God Created Us to Do Good

Note from today’s Bible reading: Ephesians 1-2

Though we were “dead in [our] trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), God instituted a plan by which we could be forgiven. This would require the death of His Son on the cross for us, and would provide us with the hope of eternal life.

God offered this salvation to us because He is “rich in mercy,” and “because of the great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4). We did nothing to deserve this; instead, it is “by grace [that we] have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5, 8).

However, the fact that we are saved by grace does not mean that we are free to live any way we want to live or do anything we want to do. God has certain expectations of us. Paul explained, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

God expects us to do good and has revealed in His word what those good works are that we should do (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Rather than seeing His grace as permission to live as we please, we must do those things that are pleasing to Him.

So remember that God created us to do good. In response to His gracious offer of salvation, we must give our lives completely over to Him. As we look to His word and see what He desires us to do, let us do all things according to His will.