Drawing Near To God (1)

A well-known Bible fact is that Jesus was a Jew, and it was therefore through the Jews that He came into world. Historically, the Jews had many advantages that the Gentiles did not have. Ephesians 2:11 paints a bleak picture of the Gentile: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. In other words, as commentator William Hendrickson summarizes, the Gentiles were Christless, stateless, friendless, hopeless, and Godless. But verse 13 changes all that: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

As we vividly recall, back in verses 1-3 Paul paints a bleak picture of man, but then writes in verse 4, “But God.” He does the same thing in verses 11-12. He paints another bleak picture—a picture of the Gentiles by position and the whole world by extension—but then says, But now. Once far off, the Gentiles, not to mention the whole world, is now made nigh by the blood of Christ.

To put it simply: The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has changed everything. The words far off comprise an old term in Rabbinical writings that was used to describe Gentiles. But Gentiles are now made nigh, that is brought near, by the blood of Christ. The words made nigh (or “to come near”) also comprised a “technical expression in Rabbinical Judaism” that referred to “the recruiting of a proselyte.” The Jewish Rabbinic writers, for example, tell how a Gentile woman came to Rabbi Eliezer. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. “Rabbi,” she said, “bring me near.” The Rabbi refused and shut door in her face. But now the door is open. Those who had been far from God were brought near; the door was shut to no one. We each have, indeed, been “made a proselyte,” not by religion or works, but by the Savior’s blood. Where once there was this great division between Jew and Gentile, there is now unity in Christ.

As I meditated on this verse, another verse came to mind, James 4:8: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” Let’s ponder a moment what it means to be near to God. In the Old Testament the term “drawing near to God” was a general expression for one who sincerely approached God in humility and repentance. Hebrews 10:22, also written in the light of the Old Testament, is a verse we should examine closely: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” We find here four principles of what it means Biblically to draw near to God.

First, and foremost, drawing near to God means having a sincere desire for Truth. The words “true heart” are alethines kardias. As we saw 1:13, both the English word “truth” and the Greek behind it speak of that which is absolute, that which is incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, unarguable, and unchanging. If something is true, it is always true and can never be untrue, no matter what the circumstances. The specific form of the Greek used here also refers to “sincerity.” Kardia (“heart”) refers not just to the emotional nature, but also to the reason and faculty of intelligence.

In syrupy sentimentality and with a sweet little lilt in their voice, many today say such things as, “I want to be near God” or “I want to get close to God,” but when confronted with the absolutes of God’s Word, they rebel. That is a staggering contradiction. They don’t want to draw near to God at all. They are like the Israelites, of whom Isaiah wrote, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (29:13). Yes, they say the words but when it comes down to real Truth, they reject it and live according to their own ways. The most important thing that drawing near to God means is that we sincerely want to hear, receive, and obey His Truth. We’ll continue next time.

God’s Work Through Us (2)

Last time we left a question hanging in the air. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul writes that the Christian has been created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them, but which works are good works?

The answer is summed up right here in Ephesians: “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (4:24). We will, of course, more closely examine this verse later in our study, but the thrust of it is a good work is whatever is right and holy according to the Word of God. God has defined good works and these good works are to be the rule of life for the believer. We do not run about saying, “Oh, what can I do today that is good? What shall be my good deed for the day?” No, good works are the rule of life; we do them automatically because they have become part of our na­ture through the Spirit of God. We help others, we minister to one another, we live holy, and much more because it has become “reflex” to do so.

A sure way to know what works are good works is to examine the principle of “God’s will.” A question that is often asked is, “What is God’s will in a given situation?” Or, “How do I know what God’s will is?” Or, “What is God’s will for my life?” To answer such questions, some interpreters teach some magic formula for “finding God’s will” or advocate “putting out a fleece.” But what we find in Scripture is that it is actually Scripture that reveals the bulk of God’s will. We see no less than seven principles in Scripture that specifically tell us what God’s will is for our lives. Space doesn’t permit us to examine them, but at least we can list them.

First, it is God’s will that you are a Spirit-filled (5:17-18). Second, it is God’s will that you be morally pure (I Thes. 4:3-7). Third, it is God’s will that you are constantly being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2). Fourth, it is God’s will that you thank Him in all things, that is, you are submissive to the sovereignty of God (I Thes. 5:18). Fifth, it is God’s will that you pray (I Tim. 2:8). Sixth, it is God’s will that you submit to authority (I Pet. 2:13-15). Seventh, it is God’s will that you be willing to suffer for Christ (I Pet. 3:17; 4:19; II Tim. 3:12).

