One of the reasons we can confidently say that God has a big and important purpose for your life is because of what we read in Ephesians 2:10. The apostle Paul writes, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
There is so much power packed into this one verse. In just a few lines, Paul reveals how each of us has been designed, positioned, and sent by God to change the world. Let’s unpack these three truths together.
1. You Are Designed by God to Change the World
Paul begins by saying, “We are God’s handiwork.” That word, handiwork, is so important. It means we are not mass-produced, not accidental, not robotic. God didn’t build a factory to churn out people who would blindly follow His commands. He handcrafted each of us with intention and creativity.
Genesis tells us that “God created mankind in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” That means every person carries the image of God. Physically, emotionally, intellectually, our DNA, our personalities, our unique combination of interests and gifts, all of it reflects something of God’s nature.
You have a wiring. You were intentionally shaped by God. And that wiring is deeply connected to your purpose.
This is why our church created something we call “Discover Your Purpose.” It’s a space to help you connect the dots between how you’re made, your personality, your passions, your strengths, and the opportunities God is placing in front of you. Because how God calls you to change the world will always be in perfect alignment with how He designed you.
You don’t get to decide whether or not God gave you purpose. That’s already settled. You only get to decide whether you will live like it.
2. You Are Positioned in Christ to Change the World
The next phrase Paul uses is “created in Christ Jesus.” Before we go and do what God has called us to do, we must first become who God has called us to be in Christ.
To be created in Christ means to put your full trust in Jesus, not just believing that He exists, but surrendering your life to Him as Savior and Lord. When you do that, God doesn’t just make you a better version of yourself. He remakes you.
The New Testament often describes this transformation as becoming a new creation. When you are in Christ, you are given a new identity. You are called a son or daughter of God. You are brought into His family. You are filled with His Spirit. And you are given a purpose rooted in His grace.
In fact, just two verses earlier in Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul writes, “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
God saved you not because of what you’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done for you. Jesus lived the sinless life we could not live. He died the death we deserved and rose again to offer us new life. That’s grace.
And when we receive that grace and begin to follow Jesus, we are created anew in Christ. Baptism is a beautiful picture of this, dying to an old way of life and rising again into a new one. Some traditions call it being born again, and that’s exactly what it is. A fresh start. A new beginning.
If you’ve never taken that step, you can say yes to Jesus today. Because it’s only in Christ that you are truly positioned to change the world in the way God designed you to.
3. You Are Sent by God to Change the World
Finally, Paul writes that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
That means your purpose is not random. It’s not up to chance. God has already gone ahead of you. He has prepared specific good works, specific people, places, and needs that only you can step into. And all of those things line up perfectly with how He made you and where He has placed you.
God has always operated this way. He saves us by grace, then sends us in grace. He calls us to go, to go and make disciples, to go and serve the hurting, to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus.
The question is not whether you have a calling. The question is: Will you go?
Will you walk in the purpose God gave you, even if it doesn’t look like what you would have chosen for yourself? Will you trust that His plan is bigger, better, and more beautiful than anything you could design on your own?
Jesus is our ultimate example in this. He said of Himself, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” The Creator of the universe stepped into our world, not to demand worship, but to offer salvation.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
If Jesus humbled Himself to serve, how could we not do the same?
What Will You Do With Your Purpose?
When we understand that we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the good works He’s already prepared, world-changing impact becomes possible. Not because of our strength, but because His grace flows through us.
God has already done the work of preparing the path, and He supplies the grace to walk it.
The only thing left is your decision.
So what would it look like for you to say yes? What step could you take today that your future self would look back on and say, “Because I made that decision, God did incredible things through me”?
What’s your next step? Take it.
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