We Are God’s Masterpieces

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

Ephesians 2:10 

                When my children were in elementary school, I volunteered to teach a simple art class once a month. It was called Masterpiece Art. It’s not that I’m an expert in art. The materials were all prepared in advance; I just had to make it come alive for the children. Each year we studied a different aspect of art. For example, we studied classic portraits, landscapes, and still life. We studied specific painters like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Georgia O’Keefe.  One of my favorites was when we studied American western art.

                Much of what we studied would be classified as masterpieces. These were the defining works of particular artists. Each masterpiece bore the imprint of the artist. A Rembrandt is recognized by the style of the artist and is very different from a Picasso. Each masterpiece is unique. Although some artists painted the same theme over and over again, each painting had unique qualities that set it apart from the others. The untrained eye might think they were copies of one another, but the trained eye can clearly see the differences.

                We don’t often think of ourselves as masterpieces. We can see all of the flaws and the imperfections of our life. We look around and we don’t seem all that different from everyone else, at least on the surface. But the Bible tells us that we are God’s masterpieces. The word workmanship can be translated masterpiece. I want to invite you to attend spiritual masterpiece art class. Let’s explore some of the amazing qualities of God’s masterpieces.

We were created on purpose and for a purpose.

                Few of the great artists painted mechanically. What makes their art stand out is that they painted with purpose and direction. God doesn’t create generic people. He creates each of us uniquely, with purpose. God created us to do good works. Not just any good works, but good works in Christ Jesus. He created us to move in a direction that will demonstrate his glory through us.

We were created to reflect God’s image.

                A number of artists have painted self-portraits. They hoped to capture the essence of themselves and preserve it for all time. That is exactly what God did when he created us. We are the only part of creation that bears the image of God. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

 We were created to reflect God’s glory.

                Every masterpiece reflects the skill and the passion of the artist. We were created to demonstrate the glory of God. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

 We were created to live in relationship with God.

                Every artist has a particular bond with their work. For the best artists, a painting is not just a piece of work, but an expression of themselves. God created us to have a special bond with Him. His love for us is so strong that He sent Jesus to redeem us.

                There is a famous painting by Rembrandt called The Night Watch. It has been known by that name for centuries. Recently some specialists in the preservation of art endeavored to clean the painting. What they discovered startled everyone. The painting was not a night scene after all, but a morning scene. Dust, dirt and soot from candles had so darkened the painting that it took on a totally different look than the artist intended.

                Because of sin, our masterpiece has been marred. God’s glory has been dimmed by the soot of the world. God’s image has been twisted. Christ comes into our lives as the master restorer. He comes to clear away all the filth of sin and restore us to what God intended. In fact, he actually creates us all over again. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

FINDING HOPE

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

                Into what are you placing your hope? That is a question we all need to consider. In the weird, unsettled times in which we live, we need hope. But what is the object of our hope? What is it that we are looking to to give us a sense of peace and confidence heading into the future?

                Many people have placed their hope in politics. If we can just get the right people in office, then the future will be okay. That sounds hopeful, but historically it has not played out so well. No matter which political party has been in power, the general sense of hopelessness has continued.

                Many people are placing their hope in science. Science has been the agent of progress. It has tackled many of the challenging questions that have faced humanity. It has had a significant number of “wins” along the way. But it has also unleashed a number of unintended consequences. It has often raised more questions that it could answer.

                Many people are placing their hope in human nature. If we just give people access to the right resources they will thrive. People are basically good. We can trust them to do the right thing. As much as we want to believe this, this too has proven to be a false hope. There are underlying issues within human nature that undercuts the positive outcome we are hoping for.

                Many people are looking to religion to give them hope. They are placing their hope in the mystery and the rituals of religion. They hope that by going through the outward activities of religion it will address their anxiety and fear. This too often falls short of the goal. Many people who have turned to religion to find hope have been disappointed and have turned away from religion.

                So where can we find genuine hope in our world? There is only one place where hope is to be found. It is to be found in the one who put this world together in the first place. It is to be found in the finished work of Jesus Christ. As Peter wrote, we have a living hope that is based on the amazing reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His resurrection validated all that He taught and did. His resurrection transcends all the realities of this world. It raises us to a new plane of existence.