All these are good works, works that are God’s revealed will. Many Christians ask, “What is God’s will for my life in this specific situation?” Well, when we are doing these principles of His will, we will be able to see the rest easily. God’s not going to lead in any area unless we are first obeying His already revealed will. First and foremost, God’s will is found in God’s Word.

May we each ask ourselves a series of questions. Am I allowing God to work in me? Am I allowing Him to have constant control? Am I allowing Him to mold and fashion me according to His sovereign will? Do I really desire growth that is only produced by a constant involvement with the Word of God? Do I live right and holy as revealed in the Scriptures?

It is also a well-known fact that Michelangelo personally went to the quarry to select the marble block on which he would work, allowing no one else to touch it lest they mar it in some way. Likewise, God, the Great Sculptor, who brought all things into existence with a thought, chose us and is now molding us and then using us to glorify Him.

God’s Work Through Us (1)

Ephesians 2:10—For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them—not only speaks of God working in use but also of His working through us. And how is God working through us? By good works.

Once again, there is a great difference between works for salvation and works as a result of salvation. This difference is made all the more clear by the fact that both thoughts are in this context. As we’ve seen, verses 7‑9 say that we are saved by grace without works; verse 10 says salvation is followed by good works.

Any theology that mixes grace with works or faith with merit is heresy, plain and simple, and is to be cursed (Gal. 1:8-9). But may we add that a theology that eliminates works altogether and says that a person can be a Christian but show no evidence of it in his life, a person can do anything he wants to do, is equally heretical. Works most certainly are involved in the Christian life; while they are not the cause, they most assuredly are the result. Or to put it another way: We are saved by grace without works, and we now live through grace, which produces good works. As commentator William MacDonald puts it, “Good works are not the root but the fruit.”

It is also extremely significant that the works in verse 9 are not called good. This truth alone should obliterate any thought of salvation by works. Why? Because they are not good in God’s sight. Before Christ, there were no good works, not matter how good we might view them. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” that is, as the Hebrew word literally means, a “menstrual cloth” (Jer. 64:6). At best our works are self-serving, but not God-honoring. Yes, we can “boast” in them, but they are not good.  The works in verse 10, however, are good in God’s sight.

Perhaps the most thrilling thought about living the Christian life is that these good works have already been ordained by God…that we should walk in them. In other words, the good works that the sovereign God is doing in me today have already been prepared.

Why are these works “good?” Because God has dictated them; that is, we do not produce them. God has already marked out what works are good and what works are not good. The reason the works of verse 9 are not called good is because they are man‑made instead of God‑ordained. Moreover, any works that man produces are “works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11; Rom. 13:12).

All this is proven by the words before ordained (proetoimazo), which means “to prepare before, to make ready beforehand.” One Greek authority sums it up well: “God prearranged a sphere of moral action for us to walk in. Not only are works the necessary outcome of faith, but the character and direction of the works are made ready by God.”

Many Christians walk around like “Christian boy‑scouts,” looking for good deeds to do in order to receive their “merit badge” (crown) when they get to heaven. But the main problem with that approach is that it leaves man to decide which works are good. This attitude is precisely what has caused much of the pragmatic ministry of our day, where we think that any ministry is okay. It is this attitude that has created the seeker-sensitive “mega-churches” that have become so popular to masses. We have decided what ministry is and how to conduct it. Instead of looking at Scripture alone, we think it up as we go along. But God never leaves man to decide anything. Rather, God has defined what is good. This, then, leads to the question: Which works are good? We’ll answer that next time.

God’s Work In Us (2)

While the word workmanship in Ephesians 2:10 is a beautiful word—For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them—the word created is even more striking.

While similar to the Greek word behind workmanship, the one behind created (ktizō) speaks of creation in a deeper way. It is the word often used in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) to translate the Hebrew word bara, “to create from nothing,” as in Genesis 1:1. Non-Christians today, and tragically even some Christians, speak of “self‑improvement,” “self‑help,” “self‑image,” and many other “selfisms.” But the principle we see in our text is that God created the believer from nothing. Think of it! What were we before Christ came into our lives? Noth­ing. Each of us was a worthless lump of clay, dead in trespasses in sins—no value, no form, no purpose. But God has created us!

