^“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

“Hard work…most things worth doing are hard.” Louis L’Amour

Thus far, this study on work has focused on the work we do, or the labor we perform. In other words, our jobs or employment. Today, the focus is on the workmanship God has created each believer to be in Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 begins with this phrase, “We are His workmanship.” What does this phrase mean?

The personal pronoun “we” takes us back to the immediate preceding context of Ephesians 2:1-9. The individuals the Apostle Paul addresses are believers in Christ. These are those who were dead in their trespasses and sin who God has justified by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

“We are” is an indication that believers in Christ presently and actively exist in a particular condition or state of being. What Paul is describing is not what believers in Christ do, but rather who, and what, they are.

“We are His workmanship.” Believers in Christ, are His, or God’s, workmanship. The word “workmanship” (ποίημα; poiema) means that which has been created or made. The only other occurrence of this word in the New Testament is Romans 1:20.  God has created, or made, each individual believer in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). In other words, sinners become believers in Christ as a result of God’s work in their soul.

What has God created believers for? That question is answered by the rest of today’s text: “…created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God has created us in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works. These are deeds or tasks which are morally and generous. These are acts which bring God glory, honor and praise (Matthew 5:13-16; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17; I Peter 4:10-11).

The good works God created each believer to perform God prepared in advance of the believer’s actual salvation. This preparation not only reveals the omnipotence of God but also His omniscience. Our purpose is to live, behave and to actively go about doing the good works God created each of us to do.

Dr. R .C. Sproul writes, “Good works are the vital and indispensable consequence and evidence of life with God (Titus 2:14; 3:8; 3:14; James 2:14-26). God chose His elect to make them holy sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:4-5), and He has fashioned them to be new bearers of His image (Ephesians 4:24), designed for the kind of life that conforms to God’s character (Ephesians 4:1-6:20). Our good works are the fruit of salvation, not its cause, and those who do not have good works show that they do not have saving faith (Romans 6; James 2:17-26).”  

May each of us today demonstrate and display God’s workmanship in our souls by the good works which we demonstrate and display in our lives. Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

^23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23–24 (ESV)

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he has a doctrinal section in chapters 0ne and Two, followed by an application section in chapters Three and Four. Chapter Three begins with these words: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”  

God commands believers in Christ to seek the things which are above. In other words, believers in Christ are to pursue the things which are heavenly, or which originate and are sourced in the Lord. These would include worship, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and sharing the Gospel. It also involves righteous living.

One of the areas of righteous living here on earth involves the believer’s work or labor. Paul stated in today’s text that regardless of whatever the believer is called or gifted to do, they are to work heartily. This means to include one’s intellect, emotions and will into the activity of work. The believer, in a positive way, is to work with their whole heart.

To work heartily comes when one’s focus is not on the work at hand, or either one’s employer or boss. Rather, the believer’s focus at, and during, work is to be the Lord and not men. In reality, each worker, regardless of what they do, is serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

The late conservative radio personality, Rush Limbaugh, often described his work as “having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have.” He also described his ability to communicate as “talent on loan from God.”

May each of us take the talent, and spiritual gifts, God has entrusted to each believer in Christ, and may we have more fun doing our work than a Christian should be allowed to have.

Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!   

“For most of our adult lives, we are engaged in some type of labor. What we do often defines for ourselves, and/or for others, who we are. To some degree, we are what we do.” Dr. R. C. Sproul

Do you often, or at all, associate the word “work” with the word “sanctity?” We have already seen that work is “the performing of a task or to fulfill duties regularly for wages or salary. It additionally means to perform or carry through a task requiring sustained effort or continuous repeated operations. Finally, work means to exert oneself physically or mentally especially in a sustained effort for a particular purpose.”

What about the word sanctity. What does it mean? Sanctity means to consider something, or someone, holy, sacred, blessed, pure, and unprofane.

Take a moment. How often have you considered your work, job, employment or your source of income as something holy, sacred, blessed, pure and unprofane? Frankly, many people use all manner of profanity to express their emotions about their work. Complaining about work and wages, sometimes in the most intense ways, seems to be the unalienable right of the American worker.

However, Genesis 1:28 says, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” 

When writing about the sanctity of work, Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Our work is a vital part of our identity. It is not the curse of humanity but the sacred vocation of the human race. It is not work that makes us free, but it is work that makes us obedient. As creatures made in the image of God, we are to imitate God in certain ways. One such way involves work. God is a working God—a Creator. In His work of Creation, He formed the cosmos, then assigned tasks to His creatures.”  

