Ephesians 2:9,10 - Created in Christ for good works

2:9

Our salvation is not a result of any works on our part. Therefore, no one has any grounds for boasting. Why might people boast? The Jews may have boasted about their Jewish heritage and observance of the Law. But no one kept anything like all of the Law. In particular, they may have boasted about being circumcised, as the Judaisers did in Galatia. But that played no part in their salvation. Someone may claim to be good, but all such claims are false.

2:10

Our human nature is to claim that we are our own workmanship. We are nothing of the sort. We had no say whatsoever in the fact that we exist at all. Likewise, in terms of being saved we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ. Now comparing this to our very existence is useful, for though we had no say in our coming into existence, we know that our existence is real, and that what we do matters. So it is with our salvation. We are saved by God’s workmanship, but what we do with our lives matters. Indeed, we were created for good works. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. And God prepared these in advance for us to carry out. We were created with a purpose, and were saved for a purpose. We should seek to fulfil that purpose.