Paul’s letter to the Ephesians contains what may be the most crucial phrase for distinguishing genuine faith from mere profession: “created in Christ Jesus” (2:10). this expression represents far more than theological terminology—it embodies the very essence of what separates authentic Christianity from religious pretence.
The Context of Creation
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8–10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” This passage concludes Paul’s exposition on salvation by grace through faith, but v. 10 introduces a vital qualification that cannot be overlooked.
The phrase “created in Christ Jesus” serves as the dividing line between genuine believers and false professors. It represents the difference between those who merely claim to know Christ and those whom Christ truly knows. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:21–23 that many will claim religious works and spiritual accomplishments, yet hear the devastating words: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
Two Creations: Old and New
Understanding this concept requires examining two distinct creations in Scripture. The first creation, detailed in Genesis, shows God forming man from the dust of the earth. Genesis 1:26–27 records: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 2:7 adds: “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
God created Adam with the full ability to worship and glorify his maker. The original creation was not designed for failure—God blessed mankind and commanded fruitfulness. However, Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought spiritual death, leaving all their descendants “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).
Yet God was not caught off guard. Genesis 3:15 contains the first gospel promise: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This prophesied redeemer would crush Satan’s head and lead his people to eternal life.
The Second Creation: Born Again in Christ
The promised redeemer was Jesus Christ, born to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). However, this salvation is not universally applied. The second creation—being created in Christ Jesus—occurs only for those whom God calls and draws to himself.
Jesus made this exclusivity clear in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Later in the same chapter, he emphasised: “No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (John 6:65). Salvation belongs entirely to God’s will, not human effort or decision.
This exclusive nature of the gospel enrages the world. Christ’s declaration in John 14:6—“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”—remains one of Scripture’s most offensive statements to secular thinking. Some nations have even criminalised public declarations of this truth under hate speech legislation.
The Mechanics of New Creation
How does one become “created in Christ Jesus”? Jesus explained it to Nicodemus in John 3:3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This new birth is not physical but spiritual, accomplished through the Holy Spirit’s work.
When God justifies sinners, he sends his Holy Spirit to indwell them. This constitutes the new birth—not through human works or efforts, but through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Romans 8:16 provides assurance: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
This recreation enables believers to perform the good works God prepared beforehand. As James argued, “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). Genuine faith invariably produces good works, not as the cause of salvation but as its inevitable fruit.
The Importance of Understanding This Truth
Why must Christians grasp this concept? Let me suggest at least two reasons.
First, it prevents confusion about salvation’s means. Jeremiah 17:9 warns, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Our hearts can deceive us into believing we are saved when we are not. True assurance comes from the Spirit’s witness, not self-assessment.
Second, countless people embrace false gospels or trust in alternative means of salvation. Whether through Mary, good works, moral behaviour, or religious ritual, Satan deceives many into believing they can reach God apart from being created in Christ Jesus. As Jesus said of the Pharisees in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil.”
This truth matters eternally—it represents the difference between heaven and hell. Christians bear responsibility to share the genuine gospel with those under Satan’s deception and to pray for those who reject God’s only means of salvation.
Living as New Creations
Those truly created in Christ Jesus should respond accordingly. They should give thanks for salvation and strive for holiness. They should support fellow believers through accountability and encouragement, helping younger Christians stand firm against false doctrine. They should walk difficult paths together, embodying Christ’s love to a lost world.
God creates Christians in Christ Jesus specifically for good works. Therefore, believers must let their lights shine brightly in darkness, serving as salt that flavours the world with God’s gospel. The goal is conformity to Christ’s image—possible only for those recreated in him.
Being “created in Christ Jesus” is not merely theological concept but the fundamental reality separating genuine Christianity from religious pretence. It represents God’s exclusive work of salvation, accomplished through Christ’s sacrifice and applied by the Holy Spirit. Without this new creation, there is no Christianity—only the deception of a deceitful heart trusting in false hopes.
The question facing every professing Christian is stark: Have I been truly created in Christ Jesus, or am I merely deceiving myself? Eternity hangs on the answer.
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