“We were created to dress, till, and keep the earth. We were made to be fruitful—to be productive as God is productive. And God assigned us these tasks before the Fall. Thus, labor is not a curse; it is a blessing that goes with Creation. The sanctity of human labor is rooted in the work of God Himself and in His call to us to imitate Him.”

Remember, our work and labor is not a result of the Fall; it is a blessing from God. The sanctity of human work is rooted in the work of God and in His call to believers to imitate Him. May we seek to no longer be conformed to this world’s attitude toward work, but have our minds renewed by God’s Word regarding our weekly labor (Romans 12:1-2).

Soli deo Gloria!

We will devote each Lord’s Day in 2021 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Six: The Fall of Man and the Punishment Thereof. Part 1.

1. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit.^a This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.^b

a. Gen 3:13; 2 Cor 11:3. • b. Rom 11:32.

2. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God,^a and so became dead in sin,^b and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.^c

a. Gen 3:6-8; Eccl 7:29; Rom 3:23. • b. Gen 2:17; Eph 2:1. • c. Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-19; Titus 1:15.

3. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed,^a and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation.^b

a. Gen 1:27-28 and 2:16-17 and Acts 17:26 with Rom 5:12, 15-19 and 1 Cor 15:21-22; 1Cor 15:45, 49. • b. Gen 5:3; Job 14:4; 15:14; Psa 51:5.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

\Soli deo Gloria!

With this firm emphasis on the dignity of labor, it is no shock that Scripture strongly condemns idleness. “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6).

The Apostle Paul is equally direct: “If anyone will not work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). He set a good example (Acts 20:33–35; 1 Thessalonians 2:9). Those who refused to work, he insisted, even for spiritual reasons, earn no respect from non-Christians by depending on others to pay their bills (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). Wage earners, on the other hand, have the material resources because of their labor (Ephesians 4:28).

In biblical times, manual labor was considered inferior to work involving mental activity. That mentality still exists today by some individuals. There is no indication in the Bible that some jobs are more worthwhile than others in God’s sight. The Lord called craftsmen into his service (Exodus 31:1–11), just as much as prophets (Isaiah 6:1–9). Amos was summoned from his fruit-picking to prophesy (Amos 7:14–15), yet there is no suggestion that God was promoting Amos to a superior role. As one commentator notes, “The important thing was not the nature of the occupation but the readiness to obey God’s call and to witness faithfully for Him, whatever the job.

The Scriptures also have some poignant things to say about the relationship between the employer and their employees. The prophets voiced the strongest criticism and unjust employers. God is concerned to see that the weak get justice (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8). So, naturally, his spokesmen declare the Lord’s anger when employers exploit their laborers and cheat them of their wages (Jeremiah 22:13; Malachi 3:5; cf. James 5:1-4). A person who wants to please God must “stop oppressing those who work for [him] and treat them fairly and give them what they earn” (Isaiah 58:6).

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains that, “God is a working God who is pleased when his people work hard and conscientiously. That conviction lies at the heart of the Bible’s teaching about Christian attitudes toward secular employment. And quite naturally, the NT extends the same positive emphasis to cover all Christian service, paid or unpaid. The world is God’s harvest field, said Jesus, waiting for Christian reapers to move in and evangelize (Matthew 9:37–38). Paul used the same agricultural illustration and added another from the building trade to describe the Lord’s work of evangelism and teaching (1 Corinthians 3:6–15). Church leaders must work especially hard, he said (1 Thessalonians 5:12), to stimulate all God’s people to be involved in the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58). All Christians should see themselves as “God’s coworkers” (I Corinthians 3:9).”

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“I am grateful for the comparative freedom I enjoy in the United States. But I am more grateful for the work that God has given me to do. When we remember that work is a gift from God, then we are better able to labor Coram Deo, before the face of God. May we do so with joyful hearts. May we do so as men and women, made in His image. And may we eat in peace of the fruit of our hands.” R. C. Sproul, Jr.

