RECLAIMED FOR GOOD WORKS

Ephesians 2:8–10

Introduction

If you were to pick a single passage that captures the heart of the gospel, Ephesians 2:8–10 would be a strong contender. In just a few verses, Paul tells us what it really means to be a Christian: someone who has undergone an unbelievably radical transformation.

We were once dead in sin, enslaved to the world’s ways, but in Christ we are made alive, redeemed, and called to walk in the way of the Lord. Paul sums this up with three truths:

• God’s Gift

• God’s Workmanship

• God’s Works.

  
  

His Gift (vv. 8–9)

Paul begins with a seismic statement:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Grace is not just a divine favor or a lucky break. Grace is God Himself moving toward sinners who deserve the opposite. Grace is threatening because it shatters our illusion of control—but when received, it transforms us.

Paul is emphatic: salvation is not from us, not earned by our goodness, morality, or religious efforts. It is “of God the gift.” This gift is not a return gift, not a dividend for your efforts, not even a reward for sincerity. It is God’s shocking gift to enemies—those who were under His wrath (v. 3).

Grace is God’s favor in spite of our demerit. And that grace will not leave us the same.

His Workmanship (v. 10a)

Paul continues:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus...”

We are not just forgiven—we are re-created. The word “workmanship” (Greek: poiēma, from which we get poem) points to artistry. Believers are God’s masterpiece, His carefully crafted handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus.

Sin defaced the original masterpiece of creation, but in Christ, God is restoring His artwork. Augustine once wrote: “Just as an artisan shapes raw material into beauty, so God reshapes sinners into saints by His Spirit.”

Our worth doesn’t come from what we achieve but from who made us. Like art, we exist to display the glory of our Maker.

His Works (v. 10b)

Paul adds:

“...created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Good works are not the root of our salvation but its fruit. God prepared them long before we were born. The same verb “walk” used earlier to describe our old life of sin (2:2) is now used to describe our new life in Christ. Our walk reveals our true Master.

Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables gives us a vivid picture: Jean Valjean, a hardened convict, is forgiven and gifted silver by a bishop who tells him, “With this silver I have ransomed your soul. I give it to God.” That undeserved grace breaks him and begins a new story.

In Christ, our story begins anew. The gift of grace leads to a transformed walk, a life lived for the glory of God.

Questions to Ponder

• Do I truly see salvation as a gift, or am I still trying to earn it by performance or religious effort?

• How do I view myself—through the lens of my failures and achievements, or as God’s workmanship, His masterpiece in Christ?

• In what areas of life does my “walk” still resemble the old ways rather than the new life in Christ?

Application

• Live by grace. Your identity is not achieved by works but received as God’s gift.

• See others as masterpieces. If God has crafted your brothers and sisters in Christ, view them with the same value and beauty He does.

• Walk in newness of life. Grace does not leave us where we were—it calls us to live out the good works God prepared for us.

• Tim Keller puts this beautifully - If God is the sculptor and you are the marble then it is possible that he comes at you right now with a chisel”

Conclusion

Ephesians 2:8–10 declares: we are saved by His gift, remade as His workmanship, and set apart for His works.

The cross of Christ is where the masterpiece was restored, the gift purchased, and the new story begun. Because of grace, you and I can now walk in a new way—one that reflects the glory of the One who reclaimed us.

Another story must begin.