Destiny

This study looks at the destiny of the believer, both in this age and the ages to come, but not in that order.  It is important we understand both, as understanding our destiny should motivate us in the Lord, inspire us, and help us to see things from a heavenly perspective, which the first 6 verses strongly (IMHO) emphasizes.  Seeing things from the heavenly perspective helps us understand the appearances and perspectives of this present age.  Understanding our destiny should give us a stronger sense of purpose and appreciation -- though that is too light a word -- for the grace that has been brought upon us.

Ephesians 2:7-10
 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  ESV

 7 ινα ενδειξηται εν τοις αιωσιν τοις επερχομενοις το υπερβαλλον πλουτος της χαριτος αυτου εν χρηστοτητι εφ ημας εν χριστω ιησου 8 τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ υμων θεου το δωρον 9 ουκ εξ εργων ινα μη τις καυχησηται 10 αυτου γαρ εσμεν ποιημα κτισθεντες εν χριστω ιησου επι εργοις αγαθοις οις προητοιμασεν ο θεος ινα εν αυτοις περιπατησωμεν

As Paul writes in verse 7 of Ephesians chapter 2, God's purpose for us, our destiny, is that He Himself (ενδειξηται ["he might show"] is in the middle voice, more correctly translated "He might show for Himself [His own benefit and purpose]", emphasizing the personal involvement of God and His desire for us) will show us off to all creation as the testimony of His grace.  Moreover, Paul writes, in the coming ages, which is an interesting notation since it refers you back to chapter 2 verses 1-3, "...following the course of this world..." (the word 'course' is translated from the Greek word αιωνα, which is also 'age', and some translations so represent the word), suggesting there are are perhaps many more ages to come. About such ages we do not know, but in all of them we will be reigning with the Lord and we will serve as a testimony and evidence to the excelling (υπερβαλλον, literally "throw over", over-arching, far reaching above, excelling, excellent)  richness and greatness of His grace in the kindness (χρηστοτητι) that He has for us because of Jesus Christ.

It is amazing, that the Lord of all creation has redeemed us, and we shall reign with Him, and He will use us before all the now seen and yet unseen creation as a demonstration of His great, great love that He demonstrated toward us in Jesus Christ, and this age is just the beginning!

Verses 8-9 are classic among those who have been trained in Evangelism Explosion.  Let's break down, exegetically, anyway:

"...for by grace...", simply the dative is used with noun grace τη γαρ χαριτι, with γαρ, the preposition 'for'.  The use of the dative expresses 'by means of', that grace is the environment of operation of what is to follow.

"...you have been saved...", which uses the perfect passive participle σεσωσμενοι indicating an operation upon them as believers begun in the past but standing complete in the present and evermore.

"...through faith...", indicating that it is the passage through faith that enables one to be saved in the operational environment of grace.

"...and this is not your own doing...", "...this (is) not out of you..." τουτο ουκ εξ υμων, τουτο pointing to the previous prepositional phrase "through faith", and ουκ εξ υμων indicating that this faith does not manifest itself nor is sourced from the carnality of man.

"...it is the gift of God...", "of God the gift", or so it reads in the Greek, θεου το δωρον, which puts emphasis on the source, Who is God, and the realization that even faith itself is a gift and not a manifestation from the mind nor will nor desire of man.

"...not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  "...not out of works in order that no one may boast of himself (middle voice. καυχησηται )

What wonder awaits us in the coming age is all a result of the work of God and His excelling greatness in His grace toward us in Christ Jesus.  We cannot begin to imagine what it all means or what it will be like.  So, rather than leave the believers in Ephesus to sit around and ponder such things, Paul pulls them (and us) back into this present age with verse 10, repeated here:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
αυτου γαρ εσμεν ποιημα κτισθεντες εν χριστω ιησου επι εργοις αγαθοις οις προητοιμασεν ο θεος ινα εν αυτοις περιπατησωμεν

Once again, all that we are and hope to be is because of Him, "having been created in Christ Jesus" a more literal translation of κτισθεντες εν χριστω ιησου, which is a reminder that Jesus is the first born of those who are being raised, and we shall be like Him -- but we are created, new creatures, not a makeover we can do for ourselves.  And the purpose of our creation, here and now?  "Good works", but not any good works, only the ones which God Himself has prepared for us BEFOREHAND.  God already had a purpose for each of us, and general purposes for all of us, before we were redeemed, while we were dead in our sins and trespasses!  It is not as though we were redeemed and then God said, "Hmmm, let's figure out what to do with you or what you can do...".  He already has it in place.  Do you see the implication here?  We are not to wait on God to decide what He wants of us, He already knows.  We are the weak link here.  If we do not know what He wants, we need to be on our face communing with Him until we do know.  He already knows, He will not play a shell game with you!  He wants you to WALK IN THE GOOD WORKS HE HAS ALREADY PREPARED FOR YOU!

Our destiny is to reign with Him, we begin learning how to do that now.  Commune with Him in prayer, learn of the ways He has prepared for you, walk in them, be ready to reign with Him.

Grace and peace,

Mark