Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter
2. I'd like to look at one verse,
verse 10. Ephesians 2.10. The scripture declares, For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus on two good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Let's pray together. Our Heavenly Father, this evening,
we thank You for this precious time to assemble ourselves before
you in the name of the Lord Jesus. And Father, we ask that you might
help us, teach us by your Holy Spirit, bring to our memory these
precious truths, and may they be brought in power. I ask you
to forgive us where we failed you, keep us this evening for
Christ's sake. Amen. Last time we looked in Ephesians,
we considered a truth that must be revealed by the Holy Spirit. And it's this, verse 8, for by
grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Unless the Spirit of God teaches
us that truth, we don't know it. Man by nature is born with
a heart that is governed by Satan. That's what the Lord told the
Pharisees. The Jews, you are of your father,
the devil. And Satan's attitude is, I will. I will be as the Most High. I
will. I will ascend above. The scripture declares that all
of God's people were chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ declared,
I lay down my life for the sheep. And the Lord Jesus Christ declared,
all that my father giveth me shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Salvation is by the
grace of God. Faith in Christ, that blessed
grace by which we receive, understand, rejoice, enjoy the glorious salvation
is also not a product of man. It was given unto us to believe. Faith is the gift of God. If faith were of ourselves, if
we were the object, if we were the source of faith, we'd boast
in it. What the Lord said, we'd vaunt
ourselves, we'd boast in that. Now this evening, I'd like to
consider this verse 10. And I've got four points out
of that verse of scripture. And I'm going to ask these four
questions out of that verse, out of verse 10. Number one,
here's the first thing I'm going to ask. Whose work are we? Second question or point is,
in whom were we created? Third point is, what is the sure
result of His creation? The fourth point is when did
God purpose this in? All I'm doing is I'm looking
at verse 10 and those four points come right out of verse 10. This
is the best way, most direct, most God-honoring way to set
forth the scripture. What does the scripture say?
Here's the first point. First question, whose work are
we? Well, the scripture says, for
we are his workmanship. The word workmanship means that
which is made. That's what it means, workmanship. That which is made. And this
verse of scripture sets forth and brings to an absolute conclusion
that man is not the origin of his life. Man is not the product
of himself in the new birth. Verse 8 and 9 we just read, it's
by grace are you saved through faith and that none of yourselves It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. So I know this for a fact. God's
people in regeneration are the work of God. Not only are they
the work of God as being human beings, I know that we are made
human beings, but that scripture sets forth that we are made to
be Christians. I mentioned this a couple of
weeks ago. I've been studying on this and I just had looked
up that point. I made that statement. God Almighty
makes us Christians. We are His workmanship. Christ is formed, this is scripture,
formed in us, in regeneration. I look at these statements, Christ
being formed in you. And there's just something about
that that I know is indescribably wonderful and I cannot get the
depth of it. I know something about what it's
saying. But we are God's workmanship,
the product of God's power, whereby He powerfully forms a new creature. God Almighty makes a creature. A new man, his workmanship, he
makes a new creature that does not sin. We're his workmanship. A new creation, created in righteousness,
that doesn't sin. And that new man is imparted. It's a work of his power, his
ability, And it precedes any work or any act or any response
on the regenerated sinner's part. Life has got to be there before
that new creature can act. God's got to make us. Here's
the scripture. I read this. I love this passage
of scripture. It's Ezekiel 36, 26, and 27. I quote it or read it all the
time. I was reading it again today.
Ezekiel 36, 26. also will I give you and a new
spirit will I put within you. I read that today and this thought
came across my mind. He said a new heart and a new
spirit. And I sat there for a second
and I thought, I wonder what the difference in those two words
are. A new heart, and here's what it is, a new heart, it means
a new nature. A new nature. I'm going to give
you a new nature and then spirit, a new understanding. You're going
to have a new nature and a new understanding. I was born with
a fallen nature and a fallen understanding. A man fell out
of me, he didn't know God. Had a nature that was dead and
trespasses in. I'm going to give you a new nature
and a new understanding. He said, I'm going to take away
the stony heart out of your flesh, I'm going to behead, I'm going
to dethrone, and I'm going to give you a heart that's pliable
toward me, a tender heart that grieves over sin, that new man, that does not sin, sees the old
man, which is him. That's what Paul meant when he
said, Oh, wretched man that I am. The new man sees the old man
and grieves over it. The new man grieves. The old man doesn't care. He
said, I'm going to give you a new nature, new heart. God Almighty
does something in creation. We are His workmanship. He puts a new man within His
people that knows that they've been pardoned by the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That new man is one that obeys
God. And when I say this, this is
what I mean. That man that came to the Lord
that day, what must I do to work the works of God? This is the
work of God. This is the work of God, that you believe on Him
whom God has sent. This new man obeys God. I'll tell you, I'll be the first
one to admit, we know this, Lord I believe, help mine unbelief,
but God's people believe. They believe God. That new man
is one that constantly feels the grief of the old nature.
