Who Are You?

Ephesians chapter 2 and mainly verse 10 is what we're focusing on together this evening.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

Ephesians 2 and at verse 10.

For we are as workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

On Friday evening we heard Ramborda Campbell preaching on Ephesians chapter 1

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

and he asked a question as he began his sermon that evening.

He asked a question, how are you?

And he was looking at the theme of how we are blessed in all the blessings that we have in Christ Jesus.

How are you? We are blessed.

This evening as we go into chapter 2 I want to pick up on another question that we can look at together this evening.

We've seen how are you? I want to think this evening of who are you?

Who are you?

There's a TV series on the number of series of it.

I think there's over 20 series of it.

That's called Who Do You Think You Are?

And in the programme there's mainly celebrities who trace back their family history.

They ask that question, who do you think you are?

Who do you think you belong to?

What's your background? Where do you come from?

And it's fascinating to see how their different lives can go back in different directions.

And very often directions they know nothing about.

They find out things that they never knew.

It can be a real joy for some to find out something joyous experienced in their past, in their family.

But for others it can be quite a devastating blow at times as they hear of maybe tragedies or difficulties in their family's history.

And it's always full of emotion.

There's always emotion involved in it.

You cannot but be caught up in the emotion.

And perhaps there's times in your own experience that you've looked into your own family background.

Or you've heard stories about your family, the history behind it.

And you've been moved by things that you find out.

Things that you maybe never knew growing up and now you find out.

And it can be times of joy or it can be times of sadness.

But behind it all is this question, who am I?

Where have I come from and for what purpose?

But when we think of that in terms of the Bible, it's a question we have to ask ourselves as well.

The more we learn about Jesus, the more we experience his love towards us, his grace towards us,

it does make us ask that question, who am I?

Who am I?

Psalm 8, as we sang together, echoes that question.

As the psalmist looks at the wonder of all creation,

the heavens declaring all the glory of God and the fingers traced across it all of God.

And the psalmist asks, you know, what is man?

Who am I in the midst of all of this that you should remember me, that you should care for me?

But we are told in that psalm that he has honoured his people with glory and with love.

We are his workmanship.

That's what we see in verse 10 here.

We're given this powerful reminder that we belong to God.

We are precious to God.

Who am I?

We have this answer in verse 10.

We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

And it's this I want to consider together, this verse, and three things from this verse.

As we think of that question, who am I?

I want to see that we are his workmanship.

Just taking the text as it is, we are his workmanship.

We are made for good works, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

And we are to walk in his ways, the ways that he has prepared for us.

So just these three things as we think of this question, who are you?

Well, first we see we are his workmanship.

We are his workmanship.

See, the more we see of Jesus, the more we see of the work that Jesus has done for us,

the more we see, as we did over the weekend, the love of God towards us that gave his Son,

who came into this world to die for his people,

to give his life, as it says, as a ransom for many.

What he has done for us, it all points towards his grace.

And in chapter 2, these verses 1 to 10, it's all about grace through faith

and what the grace of God has done for us.

Because you see in verse 1 to 4 that grace reached out to us.

You were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked.

You were dead, but grace reached out.

You see that powerful verse in verse 4, the grace that loved us.

But God being rich and mercy because of the great love with which he loved us,

the grace of his love towards us.

You see in verse 5, the grace that made us alive.

Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

By grace, you have been saved.

And then you see that grace in verse 6 and 7 gives us a future.

It's raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

It gives us a future.

And it's grace that has secured our salvation.

By grace, in verse 8, you have been saved through faith.

The grace that saves.

And then when you come into verse 10, it closes off this little section

by reminding us that grace gives us meaning and purpose.

We are brought from death to life.

We are brought from that darkness into light.

And it's with a purpose.

That we belong to God.

And it almost begins just by looking at our origins, if you like.

Our beginning.

We are his workmanship.

It takes us right back to the beginning of the Bible.

It takes us back to Genesis chapter 1, where we are told in verse 27 that God created man in his own image.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

In the image of God, he created him.

Male and female, he created them.

That in all of creation, in all the glory of creation, that we were made in his image.

That we are his workmanship.

It wasn't just Adam and Eve that were his workmanship.

We are all made in the image of God.

So it takes us right back.

We are his workmanship.

We are made in God's image.

All of us.

All that we see around us, we are all his workmanship.

Created in the image of God.

And so as Paul is writing to the Ephesians here, saying you are his workmanship, he is saying God is still working in you.

