Who We Are And What We Do

One mile consists of 5,280 feet. The earth is 7,927 miles in diameter. Neptune is sixty times larger than the earth. Yet almost twenty-four Neptunes would fit in Jupiter. Jupiter has a diameter of 88,700 miles. But still larger is the sun. Its diameter is an estimated 863,705 miles. And the sun is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and as a star, it is small!

If you’re beginning to feel insignificant, take heart. Marvel again that the Creator of the constellations penetrated our hollow darkness through His Son, Jesus Christ. The familiar words of Ephesians 2:8–9 remind us of His love: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Such a fundamental truth is an orthodox statement of our salvation. Yet often lost in the midst of this great doctrinal truth is the affirmation of who we are and what we are to do. This package is beautifully unwrapped in Ephesians 2:10. Here the apostle Paul wrote, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

In this text Paul wrote of our identity and purpose. First, he addressed our identity by stating that we are God’s workmanship. The Greek word for “workmanship” (poiema) denotes that we are His creative products. As established earlier in the letter (1:19), God’s power, through Christ, is at work for believers. The apostle revealed that we are products of that work. As a poem is masterfully crafted by the heart and mind of its creator, so too are we. Our lives are to reflect the creative agency from whom we have come into being as “new creations” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Salvation is through grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone.

Second, Paul addressed our purpose by reminding us that we are created in Christ to do good works. Works are not the source; they are the goal. God already prepared good works “that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10, NASB). In this call to ethics, our day-to-day living is to reflect God’s purpose in the world. By His grace, we are to reflect Him.

On a clear night the stars dance in brilliance. It is overwhelming to think that the voice that spoke such beauty into existence would choose to reveal His Son in you and me. As created products from the Master’s hand, we are called to reflect His glory. Are you using the means at your access for His glory? Are you using open avenues to share Christ with the lost? Remember, the medium may change, but who we are and what we are to do never change. For believers, the Cross made that purpose permanent.

About the Contributors

Mark L. Bailey

Dr. Bailey assumed the role of DTS Chancellor after serving for 19 years as the Seminary’s fifth President, and continues his role as Sr. Professor in the Bible Exposition department. In addition to his years at Dallas Theological Seminary, he has pastored various churches in Arizona and Texas. He was a seminar instructor for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries for twenty years and is in demand for Bible conferences and other preaching engagements all over the country and world. His overseas ministries have included Venezuela, Argentina, Hungary, and China. He is also a regular tour leader in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Rome. His board service includes Bible Study Fellowship, Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, and Word of Life.