Everything we are and everything we will ever be is because of Jesus Christ. It’s not our experiences, our education, training, or our talents; rather it’s Christ. Without Him we are nothing; without Him there is no purpose or meaning to life. How this thought opens up 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (emphasis added). We who live here in Meeker are pretty biased toward the beau­ty of this country. And who of us has never marveled at the intricacies of the human eye or a new born baby’s fingers and toes? But there is something that is far more beautiful than those—a Christian. A child of God is the most beautiful of God’s creation, for we are made in His image.

The story is often told of the rowdy, disruptive young boy in a Sunday School class who continually frustrated his teacher. One morning the teacher asked him, “Why do you act like that? Don’t you know who made you?” To which the boy replied, “God did, but He ain’t through with me yet.” Indeed, God is still working on each of us.

And what is the main tool with which God molds us? It is, of course, His Word. As Paul declared to the Thessalonians: “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe (2 Thes. 2:13, emphasis added).

As a pastor, I often hear people say, “Oh, we want a good music program in our church.” Music is certainly a wonderful thing. I love music and am myself a musician. But music does not bring growth. It is the proclamation of God’s Word as Truth, the teaching of doctrine, that brings growth.

I am convinced more every day that the main reason, if not the singular reason, that Christians do not grow and mature is be­cause they do not feed on the Word of God. Why are Christians cantankerous, rebellious, worldly, undiscerning, and a host of other things? It is because they are not feeding on the Word of God. Tragically, this is often the pastor’s fault; many evangelicals and fundamentalists are not teaching the depths of God’s Word, deferring instead to entertainment and other modern more “relevant” methods of ministry. In other cases, however, it is the fault of Christians whose minds are just not set on spiritual things. God cannot work in us if His Word does not have first place in our hearts. It is primary through His Word that God works IN us.

God’s Work IN Us (1)

In Ephesians 2:10—For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them—there is a beautiful Greek word behind workmanship. It is poiema, which refers to what is made or created. Another form of the word is poietes, which refers to one who makes something or to a work of art. This word was also used in ancient Greek to re­fer to an author or poet. In fact, our English word “poem” is derived from poiema. So, we are God’s workmanship, His “work of art,” His “masterpiece,” His “poem,” if you will. While Milton’s epic poems Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained are true masterpieces, they pale to the masterpiece of the true child of God.

Notice more specifically that we are his, that is, God’s workmanship. There is an important contrast between the English text and the Greek text. In the English, this statement begins with we; in the Greek this statement—in fact, the whole verse—begins with “Him.” Literally the verse reads: “For of Him we are a product.” We point this out for good reason. The world says that each of us is a product of our environment or a product of our own experience. But God’s Word declares that the believer is actu­ally the product of God. Even Christians have a tendency to think this way. Many preachers are even products of a particular Bible college or seminary. But what we really are products of God.

There is even the tendency among Christians to think that their salvation had a little something to do with them. For example, some say, “Well, it was my believing that justified me,” or, “It was my yieldedness and com­mitment that sanctified me.” Again this is dreadfully wrong! God has done everything. How could we possibly think otherwise when we read the words: “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:1)?

Think again of the Greek poiema in the context of a potter. Does the pot say to the potter, “Well, you know that I had a little something to do with what I have become?” Of course not; the clay has nothing to do with the process. It is the potter who goes out and seeks the clay, brings it into his work­shop, and molds it according to his own vision. Likewise, the “Divine Potter” molds us into the vessels He can use. This is exactly what Paul illustrated to the Romans: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (Rom. 9:20‑21)

I have seen some Christians, and even a few preachers, who really don’t like Romans 9 because they don’t like the idea of a sovereign God. But we had better read it carefully. Before we start questioning God, we’d better stop and think to Whom we are speaking. God must make us exactly the vessels HE wants us to be; He can never use us otherwise. I don’t find that “damaging to my self-image” or “an attack on my dignity” as is the view of today’s “Christian” pop-psychology. Rather I find it absolutely thrilling and assuring. God takes a worthless lump of clay and molds it into a vessel He can use for His glory.