Because we know we're not perfect.

We know that we are a sinful people.

And yet God is still working.

Workmanship.

It's his ongoing process in us.

He speaks of here a workmanship that almost has a new beginning.

Like we see when we go back to verse 1.

You were dead in your trespasses and sins.

Verse 4.

God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, he made us alive together with Christ.

So you're brought from one place to another.

There's a new beginning.

And this is all by grace.

We are his workmanship.

And what workmanship means, another word that can be used in translating workmanship, is masterpiece.

You are his masterpiece.

Now, is that how you see yourself today?

As a masterpiece of God?

Paul, if you think of himself, how did he look on himself?

Did he see himself as a masterpiece of God?

God's workmanship, who God had worked powerfully in to bring from darkness to light.

How did he see himself?

Like many of us see ourselves.

He said in Romans chapter 7,

Romans 7 · chapter mention

O wretched man that I am.

That's how he looked on himself.

Wretched man that I am.

But he didn't stop there.

He went on to say,

Who will deliver me from this body of death, this body of darkness that we're seeing here?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

There is deliverance.

There is being brought from death to life.

Being brought from wretch, being a wretch, to being God's masterpiece.

As John Newton, in that famous hymn, Amazing Grace, it was grace that saved a wretch like me.

And I'm sure many of us, all of us even, can think of that for ourselves.

We see ourselves, the wretched one that we are.

But when we see who we are in Christ, we are blessed, as Mordor reminded us.

And we are his workmanship.

It's ongoing.

Michelangelo, very famous for all his artistic talent.

He was once working on a large piece of rock.

It didn't look like anything.

It was just edges and chips and blemishes all over.

And yet here he was, starting to chip away at this rock.

And one person had said, passing by, he asked a question.

As he was chipping away at this rock, he was asking,

What are you doing?

What on earth are you doing?

Because the task just seemed so enormous that nothing could be done with this huge rock.

And yet Michelangelo replied, I am liberating an angel from this stone.

And sure enough, in the hands of a master craftsman like Michelangelo,

this rock that looked beyond anything was turned into a masterpiece.

And that's what God is doing with us.

We are, as described in the Old Testament, the potter and the clay.

We are just this lump of clay that he is working in to create a masterpiece.

We are in the hands of a great sculptor.

And we know sometimes what it's like just to be pressed by the hands of God.

There's so many ways that he gets rid of the blemishes and the faults within us.

He chips away and sometimes it's hard.

But yet we are his workmanship.

We are in his hands.

That is who we are.

We are his workmanship.

Just go back to Psalm 8.

Remember as a young boy, over on the west side where you actually see the sky so clearly,

looking up to the stars on a winter's night and just being amazed at it,

amazed at the clarity of the stars and of the moon was out,

just seeing the wonder of it at a very young age.

It spoke so powerfully.

There's got to be something behind that.

That's not just by chance.

There is a creator behind all of that.

And that's what the psalmist is saying there.

He's seeing all of this and he's asking,

who am I in the midst of this?

We are his workmanship.

We are his creation.

Even the wonder of all that we see in the skies,

we are his masterpiece too.

We are being made more and more into his image as we go on,

as he's making us imperfect as we are,

to one day to be perfect in glory with him.

So if you are saved,

if you know the Lord,

you are a testimony to the world.

Just like any artist would put their work on display

to show it to the watching world,

to show what can be created,

well, God puts us on display.

He uses us, imperfect as we are,

to be on display before others.

We are his workmanship.

And that leads us into the second thing.

We are his workmanship and we have a purpose

created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Going back to the programme,

Who Do You Think You Are?

And even if you look in your own life perhaps,

and you look back down through generations of your own family,

you often find that people go into a career

maybe thinking there's nothing behind it

and actually find out that there's a history in the family

of working in that line.

It may be teaching,

it may be seafarers,

it may be doctors or farmers or whatever it is,

fishermen,

all of these things,

and you think it's just something you've chosen.

But sometimes you look back and you find out

it's almost something that's been in the family.

It's come down through generations.

Well, what Paul tells the Ephesians Christians here is

that as they find their meaning,

their purpose in Christ,

they find too a path that leads them back

to something that has been in generations,

that we were made with a purpose.

Man's chief end is to glorify God

and to enjoy him forever.

It's been lost almost.

We don't see it in our life

until that point we are taken from death to life

by the grace of God

and then we begin to realise we have purpose.

We have a purpose.

