Sunday October 4, 2020
You’re A Piece Of Work
The show Extreme Makeover Home Edition is making a comeback. If you remember, they would park a bus in front of a newly renovated house obstructing the homeowner’s view of the amazing transformation by the makeover team. The people who gathered to cheer on the homeowners would chant, “Move that bus! Move that bus!” As the chant swelled to an ear piercing decibel, the bus was moved and the great reveal was, well, revealed.
I wonder if that is a picture of our lives. I imagine most of us cannot see the “great reveal” of who we are in Christ. We read things like, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col.3:4) and wonder how can that possibly be? Or that one day, Jesus will present us as a bride without “spot or blemish?” (Eph.5:27) (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of life)
There is always some sort of “bus” parked in front of our spiritual eyes obstructing the view of our amazing transformation. Oh, we know there is work going on and understand that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are our divine makeover team.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph.2:10)
The Greek word Paul chose for this sentence is “poiema,” and what he had in mind is a work of masterful creativity. You can already tell that this is where we get our English word “poem.”
But do we ever ask God to move that bus out of our stumbling way to let us see His workmanship? Hmm…We started to become His workmanship the moment we trusted in Jesus Christ and received His gift of salvation. We literally become a new creation in Christ. Jesus alone does the building of the body. He calls them to Himself and fits them in the proper place within the body. His Spirit distributes gifts, talents, and abilities appropriate for their purpose within the body.
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet.2:4-5)
The “you also” is collective, meaning more than one of us individually. Remember, all believers are one body, the church. Together we are His workmanship. Isn’t it encouraging knowing we are part of something bigger and grander than just our self? Knowing that each part within a body has a certain function and only when each part carries out their function, does the body work as intended by design.
How do you feel about yourself? How much do you think you are worth? Do you know that you are God’s work of art? A workmanship is the making of a craftsman. God is the craftsman and you are the result of His creation. No matter how you feel about yourself, no matter your circumstances, no matter the mistakes you have made, no matter what family you are from, God calls you His workmanship…and He won’t stop working until you are complete!
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil.1:6)
You may ask, “What about all the mistakes I made, why don’t I feel good about myself?” The answer is simple; you do not see yourself through God’s eyes. Seeing yourself through God’s eyes forces you to see yourself as who you were created to be not as who you are. If you can see yourself as who you were created to be, you will become it but if you see yourself as who you are, you will focus on your mistakes and imperfections and not see the purpose and potential that God placed in you. It’s time to ask God to “MOVE THAT BUS!”
But now, O Lord our father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. (Is.64:8).
