Poiema With A Purpose...

Ephesians 2:10 is one of the most 'wrongly quoted' verse by Christians.
Often, it would be interpreted as, God saves you, hence you serve him back - or that God saved you for the purpose of service.

But if you read that verse in context with the whole of Ephesians 2, there are NO MENTION of human service back to God AT ALL...

But it is not by (human) works, so that no one can boast (ephesians 2:9).

Ephesians 2:10 begins with the word 'for' a continuous from verse 9.
For is also bearing the same meaning as because.
hence - because we are God's workmanship (poeima/poetry in greek)
created in Christ Jesus to do Good works (since, it is not human works, it means God's Good work in us), which God prepares in advance for us to do.

Here the Holy Spirit leads paul to mention - God's preparation in advance to do.
What are these works then? Then what does doing the good work then mean?

The Good Works
vs 11-13 - To remember how our lives without Christ is like and how we are brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ.
vs 14-18 - To receive the peace from our reconciliation with Him and come knowing that we have access to the Father by His Holy Spirit.
vs 19-22 - become a dwelling that people can testify God's presence, with Christ as your cornerstone.

And all these things ARE ALREADY GIVEN BY CHRIST, and given THROUGH THE CROSS.

The Message version of the Bible says - Ephesians 2:7-10
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Zero human effort, but 100% the work of Jesus at the cross.

Hence - we should live as the Spirit ordained:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. [Ephesians 3:20-21]

Let us glorify him through our lives, not through our works.
Let Go, Let Him.