God's Workmanship

Eph 2:10

10 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. AMP

Bill studied art in college and had hoped to become a commercial artist. But when his wife told him she was going to have a baby, his life goals took an unexpected turn. He dropped out of school and took a job working on an assembly line for one of the major automobile companies. Although he had planned to continue his studies at home and even produced a few paintings, eventually Bill's brush, paints, and easel ended up gathering dust in the basement. For the rest of his life, Bill was haunted by the image of pictures that he had never painted. At the end of his life, Bill saw his existence as a blank canvas.

Although we may not realize it, we are part of a great work of art. According to Eph 2:10, we are "God's workmanship." In ancient Greek, this term referred to a finished work. Literally, we are God's "handiwork" or "that which is made" by God. We are God's masterpiece, designed in love and handcrafted by grace.

The fact that we are God's handiwork says as much about the role of divine sovereignty in shaping our lives as it does about divine artistry. Because we have been created by God, He has the right to order our lives: "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" (Isa 29:16).

The work of God spoken of in Eph 2:10 is one of creation, but of a special kind of creation. Those who have undergone new birth in Jesus Christ have been created "to do good works." This statement is significant in view of its context. It follows on the heels of Paul's assertion that salvation is by grace and through faith, rather than by works, so that none may boast (Eph 2:8-9).

The biblical concept of grace is a dynamic one. Grace is an active principle in the believer's life. John Wesley once said that the best definition of Christianity he had ever heard was this: "Christianity is the life of God in the soul of man." Certainly, Christianity is a body of doctrines, a system of truth revealed in the Bible. But it is also true that Christianity is a relationship. All the blessings of the Christian life flow out of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But grace is also a life-giving principle and a dynamic power that transforms the life of the Christian and calls forth a response.

The popular hymn "Amazing Grace" was penned by John Newton, a former sea captain and slave trader. For Newton, "Amazing Grace" was more than a song. It was actually a testimony of his own personal experience of God's power to transform. In a series of letters to a friend, Newton compared the grace of God in the believer's life to the development of an ear of corn. It begins as a mere blade at the point of conversion. The Spirit of God opens the blinded eyes of the sinner to see the need for eternal life in Christ. Next comes the ear. As the believer grows in assurance, he also grows in his understanding of what it means to be in Christ. This understanding has two dimensions. The believer begins to understand the depth of his own sinfulness and the deceitfulness of his own heart. At the same time, he knows that he is Christ's and that Christ is his. This assurance paves the way for the stage that Newton compared to the full ear of corn. In this stage, the believer is not as concerned about assurance but has one desire: to live for Christ.

One who has enjoyed the fully developed grace of the Christian life understands the role that works play in that experience. Works cannot save, but they are important because they reflect God's workmanship. We have been created by God, partly for the purpose of good works. Paul's use of the language of creation, however, also implies instrumentality. The good works of the Christian life are themselves a part of God's own creative work: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17).

I have an illustration of this in my own home: I occasionally have trouble hanging up my clothes because I find that my closet is too crowded. The wardrobe that I actually wear is relatively small, but my difficulty stems from all the old clothes that I find difficult to throw out, even if they are hopelessly out of style when compared with today's fashions. There are a number of reasons for this: Out of sentimentality, I might keep the old jacket I wore on my first date with my wife, or I may keep a comfortable old shirt simply as a matter of habit.

While I may keep the old clothes that I no longer wear, when Jesus Christ enters the believer's life, He brings with Him an entirely new wardrobe of behavior. The Christian is commanded to "put on the new self." This "new self" has been created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24). We must set the old way of life aside, as one would an old set of clothes. This isn't always as easy as it sounds. Although we may be tempted by familiarity or habit to hang on to this old wardrobe, it has no place in our new lives. There is no need to live like the old self because God has provided a new self.

Pablo Picasso was once asked to paint a portrait of the well-known author Gertrude Stein. She came to the painter's studio and sat for several sessions, but eventually Picasso sent her away and finished the painting alone. When Miss Stein was shown the finished work, she complained that she did not look like that. "But you will" Picasso replied.

In the same way that Picasso's painting of Gertrude Stein was a reflection of what she would look like, we have an idea of what we will look like in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul is telling us that we are a masterpiece, divinely crafted by the hand of God. In this case, however, the portrait is not one of us, but of the image of Christ, in whose image we have been created. For this reason, our lives do not have to be a blank canvas.

Creator God, create within me a clean heart and renew me after the image of Your Son. Enable me by the power of Your grace to do the good works that I was designed to do. Amen.

Thanks to John Koessler for allowing us to publish his material.www.johnkosessler.com

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John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077

Artwork, Majestic Life