“created in Christ Jesus”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Our Spiritual Life, by which we know and love our Lord was the exclusive work of God. Man was entirely passive in his Spiritual Creation; for, his creation was not by any deeds or works of himself; neither did he nor could he originate it nor did he consummate it nor did he accept it nor can he maintain it. Our Spiritual Being was the exclusive “workmanship” of “Christ Jesus” our Lord. As the “workman”, our Lord “created” His “Elect” Children (I Peter 1:2) “in” Himself, giving them Spiritual Birth (John 3:1-8). In this context, to “create” is to originate that which does not exist. Our Spiritual Life did not exist within us before our Lord “created” us “in” Himself; therefore, we could not possibly have participated in any way in our Spiritual Creation. Neither, could we have prevented our Spiritual Creation. Paul further explains our Spiritual Creation this way: “after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24) and “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (II Corinthians 5:17) and “in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:15)! To be “created IN Christ Jesus” is to have been made an integral part of our Lord “Christ Jesus”. Paul also tells us that we are “created” “after God”; that is, after the likeness of “God”; for, as God is Righteous and Holy, He has “created” us “in” His “righteousness and true holiness”. Our God and Father “hath made” our Lord Jesus Christ “to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21)! Thus, our Lord is our Elder Brother (Roman 8:28-30) and God is “Our Father” (Ephesians 1:2)! Thus, “good works” in the service of our Lord is our Holy Purpose in this life; for, out of the abundance of our Lord’s grace and mercy, He “created” us “in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”!