The Masterpiece of God

This week I have been blogging last week's sermon unpacking Ephesians 2:6-10. Here is the previous post, simply follow the links to read more.

By the grace of God, we as the Church, we as the redeemed people of God have become something new. What have we become?

 

Of course 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are new creations, but I’m thinking of something else here. Though of course since 2 Corinthians 5:17 is true, this is certainly true.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are his ‘workmanship’…

The word there translated as ‘workmanship’ is the greek word 'poiema', and it is where we get the word ‘poem’ from. There are some things so beautiful in life, that the only way we can find to express that beauty is in the form of a poem or song…When I first met my wife, I was so captivated by her beauty, the only way I could think to capture my love for her in words, was to put it in the form of poetry. I know I'm not alone in this. How many songs on the radio revolve around love?

But, even the word ‘poem’ falls short. This word 'poiema', could have been used for any type of work of art in the ancient world. So the best translation of the word is actually ‘masterpiece’. So, essentially what Ephesians 2:10 is telling us is that we are the masterpiece of God…

What an amazing thought this is…Look at all of the beauty in the world. Look at the stars, the sun, the moon…a shooting star, a sunrise, a sunset…think of beautiful flowers or trees…just simply the beauty of how our universe is put together, and is ordered…think of the beauty of life in general…the animals…think of the birth of a newborn baby…all of these things are truly beautiful…

But, none of these things are referred to as the masterpiece of God…Not even humanity in general, created in the image of God, is referred to the masterpiece of God.

What is being referred to here, is that new creation I was talking about. What is being referred to here, is redeemed humanity. Those of us who have been made new in Christ, those of us who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ…those are the ones Paul is here referring to as the ‘masterpiece’ of God…

Is that not mind blowing? When God sees us, he sees a beautiful work of art…But, as any beautiful work of art should do, not only are we to marvel at the art, we should marvel at the artist…that is even more true as it relates to us and God.Amen?

Again though, our call, is to put God’s power, God’s mercy, God’s grace, God’s work through Christ, on display…And through faith…that’s what we do…And Paul even tells us how we are to do that here in Ephesians 2:10…

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.”

We put God’s power, mercy, grace, on display not just when we arrive in the sweet by and by and God puts his hands on his hips and points at us and says, "See what I’ve done?!?!"

Certainly, throughout eternity, when all things have  been made as they should be, when Christ has retrieved his bride, and been united with his bride…we as the church will be seen as beautiful…as I said, the host of heaven…will be dazzled by our beauty…but, as Paul told us in Ephesians 1:23, and as I talked about last time I preached…even now…we as the church are to be putting the power of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the glory of God, on full display…Even now, we as the church are to be the physical presence of Christ on the earth.

We do this…not just with our words…not just by simply being…but, also by our works.

Paul makes plain here, that as the workmanship of God, as the ‘masterpiece’ of God, as the redeemed people of God…we will do good works.

Now, we’ve been talking a lot about how our salvation is all about grace, and is not about our works. Let me be clear…I’m not back tracking here…Everything in our Christian lives, everything we have, everything we receive, is certainly a result of God’s grace…even our faith…

But our faith in God…legitimate, true faith in God, WILL evidence itself with good works. It’s what faith does…

Isn’t that essentially what Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 when he gives us his list of the ‘fruits of the Spirit’? Good works happen in the life of the Christian because the Spirit lives within, and works through the Christian. God’s spirit works through a transformed heart…So when our heart is transformed by the grace of God, good works follow…It’s simply what happens…it’s simply what faith does…

Good works are the result of faith…God works are the result of salvation…Our salvation is evidenced, by the good works that we do…

Sadly, some people think that we do good works for salvation, or to make our salvation possible, or to remained saved…but that is not the case, and far from what Scripture teaches…We do good works because we are saved, not because we are trying to be saved…We do good works because we have experienced the grace of God in our lives…and it is only his grace that enables us to do these good works.

Blaise Pascal said this, “Grace is indeed required to turn a man into a saint; and he who doubts this doesn’t know what either a man or a saint is.”…

If you don’t understand that you need the grace of God, in order to do good…then you obviously don’t understand what it is to be a man…you don’t understand how sin has touched every part of your being…you can do no good apart from God and his grace…A saint is simply one who has been made right by God…one isn’t a saint because of the things they’ve done…they are a saint because of what God has done…

Martin Luther said…”Justification is by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone…”

Simply put, if you have been justified by God…it will be known by the works that you do. It isn’t the works you do that make you justified, obviously, your justification is a result of God’s grace…but God’s grace will be made obvious by how you live your life, and your works…

God’s power is seen in the lives of Christians, as we live Godly lives…As we work in the workplace, as we parent, as we represent Christ to our spouses, as we are obedient to our own parents…as we have Godly friendships…as we love each other here in the church…as we live lives that look different to the rest of the world…

That is who we are called to be…that is what God has made us to do. As Christ’s physical expression on earth, and by the grace of God, that is what we will do…And may God receive the glory, for whatever Godliness, and beauty we display…For it is only by his grace and mercy that it is possible.