Created in Christ Jesus
Just as our divine inheritance, the fruit of the Spirit, and the spiritual gifts already lay within us, waiting to be discovered, so are the works that God has called us to do. They have been programmed into our spiritual DNA by the Creator.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
In this passage, Paul specifically addresses the Body of Christ. There is an echo here of the new creation language employed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15. The Body of Christ is a new humanity, specifically called to act as God’s empowered missionary community to the unbelieving world. This new humanity does not strive to live in the benefits of God’s salvation, but rests in grace, the finished work of the Cross, and the empowering presence of Jesus.
It is by this same grace that God reveals to us the works that He has already prepared for us to walk in. We do not need to strive to uncover or discover what God has for us. As we abide and grow in the revelation of our identity, He opens our eyes to discern the divine plan that is already in motion. When this happens, He reveals our role, and it becomes easy for us to walk in it, having also been made aware of His empowering grace and favor. As God’s redeemed sons and daughters, He has given us the privilege of playing an active role in His grand plan for humanity.
We are often so focused on pursuing the works of our high calling that we miss the one essential fact: He is our call. God is not interested in what we do for Him, but in us realizing who we are in Him. The revelation of our identity draws us deeper and deeper into intimacy with Him. This is true worship. He is our prize. The good works that we walk in are merely gifts, the overflow of a divine romance with Jesus. The works have already been prepared, but have our hearts?
A friend once told me, “Our journey with God is like an oil painting. You have to let it sit or it will never dry and the colors will get all messed up.” So it is with God’s call in our lives. We are God’s workmanship, and our entire lives have already been authored. The “works” of our call manifest in His timing. As we abide in intimacy, we learn His idea of stewardship. God gives to us what we are able to spiritually handle. The more we grow in God, the more we are able to safely steward the increasing influence and authority that God delegates to us.
What are these “works”? Simply put, we are called to be Jesus - in word and deed. We are to represent our Father to the lost and broken, as Jesus did. This call is about more than words, philosophies, and theologies. It is about manifesting what the Father is doing. Heaven is raining on the earth, bringing to fruition the fullness of God’s redemptive plan. The Body of Christ is the cloud that produces this heavenly rain (See Revelation 1:7). As we grow in Christ and abide in intimacy with Him, the river of heavenly life flows through us into the natural realm. This river of life is the Holy Spirit, and His presence flowing in and through us will heal the nations.
