Eph. 2:10

10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I like this contrast: “not by works” and “we are God’s workmanship.” So somebody works! Good.

My works can not bring me to peace with God. But God's works do just that.

God did the phenomenal work of creating me and the entire universe. He worked hard. So the issue is not work or no work. The issue is, who does the work and why? It is clear, God worked so that I can have fellowship with him and with brothers and sisters of all places, times and situations.

So I accept the work that God did for me and for all mankind. I accept his marvelous deeds on my behalf. If I have trouble doing that, God extends yet another precious gift to me, the gift of faith. I find it hard to believe everything that God has done. For this I need extraordinary faith. Fine. God is more than ready to supply me with the necessary faith. This is Jesus' faith in his Father, and becomes my faith as he "believes" through me.

Then, having been changed by the atoning benefits of Jesus I find myself wanting to do good works like Jesus did.

I must not denigrate “good works.” In fact, God does “good works” more than anyone else, if I can use that expression.. Paul lauds “good works.” He writes, God created (us) in Christ Jesus to do good works. Forbid that we should even consider good works to be bad. Or worse yet, not to do those “good works.” Paul reminds us that one of God’s good works was to create us in the first place, and then to redeem us. Both require stenuous work. God is a worker and I have been created to work!

So, lest I think lightly of work, I am reminded that God‘s good works flow from his love and so have a purpose – redemption. God knows that he creates us to do good works, with the same purpose in mind. We are duty bound to do good works.

How is that possible since we are humans who have our own needs to be supplied? It is possible because God knows our weakness and gives us Jesus and His Spirit to do the good works through us.