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Ephesians 2:8–10
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Justification precedes sanctification in the order of salvation so that we will understand that our righteousness before the bar of God’s justice is the perfect merit of Christ alone (see Rom. 5:12–21). We are not justified—declared righteous—by our good works. That does not make our good works of obedience optional, however, for they are required in the outworking of our progressive sanctification.
Scripture tells us as much in texts such as Ephesians 2:8–10. Note the order: First, we are saved apart from our works; second, we are God’s workmanship prepared to walk in good works once we have been redeemed. We do good not to earn our place in heaven or to merit righteousness ourselves from the law but to thank the Lord for His great salvation and to demonstrate that we have been redeemed by grace. Francis Turretin writes that “good works are required not for living according to the law, but because we live by the gospel; not as the causes on account of which life is given to us, but as effects which testify that life has been given to us.”
God even promises to reward our good works of obedience (Matt. 10:42; 1 Cor. 3:11–14). This is nothing short of amazing and is only by grace, since even the best of our works are never perfect. Our motives are mixed, and we regularly fall short of what God requires. Nevertheless, as a loving Father, God accepts our sincere good works even though they are laced with many imperfections. John Calvin explains in The Necessity of Reforming the Church: “When once God has graciously adopted believers, he not only accepts and loves their persons, but their works also, and condescends to honor them with a reward. In one word, as we said of man, so we may say of works,—they are justified not by their own desert [i.e., because they deserve it], but by the merits of Christ alone; the faults by which they would otherwise displease being covered by the sacrifice of Christ.” In much the same way that a loving human father esteems and praises his three-year-old’s scribbles as fine works of art, God graciously receives our flawed good works as sincere offerings of thanks.
Our good works do not and cannot save us, but they are the necessary fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. In practicing them, we grow in our sanctification and live out the reality of our union with Christ. God is pleased when we seek to obey Him, motivated by love of Him and love of neighbor.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Because of our gratitude for our salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, Christians should be known for our good works. Doing good in obedience to God will not save us, but it evidences the power of Christ in us and demonstrates the reality of our faith. What good works can you do today?
For further study
- Psalm 37:3
- Titus 3:1–2
The bible in a year
- Isaiah 62–64
- 2 Thessalonians 1
- Isaiah 65–Jeremiah 2
- 2 Thessalonians 2–3