We are God's workmanship.

We are his workmanship.

But we were created in Christ Jesus

for good works.

He gives us a life to live.

That's what verse 10 reminds us.

Now verse 9 reminds us

that our works are not what saves us.

Not a result of works

so that no one may boast.

It's not we do the works

so we can boast in our salvation.

No.

But it's a product of our salvation.

We are made for this purpose,

created in Christ Jesus

for good works.

And when you look at this word works,

it's linked to employment

as we would say today.

What is our work?

What is our employment?

Who am I in that?

We can say we've all got maybe different careers

and different works that we're involved in.

But yet here is our greatest work of all

for the good works

that we are created in Christ Jesus for.

We have our identity in him.

We have our purpose in him.

We are blessed in him

for this purpose of who we are.

Again, Paul writing to the church in Corinth

in 1 Corinthians 10

reminds us that whatever we are doing,

we are to do it for the glory of God.

Whether you eat or drink,

whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.

And so whatever work,

whatever way we spend our time,

that's what it's referring to,

how we spend our time,

what we are doing with ourselves,

we are to be involved in good works.

And that doesn't just mean

setting a time aside

to do the good works that we see,

maybe of helping or visiting.

It's everything that we do.

When you think of putting our time

into compartments, if you like,

how much time do you spend in church?

You might spend two or three hours a week

gathered together as church in this way.

But how much time do you spend

actively working in other ways?

You could be in your work,

working a 35-hour week,

but then you're doing other things

outside of that as well,

involved in sports or activities,

involved in clubs,

involved in family,

involved in so many different things.

You can be 80, 90 hours a week

just going about your daily business,

and that is your work.

Whatever you are doing,

you are to do for the glory of God.

God.

Paul reminds us of that so often

through his letters,

that we see ourselves as we are in Christ,

and then there's a practical outworking,

as we heard over the weekend.

Ephesians is almost split in two,

learning what is behind our faith,

and then applying our faith

to our day-to-day lives.

We are to be bearing fruit

in every good work,

as Paul says to the Colossians.

Whatever we do,

we do for the glory of God.

Martin Luther understood what this meant

when he said,

the maid who sweeps her kitchen

is doing the will of God

just as much as the monk who prays.

Not because she may sing

a Christian hymn as she sweeps,

but because God loves clean floors.

The Christian shoemaker

does his Christian duty,

not by putting little crosses

on the shoes,

but by making good shoes.

Because God is interested

in good craftsmanship.

He's interested in our giving our best

in everything that we do.

And so apply that

to your life on a day-to-day basis.

Your good works

is not just being in church.

Your good works

is not just having your quiet time at home

where you read God's word and pray.

Your good works

is how you behave among others,

in the workplace,

in the school,

away from here,

everywhere we go,

whatever we do,

it's all part of our good works.

Who I am is seen

in what I do

and how I do it.

Who are we?

We are his workmanship

and we are created in Christ Jesus

for good works.

When we belong to him,

we honour him

in all that we do.

And the third thing that we see

from this verse

is these last words,

which God has prepared beforehand

that you should walk in them.

God has prepared beforehand

that we should walk in them.

There's two aspects

to this last part as well.

We think first of all

of the walking in them.

It's the last bit

we were thinking of at first here.

Walking in them.

Walking in them means direction.

It means it's our aim,

it's our goal

to keep going

in this way.

Last Wednesday,

we had Colin McLeod

preaching to us

on Psalm 86

and one of the vowsers there says,

teach me, Lord, your way.

And again,

it's a recurring theme

that you find

throughout Scripture.

Teach me, Lord,

your way.

And here we have it again.

Walking in the way,

if you like,

the way of good works.

It's almost like

we make sure

that the Lord

has a hold of us.

That we're not trying

to go our own way

and just give time to Him

for a short while

and then do our own thing.

That's not what it's about.

It's about walking with Him

day by day.

It's not a switch

we turn on and off.

It's not saying,

well, I'll give six months

to the Lord

and then I'll take time off

for myself.

It's not the kind of job

where you go away

and do two weeks on

and then you come home

for two weeks off.

That's not what being

a Christian is about at all.

It's about living

God's way

day by day.

He's working in us

because we are His workmanship.

He is giving us good works

that we should do them

for His glory

and we are to walk

in them.

We are to keep going

in them.

And again,

you think of how

God's people,

how are we to walk?

The scriptures show us

again and again

we are to walk

in obedience

to Him.

