By Michael Milton | President of the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary and a contributing editor of Preaching
To be His workmanship means to do good works of obedience. Jesus Christ was obedient to His parents, obedient to the Law; and we see Jesus attending synagogue and participating even in festivals that were more cultural than biblical, for instance in the feast of dedication7 or Chanukah. And of course our Lord was obedient to His Father. He came to do His Father's will. And we, too, though saved by grace, should be motivated by that grace to obedience. Do you see the difference? We are constrained by love not duty. It is a duty of the heart that brings our lives into conformity with God's will.
4. Jesus did good works, as the fully human One, in works of mercy. "And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons" (Mark 1:34).
We are His workmanship, made in His image, made for ministry, and we should reflect His image in mercy. Jesus used miracles to draw attention to His power and to illustrate His teaching, and so mercy illustrates the gospel.
I shall never forget one of the members of our new members' class who had a daughter who was in seminary and preparing to go to the Middle East as a missionary. One of her friends was killed in Iraq. She was there working at a water purification plant, seeking to provide clean water for the people of Baghdad. But of course, she was there to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach the truths of Ephesians 2:8,9. Those truths were powerfully demonstrated through her good works of a missionary seeking to bring clean water to thirsty people.
Jesus was more human than anyone who ever lived. His heart was filled with compassion for poor, hurting people; and so ours must be as well. The gospel must go forth in Word and in deed.
5. Jesus did good works, as the Lord of Lords, in works of atonement for sin. "When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30).
On the cross, grace and good works wed. There, in that saving cry of the King of glory, "It is finished," the good works for our salvation were complete.
Now we are His workmanship, made for ministry. And though we cannot in any fashion add to that great work, we must carry that work to others through evangelism, through a good old-fashioned phrase that we don't use much any more, "soul winning." Yet the Bible says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30).
Once I received a call from one of our elderly members who had gone for care in another city. She called to give me an update on her travels. She told me that everywhere they go in this large metro-politan area, they go by taxicab. She said, "You know, Mike, these are all Middle Eastern folks. I wish I had Phil and Julie with me, our missionaries to Islamic peoples." But she continued, "Mike, I just tell them about Jesus and let them know that He will forgive their sins and give them eternal life if they will receive Him as Lord. And then I just leave it with Him."