The vivid biblical description of a working God reaches its climax with the incarnation of Jesus. The “work” that Jesus was given to do (John 4:34) was, of course, the unique task of redemption (Romans 3:21-26). However, Jesus was also a worker in the ordinary sense. His contemporaries knew him as “a carpenter” (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-3). In New Testament days, carpentry and joinery were muscle- building trades. As one commentator explains, “The Jesus who stormed through the temple, overturning tables and driving out the men and animals (John 2:14–16), was no pale weakling but a workingman whose hands had been hardened by years of toil with the ax, saw, and hammer. Hard, physical labor was not beneath the dignity of the Son of God.”

The narrative of mankind’s creation (Genesis 1-2) gives all human labor the mark of normalcy. God “took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). And God’s first command, to “fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28), implied a great deal of work for both man and woman. In an important sense, people today are obeying God’s command when they do their daily work, whether it be as a butcher, baker, or candle stick maker. People today are obeying God’s command whether they acknowledge him as Savior and Lord or not.

Work was not a curse as a direct result of the fall into sin (though sin did spoil working conditions, 3:17–19). Work was planned by God from the dawn of history for mankind’s good—as natural to men and women as a sunrise or sunset is to the day (Psalm 104:19–23).

Take time today to thank God for the work He has given you to do. The work may be hard, and tiring, but resolve to give God glory in the work that you perform and the tasks you complete.

Soli deo Gloria!

“The sanctity of human labor is rooted in the work of God Himself and in His call to us to imitate Him.” Dr. R.C. Sproul

I like to work. I enjoy working. I always have. Maybe this admission reveals a flaw in my character, or even my mental state, but I don’t think so. So, let me repeat myself: I like to work. Why? It is because I enjoy the sense of satisfaction of seeing a task which needs to be done and getting it done.

First of all, what exactly is work? What is meant by this four letter word that many people use other four letter words to express their feelings about the work they do and the jobs, or careers, they have.

Work is, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “the performing of a task or to fulfill duties regularly for wages or salary. It additionally means to perform or carry through a task requiring sustained effort or continuous repeated operations. Finally, work means to exert oneself physically or mentally especially in sustained effort for a purpose.”

The Scriptures present a positive outlook on the subject of work. Work has a purpose. It is rooted in its teaching about God. Unlike other ancient religious writings, which regarded creation as something beneath the dignity of the Supreme Being, Scripture unashamedly describes God as a worker.

Like a manual laborer, the Lord made the universe as “the work of his fingers” (Psalm 8:3). He worked with his raw material just as a potter works with the clay (Isaiah 45:9). The intricate development of the unborn child in the womb and the vast, magnificent spread of the sky both display his supreme craftsmanship (Psalm 139:13–16; 19:1). In fact, all creation bears witness to the Lord’s wisdom and skill (Psalm 104:24). The almighty Creator even ceased from His work (Genesis 2:1–3) and enjoyed job satisfaction when surveying His achievements at the end of the work week (Genesis 1:31).

What is your view of not only work in general, but the work you do in particular? Do you perceive work as God designed it to be perceived, as service bringing honor and glory to Him (Colossians 3:17, 23-24)? I hope so.

It is my goal that we will all have a renewed, biblical, and purposeful perspective on the topic of work as we proceed through this study.

Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

“A man of little stature, thin haired upon the head, crooked in the legs, of good state of body, with eyebrows joining, and nose somewhat hooked, full of grace; for sometimes he appeared like a man, and sometimes he had the face of an angel.”

This is arguably the only information we have from antiquity concerning a physical description of the Apostle Paul. It is found in the Apocryphal book Acts of Paul and Thecla.

The only biblical description of Paul comes from his own words. 2 Corinthians 10:10 says, “For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” The word “weak” (ἀσθενής; asthenes) may mean an individual who has a small and sickly physical body.

However, what Paul may, or may not, have lacked in physical appearance he more than made up for in his spiritual stature. In the December 2000 issue of Tabletalk Magazine, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson had much to share about the Apostle Paul. I submit some selected quotes as an appropriate conclusion to our study on the life and ministry of the apostle to the Gentiles.

Dr. Ferguson submits that Luke’s account of Paul’s life, in the Book of Acts, first of all presents Paul as a man of poise. “Like Jesus, Paul demonstrates extraordinary, indeed otherworldly, poise – a peace that surpasses understanding, a sense that he is immortal until his work is done and the Lord’s time to call him home comes. This is a rare quality a crisis evokes in a well-known Christian. Conscious of living in the presence of God, he or she has a heavenly quality, a certain poise, a faith in holy wisdom that brings its own sense of calm.”