We are to walk

in faithfulness.

We are to walk

in love.

We are to walk

in holiness.

It goes on.

The list goes on.

But we are to walk

in these ways.

And so we are walking

with God.

But that reminds us

that we have a companion.

We're not walking

alone.

He is walking

with us.

We are still

His workmanship.

He doesn't leave us.

He is with us.

And so there is

this reminder

again we are not

perfect.

Immediately we are

saved.

We are not this

perfect person.

We don't need

the Lord now.

We are changed.

But we are being

changed

all the time

as we go on.

There was a little

boy in Sunday

school

misbehaving

and his teacher

was getting

much

more and more

frustrated with him

to the point

where she got

to speak to him

and say

why do you act

like that?

Do you not know

who made you?

And the little boy

replied quite quickly

yes I know

God made me

but he hasn't

finished with me yet.

It's a smart reply.

We could all

say that word

as well.

It's not an excuse

but we're not

finished yet.

There's truth

in that

and that we are

still a work

in progress.

But we have

good authority

in God's word

that where

he has began

a work

he will bring

it to completion.

We are walking

in these works

but we are not

walking alone.

We are walking

with him.

But then you see

too

that it's

the works

which God

prepared

beforehand.

Prepared

beforehand.

And this

reminds us

that God

has always

had a plan

for your life.

Who are we?

We are his

workmanship.

We are created

in Christ Jesus

for good works.

We are to walk

in them.

But God

has a plan

in it all

prepared

beforehand.

And again

that's a theme

you see

throughout the

scriptures

over and over.

You read

we saw it in

Psalm 139

even as God

was forming

us in the womb

he had ordained

the days

that were before us

they were written

in his book.

It was all

there his plan

and his purpose.

You think of

the prophet

Jeremiah

in the Old

Testament

he was asking

who am I?

Well in

verse 5

of chapter 1

the Lord

is saying

before I formed

you in the womb

I knew you.

Even before

you were in the womb

I knew you.

Before you were

born

I consecrated you

I set you

apart

I appointed

you a prophet

to the nations.

God had a plan

and a purpose

for Jeremiah

from the very

beginning.

And if Jeremiah

was asked

who am I

he could answer

I have been

created

by God

and created

with a purpose.

And the same

is true

for you and me.

We are created

for the works

that God

prepared

beforehand

that he has

a plan

and a purpose

for us.

Psalm 37

Psalms 37:23

verse 23

the steps

of a man

are established

by the Lord

when he delights

in his way.

There's a plan

and a purpose.

And so we are

to give ourselves

over

to the Lord.

Proverbs

the book of wisdom

the heart of man

plans his way

but the Lord

establishes

his steps.

The Lord

has a plan

and a purpose.

And so our duty

is to glorify him

and to enjoy him

in looking

to him

as his workmanship

created in Christ

Jesus for good works

for the works

that God

prepared

beforehand

to walk

in them.

Martin Luther

he said

faith is a living

busy

active

powerful thing.

it is impossible

for it not

to do us good

continually.

It never asks

whether good works

are to be done

but has done them

before there is time

to ask the question

and it is always

doing them.

we don't sit

here tonight

asking

I wonder

if there is a good work

for God

for me

to do

for God.

God has prepared

them beforehand

we

are to walk

in them.

His word reveals

to us

again and again

how

we are to live.

so we don't

just sit back

and say

Lord

what will you

have me to do?

Listen

to him

love him

with all your heart

serve him

with all your heart

love

the Lord

with all your heart

and love your

neighbour

as yourself.

There are so many

things

that we could

apply

to this

the works

that God

has prepared

beforehand

that we are

to walk in

they are all

before us

and by faith

we don't ask

whether there are

good works

to be done

we do them.

We do them

before there is

time

to ask the question

and we are

always

doing them.

So who do you

think

you are?

How are you?

You are blessed.

Who are you?

You are God's

workmanship

you are God's

masterpiece

created in

Christ Jesus

brought from

death to

life by his

grace

for good

works

that God

has planned

and had a

purpose for

beforehand

from the very

beginning of

time

that you

should walk

in them.

That is who

we are.

The song of

Solomon says

I am my

beloved's

and my

beloved

is mine

and when we

know the

Lord

we know we

are loved

by him

and we

look to him

as his

workmanship

created for

good works

prepared

beforehand

and we

seek

to walk

in them.

May God

bless

his word

to us.

We're

going to

conclude by

singing to

God's

prayer.