That's what I was just talking about. He constantly feels it. He constantly sees it. He knows
it. He grieves over it. He sees himself
and he sees what he is by nature and he hates it. Job said, I loathe myself. I hate that old man that is within. wretched man that I am. And that
new man is one that melts with love for the Lord Jesus Christ,
for his people. This new creation, we're his
workmanship, is a work that has been begun in time, purposed
eternally, but begun in time And it's surely going to be finished.
Philippians 1.6, being confident, Paul said of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ. That which God begins in time,
he finishes. Almighty God has saved us in
his eternal purpose, justified us freely by his grace, having
seen the Lord Jesus Christ. slain from before the foundation
of the world. He has saved us, called us, so
He saved us. He's saving us right now. And
He will save us in the day of Jesus Christ. He's been pleased
to use the means of preaching the gospel to save His people. May we ever be found faithful
to preach the truth. So here's the first thing I know.
Whose work are we? The scripture says, for we are
His workmanship. Here's the second question. In
whom were we created? We're His workmanship and He's
created us in Christ Jesus. That's what the scripture says.
Created in Christ Jesus. Now this truth is a miracle of
God's grace. Indescribable miracle of God's
grace. Who can plumb the depth? of this truth, created in Christ Jesus. Created out of that which was
not there before. There's not a revamping of the
old man. There's not a reworking of the
old nature. Nothing is added to the old man. It's a new creature. A created, made moral, created
in Christ Jesus. Look at 2 Corinthians 5.17. 2
Corinthians 5.17. The Scripture says, therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. Old things are passed away. Old loves. Old self-confidences. Old loves for the carnal things. It's still there, but it doesn't
have dominion. These saints, before they had
dominion. Before, I loved the cares of
this world and had no love for Christ whatsoever. All things
have become new. For man being Christ, he's a
new creature. Behold, all things passed away. thinking about, my mind went
back to when I was in college. And I had some, I called them
good friends, they were, you know, I mean, buddies, you know,
you had them just like you did. And I'm telling you, when the
Lord was pleased to call me out of darkness, there was a time
that I just I just didn't have anything in
common with them anymore. Before, I had, I mean we had
everything in common, you know? Everything we did was wrong.
And the thing is, but after a while, just old acquaintances, old ways. I just, it just passed away. No love for him. Where his workmanship created,
made new, The scripture says in 1 John 3, 9, whosoever is
born of God, this is that workmanship, doth not sin, for his seed remaineth
in him, he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Ephesians 4.24, turn the page,
Scripture says, and that you put on the new man which after
God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Here's the way it is. You've
got two men and a believer. One of them, and they don't mix,
it's not like they're half good, half bad. Half good sometimes
and then they feel bad. It's got two men. One of them
is a total rebel against God. One of them hates God. The carnal
mind, Mitch, that I was born with, the scripture says, is
enmity against God. I will not have you rule over
me. Still had that nature. And the
other man is created in righteousness and true holiness. It does not
sin. It does not sin. I would not
know that and you wouldn't either if the scriptures didn't declare
that. How would we know that? I mean it's almost like you're
thinking, well I know that, that can't be right because the scripture
says that which is born of God sinneth not. They're inmate. They're at odds with one another.
This new man is created. He's created. Made brand new. Wasn't there before. But he was
created in Christ Jesus. That is a term that I've longed
to understand. And I quote it all the time,
you do too. And I think that this is about
as close as I can come to understanding what I'm talking about. I know
that we were chosen in Christ We died in Christ, raised in
Christ. I wrote this down. I hope it's
a help to you. As close as I can come. I said everything about
the new creation being in Christ, created in Christ Jesus. Everything
about this new creation is considered. by God the Father who chose us
in Him, created us in Him. Everything about the new creation
is considered and valued in the One in whom they reside. Everything about that new creation,
the value of it, the worth of it, is considered as being in
Christ. They are looked upon by God based
upon Christ's merit, and His obedience, and His suffering. That which the Father eternally
saw, He trusted in Him first. The Father trusted in Him. And
having chosen us in Christ, created in Christ Jesus, the worth or
the merit of this new creation, the believer, the Christian.