Secondly, Dr. Ferguson submits that Luke presents Paul as a man of simplicity. He was always living for Christ. “Luke gives a delightful illustration of how it comes to expression when he describes Paul emerging, soaked from head to toe, on the beach at Malta. This man who has met the risen Christ, planted so many churches, suffered much, preached everywhere, spoken to governors and kings – what is the first thing he does? He wanders around gathering sticks to put on a fire so that everyone can huddle around and dry off (Acts 28:1-3). He is a man who has learned to do the spiritual things naturally and the natural things spiritually. No complicated complexes about self-image and position here! His Christian life, whether preaching, teaching, praying, debating – or gathering sticks – is one seamless robe worn gladly in loving service of Jesus.”

I like the statement that the Apostle Paul was a man who learned to do the spiritual things naturally and the natural things spiritually. This is the profound truth of biblical poise and simplicity. May we all imitate Paul as he imitated the Lord Jesus Christ.

Soli deo Gloria!    

^“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

We come to the penultimate conclusion of our study of the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. When I began this study, for both your and my benefit, I wrote that arguably, when a discussion is held regarding who are the greatest theologians in the history of the church, the names of Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, Carl Henry, and J. Gresham Machen, among others, are often listed. Often added to this stellar list are such recent additions including Francis Schaeffer and R. C. Sproul.

However, without a doubt the single, greatest theologian, aside from the LORD Jesus Christ, who has most benefited the church and contributed to its spiritual health, well-being and theological orthodoxy would have to be the Apostle Paul.

This is not only because, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul was responsible for nearly half the New Testament canon. It is also because Paul lived what he wrote and believed. He, while not perfect, was consistently consistent in his walk of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul said, “^“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Notice three observations from this simple statement.

First, this was a personal declaration of truth. “For to me.” The LORD had personally impacted the apostle in his entire being. This included Paul’s intellect, emotions and will.

Second, Paul’s entire being was focused on one thing: “For to me to live is Christ.” Paul’s state or personal condition was a present and active trust in, commitment to, dependence upon and worship of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This was his singular focus while living in this world. Paul’s behavior was focused upon Christ.

Third, Paul’s eternal destiny was also singularly focused: “…and to die is gain.” Physical death would bring an eternal benefit and advantage. The expression suggests not just the condition of death, but also the experience of dying. Remember, Paul was under house arrest in Rome while he wrote this letter, along with Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. The possibility of execution was real.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “Paul’s main purpose in living was to glorify Christ. Christ was the essence of his life. Yet Paul knew that if he were martyred, Christ would be glorified through the promotion of the gospel which would result from his testimony in death. And Paul himself would benefit, for death would result in his being with Christ (v. 23).”

May our main purpose in living be to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. May that be the essence, heart and crux of all we are and of all we do.

Soli deo Gloria!

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1–5 (ESV)

What are the theological themes contained in 2 Timothy? It may be that the Apostle Paul had reason to fear that Timothy was in danger of weakening spiritually. This would have been a grave concern for Paul since Timothy needed to carry on Paul’s work (cf. 2:2).

While there are no historical indications anywhere in the New Testament as to why Paul was so concerned, there is evidence in the epistle itself from what he wrote. Paul’s concern is evident when he wrote “fan into flame” Timothy’s gift (1:6); to replace fear with power, love, and a sound mind (1:7); to not be ashamed of Paul and the Lord, but be willing to suffer for the gospel (1:8); and to hold on to the truth (1:13–14).

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Summing up the potential problem of Timothy, who might be weakening under the pressure of the church and the persecution of the world, Paul calls him to 1) generally “be strengthened” (2:1), the key exhortation of the first part of the letter, and to 2) continue to “preach the word” (4:2), the main admonition of the last part. These final words to Timothy include few commendations but many admonitions, including about 25 imperatives.”

Because Timothy was well schooled in Paul’s theology, the apostle did not instruct him further doctrinally. However, Paul did refer to several important doctrines. These included salvation by God’s sovereign grace (1:9–10; 2:10), the person of Christ (2:8; 4:1, 8), and perseverance in the faith (2:11–13). Additionally, Paul wrote the crucial text of the NT on the inspiration of Scripture (3:16–17).

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!