body of Christ, binding to hell every unequal yoke and common share with anyone resisting and lacking a desire to do good works, in accordance with this word and ephesians 2:10, 2 corinthians 6:14-18 in the name and blood of Jesus Christ, amen and hallelujah, glory to God ❤!

[@janetrosinas4002]

Thank you for the words of God i am blessed.this is my favorate verse since then

[@ForTheLoveOfHomes]

Thank you for digging into this scripture!

[@selahchunem8447]

The works that we are saved to do per Ephesians 2:10 They also James and Jesus tell us which prove that they are saved is they do it with the right heart. But remember the warning of Matthew 7:21 for not everyone that sayeth Lord Lord Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

[@reginapendleton9041]

Amen. Works also are in speech and thought.

[@MrKev1664]

Christ be with you Works are action Works are love No, Love no salvation God bless you

[@lmgottschalkophile]

This needs to be spoken of much more. It is all through the New Testament but is often neglected. Thank you!

[@mariaa.bryson8126]

Very much so. In the Catholic church they have you to believe in order to get into heaven it is from the works works that you do. There is much contradictory in that belief.

[@truthsayer6414]

We are not saved unconditionally at all, until we are standing before the judgement seat of Christ and have to give a post mortem account of all the deeds we did in the flesh, both good and bad. 2 Cor 5 10 Matt 16 27. Paul is very explicit in Rom 2 6. God will repay us all according to our deeds. Are you still going to contradict scripture and tell me salvation is not by works but faith alone?

[@Sun_Flower667]

Amen

[@PatientPerspective]

Question. Why does scripture say we are judged by our works? Revelation 20:12 Ephesians 2:1-22 say we are saved by grace. But then 2 Corinthians 5:10 says We are judged by our good and evil deeds/works. Both are works. How do you reconcile the two?

[@PatientPerspective]

I read in revelations too, can't find the scripture now, that said we are judged by good deeds of obedience not of debt. In other words, we do good deeds and judged by them because obedience not to earn our own salvation via giving a sacrifice. God determines our salvation based on the former not the latter.

[@MrKev1664]

Christ be with you Grace saves us It will be those who work, who obey who will be saved (Heb 5:9) God bless you

[@DHT317]

too many works salvationists (that claim faith alone) try and use these verses to assert we MUST have works to prove our salvation... nothing in these verses or anywhere else in scripture teaches that it is just their own prideful and wantonly twisted interpretation that tells them that not scripture

[@TheSinnersPreacher]

I stopped focusing on doing "good works" when my church taught me they don't have to help me.

[@mrsamp173]

Who’s the speaker?

[@krispybeats6615]

god has made us anew :D praised be his glory :)

[@troylandzerep8045]

the part this verse was in Cyanide and happiness makes me guest even if they do such dark humor the creator is actually Christian

[@brandonmilam2134]

My God

[@PerceiveBelieve]

Nikola Tesla's Last Known Living Assistant's Recorded Statement: "If you have read my book, The Wall of Light, you will know the first part is the life story of Tesla. This story was written by Tesla himself and you will note in this story that Tesla gives full credit to God for his ability to discover some amazing new ideas in the Bible. As I have mentioned before the microwave comes from the fourth chapter of Revelations. In many places in his work Tesla mentions the fact that he was inspired by Bible study to conceive his amazing ideas. His idea of the alternating current comes from the book of Matthew. In other words from the Trinity. Tesla explains that his microwave, for instance, is not what many others think it is. It is not a wave, it is a dimension. The actual dimension of the beam. Tesla clearly states that his microwave is a beam which grows smaller. But he states that it's diameter is smaller than the hair of your head."

[@LightOfChristOfficial]

Good Works are required post-justification otherwise it's clear you were not "ordained" or regenerated to know you shouldn't continue living in sin (clearly stated in Romans 6) if you want to be saved at the judgment. In the New Testament - Obeying God doesn't make one a legalist. *Short video explanation here* kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5STpIiaqayeiZosi=MoFrBrwho6qeW7Xz

[@dorismok5572]

Please introduce speaker

[@bailujen8052]

In order to not confuse this into works based salvation Jesus comes first and works come second

[@MrKev1664]

Christ be with you yet without works there is no eternal life (Heb 5:9) God bless you.

[@lukev539]

If we don’t walk as He walked, we’ve made a Jesus in our own image therefore a false Messiah. The prepared beforehand is Torah and Prophets. Yeshua taught, quoted and lived from these. He kept the Sabbath and the Feast. We won’t provoke Israel to jealousy following a false messiah.

[@a.k.a.watchmenwakeup]

These disgusting liars that cherry pick scripture. Read verse 12 and learn what prophecy says. Acts 3:19-26 Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Deuteronomy 5:1-22 Isaiah 28:12