“Created Unto Good Works” (2)

There is an amazing comparison between Ephesians 2:9 and 2:10. In verse 9 Paul says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Now he turns right around and says that we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Did Paul lapse for a moment? Was he confused about the place of works in salvation? Which one of these statements is correct?

The answer to the last question, of course, is both. What Paul is saying is crystal clear when you just read the context. Verses 7-9 declare unequivocally that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, but verse 10 declares with equal clarity that good works are the result of that salvation and are now the rule of life. As John Eadie writes in his commentary on the Greek text: “The statement that salvation of works involves the fallacy of mistaking the effect for the cause. Good works are not the cause of salvation; they are only the result of it. Salvation causes them; they do not cause it” (emphasis added).

May we also observe that for salvation to be caused by works, works would have to precede salvation, that is, come before it. In this verse, however, they clearly proceed from salvation, that is, come after it. In other words, in light of the nature and character of our salvation, there is a demand placed upon us because of what we have received. One commentator relates this personal testimony that underscores the importance of this verse: “There are few verses both more important and more misunderstood than 2:8-9. This is partly because verse 10 is often not quoted along with them. When I was a young Christian I acquired a pack of Bible verses to memorize. Among the first were Ephesians 2:8-9. I began quoting them in witnessing, but it took me years to realize that the omission of verse 10 was one reason I was having trouble persuading my morally sensitive friends that salvation is only by grace. The almost inevitable response was that if this is true, Christians can live as they please and still go to heaven. Romans 6:1 deals with this issue as well, but when we quote Ephesians 2:8-9 it should not be necessary to leave the Ephesian context, because verse 10 gives the needed corrective: we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

Many Christians think that since our sal­vation was a gift, it, therefore, does not demand anything of us. Jesus is presented today as a “fix-it” for all our problems, but He doesn’t demand anything from us. This is serious error! Any gift demands a response even if it is only a simple “thank you.” But truly our salvation de­mands much more than a “thank you.” Why? Because our salvation is a life‑altering reality; it transforms a depraved, hell‑bound sinner into a blood‑bought, heaven‑bound saint. Verse 10 declares what our response to this should be by pre­senting two thrusts: God’s work in us and God’s work through us. We’ll examine these as we continue.

“Created Unto Good Works” (1)

I thoroughly enjoy reading the works of Harry Ironside, eighteen-year pastor of Moody Church in Chicago and author of over 60 volumes, including devotional commentaries and other works. In his exposition of Ephesians, In The Heavenlies, he tells a story of a train trip he took while holding meetings in Southern Californian. The trip had barely begun when a strangely dressed woman sat down beside him. Dressed in what appeared to Ironside to be red bandana handkerchiefs pieced together and a shawl, this, coupled with the subject of conversation made it obvious she was gypsy. “How do you do, gentleman,” she began, “like to have your fortune told?” Ironside replied, “Are you able to tell my fortune?” Holding out her hand, she answered, “Cross my palm with a silver quarter, and I will give you your past, present, and future.” “You are very sure you can do that if I give you a quarter?” he asked. “You see, I am Scotch, and would hate to part with a quarter and not get proper exchange for it.” “Yes, gentleman,” she assured him, “I can give you your past, present, and future. I never fail.” To this Ironside replied, “It is really not necessary, because I have a little book in my pocket that gives me my past, present, and future.” “You have it in a book?” she asked, puzzled. Pulling out his New Testament and turning to Ephesians 2:1-7, he said, “Yes, and it is absolutely infallible. Let me read it to you. Hear is my past, ‘And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.’” In obvious uneasiness, she replied, “Oh, yes, it is plenty, I do not care to hear more.” Holding her gently by the arm, Ironside said, “But I want to give you my present also, ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’” Again in growing discomfort she said, “That is plenty, gentleman, I do not wish to hear more.” But Ironside continued, “Oh, but there is more yet, and you must get it; and you are not going to pay me a quarter for it either. I am giving it to you for nothing. It is my past, present, and future. Here is my future, ‘That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.’” Not able to take any more, she jumped to her feet and fled down the aisle saying, “I took the wrong man! I took the wrong man!”

Indeed, as we’ve seen, God has done it all. He is in our past, present, and future. And as I read that story, I couldn’t help but wonder if Ironside would have also gotten to verse 10, for it too is part of our future. Our future does indeed include good works. As we continue, we’ll see how.