The Meaning of Ephesians 2:10: Created for Good Works?

What was I made for? What should I be doing?

Great minds of the past wrestled with these thoughts. Philosophers have filled thousands of books with their attempts to answer these questions. 

However, the answer is surprisingly simple.

In Ephesians 2:10, Paul writes, “For we are His [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

In just one short verse, Paul tackles the questions that many have longed to have answered for thousands of years.   

What were you made for? What should you be doing?

“We are His workmanship”

You did not appear out of nowhere. You didn’t evolve from a primitive species. You were brought to life by an intelligent Creator.

Though modern science rarely acknowledges the possibility of a Creator God, the Bible absolutely does.

The book of Genesis details the creation of mankind from the dust of the earth. It also reveals that human beings were designed after God’s own image (Genesis 1:26). This alone may not convey the intimacy of the process.

This English word workmanship, translated from the Greek poiēma, is an intimate way of describing how God views humanity.

“Workmanship” carries the nuance of careful creation. Picture a carpenter beginning a new project. He carefully lays out the specifications, then gathers the necessary materials. Then, over a period of days, weeks or even months, he meticulously cuts and shapes the materials and then puts the pieces together until they form a perfect final product.

God designed mankind in much the same way. He set out with a plan for a life-form patterned on His own image (Genesis 1:26). He then gathered materials from the ground, crafted the desired form and brought Adam into existence (Genesis 2:7).

It is interesting to note that during the five days God spent preparing the earth for mankind, He spoke and brought that aspect of creation into existence (Genesis 1:3, 6-7, 9, 11, 14-15, 20-21, 24; compare Psalm 33:6, 9 and Hebrews 11:3). But on the sixth day, God took a personal approach as He “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7).

Our Creator took great care in our design.

But Paul’s meaning in Ephesians 2:10 goes beyond just our physical formation.

“Created in Christ Jesus”

The next part of Ephesians 2:10 may be confusing at first glance.

“For we are His workmanship,” Paul writes, “created in Christ Jesus.”

The phrasing here is unusual for English readers. How can someone be created “in” Jesus Christ?

A look at the broader context of the chapter helps.

In verses 1-3, Paul discusses a life lived without God’s influence, full of “trespasses and sins.” The next verses describe how God has freed us from the death penalty for sin. This section likens repentance and conversion to the beginning of a new life.

“But God, . . . even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (verses 4-6). 

Elsewhere, Paul describes Christians as being “baptized into His [Christ’s] death” and having the responsibility to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).

There is a symbolic transformation—a re-creation—that takes place when someone chooses to follow God. With this context, we see a second kind of creation that is indeed “in Christ Jesus,” as Paul writes in verses 10-11.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul tells us, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 

There is a symbolic transformation—a re-creation—that takes place when someone chooses to follow God, repents of past sins and is baptized. 

Romans 6:11 commands Christians to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A converted person puts his or her old self to death and lives a new, Spirit-led life.

Being “created in Christ Jesus” involves not just our initial creation as human beings, but also our conversion to a new way of life. Ephesians 2:10 was written to a group of converted men and women who already knew their Creator, and therefore had the responsibility of following in His footsteps.

This process ultimately leads to our becoming God’s immortal children—part of His family. Romans 8:19 tells us that the physical world around us waits for the fulfillment of this monumental purpose.  

Whether in the first century or the modern day, a new convert to Christianity will face an important question:

What now?

After the rigorous process of repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, Christians still have the rest of their lives ahead of them. 

What should they be doing now, as part of their new life?

The rest of Ephesians 2:10 gives the answer.

“For good works . . .”

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

The concept of “good works” can be easily misunderstood. Through the centuries, there have been some who have tried to earn their salvation by performing good deeds. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that we are not saved by works, but by God’s grace.

Paul makes this point multiple times in the preceding verses, writing, “by grace you have been saved” and “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:5, 8).

We cannot earn our salvation by performing good works. All the righteous deeds in the world couldn’t erase the sins of our past.

While it is important to note that works cannot earn our salvation, it is also important to warn against falling into the opposite ditch and claiming that works have no place in the Christian life. The Bible tells us that is not the case.

James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. Faith in God’s grace is an essential first step, but it is only the beginning. If that faith does not produce a corresponding change in our conduct, it is ultimately empty and meaningless (see also verse 20). 

Likewise, Hebrews 6:10 promises that God will reward those who “work” and “labor” in His name. Indeed, the Bible places significant emphasis on a Christian’s actions.

Grace and works are not mutually exclusive. God’s gift of salvation cannot be earned, but there is a way that we must live as a result of having been saved.

Once we have repented of our sins, we are called to “walk in newness of life,” which involves a complete change in the way we live (Romans 6:1-4). 

Good works should be the natural response to God’s gift of grace. They are not about earning salvation, but about reflecting God’s goodness in the way we live. As we practice them, they help us develop the character of our Father and Jesus Christ. 

For more on this subject, check out our Verse by Verse podcast episode “Saved by Grace; Created for Good Works.”

What are good works?

The term good works mustn’t be overcomplicated. “Works” are simply what we do.

Everything we do—good, bad or neutral—is a “work.” Doing “good works” comes down to living the Christian lifestyle.

Someone who has been “created in Christ Jesus” as God’s “workmanship” strives to live each day in a way that pleases Him. Though Christians sometimes fall short, their overall way of life should reflect God’s work within them. 

Good works should be the natural response to God’s gift of grace. Remember that our good works are not to be done for our own glory. Matthew 5:16 instructs us to behave in a way that will lead others to glorify God.

This also works the other way around. If we who call ourselves Christians do not behave accordingly, we risk giving others the wrong impression of God’s people and possibly God Himself.

With this in mind, we must, as Paul wrote to Titus, “be an example to them by doing good works of every kind” (Titus 2:7, New Living Translation).

For more on this subject, check out our article “What Are Good Works?” 

Made for good works

What were you made for? The answer is clearly revealed in this single verse. 

As the workmanship of the most powerful Being in the universe, you were created with a purpose. That purpose is to live a righteous life that reflects His character and points others to Him.

God created every human being with the potential to enter His family. Those whom God has called in this life are a new creation in Christ, created to proclaim the goodness of His way of life.

Although good works cannot earn us salvation, they are an essential part of the Christian life. Scripture makes it clear that faith without compatible action is empty and useless.

As we yield ourselves to God’s guidance, He enables us to use our abilities, opportunities and energy to produce good works that glorify Him.

For more on God’s unique purpose for you—and for all of mankind—download our free booklet God’s Purpose for You.

Date Posted: August 5, 2026