Ephesians 2:10

Here Paul gave the reason salvation is not from man or by works. Rather than salvation being a masterpiece that we have produced, regenerated believers are a masterpiece that God has produced. "Workmanship" (Gr. poieme, from which we get the word "poem"; cf. Romans 1:20) means a work of art, a masterpiece. The Jerusalem Bible translated it "work of art" here. As a master worker, God has created us in Christ Jesus. The word translated "created" here (Gr. ktizo) describes only God’s activity and denotes something He alone can produce.

Good works are not the roots from which salvation grows but the fruit God intends it to bear. God has not saved us because of our works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but He has saved us to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). God saves us by faith for good works. Good works are what God intended for us to practice, with His divine enablement. He intended that we walk in them, as a pedestrian walks along a path, before He saved us (cf. Ephesians 1:4). This verse reveals that God is ultimately responsible for our good works (cf. Romans 9:23; Philippians 2:13). Paul developed the idea of walking in good works further in chapters 4-6.

". . . God has prepared a path of good works for believers which He will perform in and through them as they walk by faith. This does not mean doing a work for God; instead, it is God’s performing His work in and through believers . . ." [Note: Hoehner, "Ephesians," p. 624.]

However this verse does not say that Christians will inevitably walk in the good works that God has freed us from sin’s penalty and power to pursue. God has saved us so we can do works that are good in His sight, but this is obviously only part of His purpose in saving us. He has also saved us to take us to heaven, for example (John 14:1-3). He has guaranteed that all who trust in His Son will reach heaven (our glorification, John 10:28-29). He has not guaranteed that all who trust in Jesus Christ will persevere in good works (our progressive sanctification). That depends on our obedience (Ephesians 4:1; Titus 3:8).

God desires that everyone experience salvation (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9), but the fact that some will perish does not put God’s desires or power in question. He has given us enough freedom to choose if we will believe or not (cf. John 3:36). Likewise God has provided salvation so His children will be able to obey Him and do good works, but He does not compel us to do so (Titus 2:11-12).

"One could legitimately characterize the whole lordship controversy as a dispute over efficacious grace. All points in the discussion ultimately come back to this: Does God’s saving grace inevitably obtain its desired effects? If all sides could come to consensus on that one question, the debate would be settled." [Note: John MacArthur, Faith Works, p. 61.]

God’s saving grace inevitably obtains all that God has said it will inevitably obtain, including the believer’s justification, positional sanctification, and glorification. However it does not inevitably obtain what God has said depends on the choices of His people. We must be careful to distinguish what God wants to happen from what He has said He will make happen. His desires are not the same as His decrees. [Note: See Zane C. Hodges, Absolutely Free! pp. 73-74.]

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty means that God is the ultimate authority in the universe. It implies that He has power sufficient to control everything that happens. It does not mean that God will inevitably bring to pass everything that He wishes would happen. If that were the case, no one would go to hell, and everyone would obey Him perfectly.

God does not force Christians to persevere in good works any more than He forced the Israelites to persevere in good works. The Israelites’ failure to walk in the good works that God had foreordained for them does not mean that His efficacious grace failed. Neither does Christians’ failure to do so mean that.

This section of the epistle (Ephesians 2:1-10) contrasts what the believer was before regeneration with what he or she is after. All the glory for the change goes to God. He provided salvation for people. We do not need to do good works to merit salvation, but we should do good works because we have received salvation. This is God’s plan for the believer.