The merit, the security of that Christian is the one in whom
they're chosen. That's as close as I can try
to explain to my understanding. Chosen in Him. The value, the
worth, the security of the believer is the one in whom they're considered,
looked upon, chosen in. This old body of flesh, that
old fleshly nature, it's still with us and it's going to be
with us until we die. It's going to continually sin,
we're going to continually war, but that new man that is created
in Christ Jesus is born of God. It's born, it's not of corruptible
seas, not of corruptible, decaying, perishing, but of incorruptible,
immortal, This new man that is created in Christ Jesus is going
to live forever. This is the nature that we're
going to be in heaven with. This is the new man. This is
the new man. It's created in Christ. It's
incorruptible, undefiled. This is the beginning of heaven. for the believer, this new man. And he sees in part, he knows
in part, but he sees. He believes, but he wants to
believe more. Lord, increase our faith. But
faith is there. This new man, one of these days,
We won't see Him through a glass darkly dawn anymore. We're going
to see Him as He is. That new man created in Christ
Jesus. And being created in Him, we're
eternally secure. Almighty God has placed us in
the rock Himself. That rock, the Lord Jesus, that
the Father has eternally delighted in. That's what Proverbs 8, 30,
I was daily His delight. Created. We are His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus. For us to be eternally secure,
we're going to have to be in Him. And I, again, there's some
things about that. I'm thankful for it. I'm thankful
Things I don't understand, but I'm thankful it's not my understanding
that keeps me. It's God's Word, God's will,
God's power. You know, Paul the Apostle, They
were in a ship and that ship was about to go down in a storm
in Acts 27, 30. And when that ship was being
battered, Paul made this statement, he said to the centurion, to
the soldiers, except you abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. Except if you stay in the ship,
you can't be saved. Stay in the ship. Don't jump
ship. I'm so thankful that Almighty God would create me and create
me in Christ Jesus. Put me in the ark himself, in
the rock himself, in the boat himself. For God's glory and
for my eternal good, security, we were created in Christ Jesus. Here's the third question. What
is the sure result of His creation? The scripture says, We are His
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Good works. There's none good
but God. These good works are not the
product of man. The good works are the works
of the Spirit. Galatians 5, 22 and 23. Set forth the work, the fruit
of God's Spirit. Galatians 5, 22. The fruit of
the Spirit. Here's a good work. Here's good
work. This is good work. Here's workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Everything that we're
going to produce is not going to be good. None good, God. Verse 22, Galatians 5, says it,
fruit of the Spirit is love. Love for God. And all of that
entails He who is the covenant God, according to promise, His
Word, love for His Christ, the Messiah, as He is set forth in
God's report in the Gospel. The Holy Spirit, love for the
Spirit of God who is the regenerator, the teacher of the things of
God. Love for the brethren. That's a fruit, that's a good
work. It's given, it's a good work
given by God Himself. Good were love, joy. That is
to understand with the heart God's covenant mercy and my part
in it. That's the source of joy. God
will show mercy to me. Peace. Peace in my conscience
and peace that's truly wrought by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Long-suffering. That is that
fruit of enduring and bearing up under the present evils of
this world that are divinely ordered by Almighty God in His
chastening mercy. Because I love you. Almighty
God chastens His people. And the fruit of God's Spirit
is long-suffering. Long-suffering. Knowing He's
done this for my good and for His glory. Gentleness. Courteous is what the word means.
Courteous in word and action before each other for Christ's
sake. That's a fruit of God's Spirit.
I desire, I want to be gentle before God's people, especially
before God's people. All men. I don't want to be mean. I don't. I don't want to be mean.
I want to be gentle. Goodness. Goodness, kindness
before others for the benefit of body and soul. That's what
Mr. Gill said there. Faith. Faith. Faith believes God. Believes God. Faith. Without faith it's impossible
to believe God. Meekness. Meekness, as I've said
before, is not weakness. Meekness is that grace, that
work of God's Spirit that submits to God's providence. Meekness. It submits to God's providence.
I've used this example before. Abraham and Lot's herdsmen were
squabbling over some grass. And it was starting to become
a problem. And Abraham, who was a meek,
he was meek, by the grace of God, he told Lot. He said, listen,
we're brethren, we're brethren. No more squabbling here, we're
brethren. He said, you take what you want, and I'll take what's
left. And what he was doing is he was
trusting God. And Lot set his eyes towards
Sodom, you know. and Abraham took the part of
the land that wasn't as lush, and you know the story. Meekness
and temperance, chastity, being chaste, temperance, temperance. The Almighty God has set forth,
created us, His workmanship in Christ Jesus on two good works. It has pleased the Father, that
we would manifest outwardly, inwardly, outwardly what he has
done for us in this new creation. James said this as an evidence
of these good works. He said, for as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without works, good works, good
works. Faith without these works is
dead also. Works will certainly not save
a man. But you can be sure where the
works of God's Spirit are not found. There's no salvation. Almighty God has set forth that
we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus on two good works. And here's the last point, last
question. When did God purpose this end? When did this all begin? When did it begin? The scripture
says, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in Him. It
has ever been the purpose of Almighty God, that God's people,
He eternally chose to show mercy, that He created in time. Chosen in Him, and in time, He
called them out of darkness, gave them life, created them,
made them a Christian. And this was to be God's will. They were to be created in Christ
Jesus, and they were going to walk as believers, manifesting
the works of God's Spirit. God purposed it, and He did it
Before, before the world began, everything that God's done He's
always purposed to do. The counsel of Almighty God shall
surely stand and He has formed us and adapted us by His will,
His power, His hand. Grace precedes any creation. What God purposed, He does. The
grace of God, the will of God preceded. It's always been His
purpose that He would create us in Christ Jesus. Almighty God, according to His
mercy and compassion, created, made a new creature. Did it in
His Son. Ordained that they would walk
before Him and manifest the fruit of His Spirit. In our own strength,
we're not able to walk as we ought. Not in our own strength.
Almighty God orders and directs by His Holy Spirit and that in
itself is a miracle of God's grace. It's a gift of God's Spirit
that we are saved by grace called out of darkness, created in Christ
Jesus, and that we walk after him, kept by the power of God. We are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God before hath ordained. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart, for Christ's sake.