                This hope is not wishful thinking. It is a solid confidence in what God has promised through Jesus. It is a guarantee that no matter what happens to us in this world we are still secure in our relationship with Him. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:9-10, This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

                Placing our hope in Jesus does not mean all of our problems will go away. It doesn’t mean that we won’t struggle with the issues of life. It does mean that we will have a resource to draw from during those difficult times. It means that we will have the confidence to face the trials of life with strength and determination. There will be times when we are afraid, but we can go to the one who can take away our fear. There will times when we feel weak and powerless, but we can go to the one who is all-powerful. There will be times when we feel confused and disoriented, but we can go to the one who can lead us onto the right path. Our hope is not in our circumstances but in the person of Jesus Christ, who is above all of our circumstances.

                When we place our hope in Jesus, we have a solid foundation upon which to stand. We can have sure footing in life, even when the storms crash around us. Our life is secure in the living hope we have in Jesus.

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

  

SECOND CHANCES

 Acts 13:13

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

                 In my devotions today, I came across the story of John Mark’s failure to continue in the ministry with Paul and Barnabas. It is passed over lightly in Acts 13, but we know that it became a real point of contention between Paul and Barnabas. In Acts 16, we read that Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them on their second missionary journey, but Paul was dead set against it. Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas taking John Mark to Cyrus and Paul taking Silas as his new traveling companion. But that was not the end of the story. Somewhere along the way things changed between Paul and John Mark.

                Mark is mentioned in positive terms by Paul in Colossians 4:10 and 2 Timothy 4:11.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) (Colossians 4:10)

    Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.     (2 Timothy 4:11)

                It is obvious that after Paul’s initial rejection of John Mark, he gave Mark a second chance, in which he proved himself as a worthy ministry companion. If that was the end of the story, that would be enough, but there is more. There is credible evidence that the author of the Gospel of Mark is none other than John Mark, the young man who disappointed Paul. God gave John Mark an enormous second chance to make a difference for the Kingdom, and he did.

                We tend to give lip service to second chances in our world today, but we rarely actually grant them. More often, we are looking for a reason to cut our ties with the one to whom we say we are giving a second chance. The old adage, “three strikes and you’re out,” is pretty universal.

                Jesus calls for a different approach. In fact, He insists on unlimited second chances. In Matthew 18 there is an interchange between Peter and Jesus that changes the dynamics of second chances.

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

                Peter thought that he was being very generous when he offered to forgive seven times. But Jesus blew the doors off of that. Instead, He said that forgiveness needs to be unlimited. Actually, that is really good news for all of us, because Jesus set the standard for His forgiveness. When it comes to second chances, Jesus has an unlimited supply. If we will honestly come to Him and ask for forgiveness, He will always grant it, no matter how many times we have come back.

                I am greatly encouraged by the story of John Mark, because I have needed many second chances in my life. I am so glad that God has not applied the “three strikes and you’re out” rule to my life. If He had, I would have been gone a long time ago. Instead, He continues to offer me forgiveness and reconciliation every time I come back to Him in genuine repentance.

                Of course, this is not license to go on disappointing God at will. As Paul says, we have died to sin, so we should no more live in it. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1-2) What it does offer us is a safety net for when we fail; a place to go and be restored.

                Just as John Mark was given a second chance, so we have been given it as well. And because we have experienced the grace of God in this way, we should extend that grace to those around us as well. God did not give up on John Mark. He eventually used him to write one of the Gospels. God has not given up on us as well. We are all the recipients of Jesus’ second chances.     

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 

MARKING TIME

 Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

                Time flies, as the old adage goes. The older we get, the truer that statement becomes. Although a single day may feel like it is dragging, the months and years seem to move on at light speed. We often look back and wonder what happened to the time.

                In Psalm 90, Moses reflects on life and the brevity of time. He seems to be struggling with what we struggle with; time flies. Listen to his words.

The length of our days is seventy years--

or eighty, if we have the strength;

yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,

for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:10

                 Moses’ conclusion is that we need to learn to value the time we have and manage it well. I think it is ironic that Moses said that the span of our life is 80 years, yet he lived to the ripe old age of 120. More and more people are living well past 80 these days. We know a lady who is 103. With this in mind it is ever more important for us to number our days.

                We can waste the time we have or we can invest that time. If we just coast along, we will look back on our lives and wonder where the time went. If we intentionally invest our time, when we are old, we can look back and rejoice over how we used our time. As a friend is fond of saying, life is about collecting memories. We are all collecting memories. Our memories will be filled with either joy or regret depending upon how we have used our time.

                Moses asked God to teach him to see his life in the right perspective. We need to same help. We need to ask God to teach us how to invest our time in things that matter. Paul challenges us to be wise in how we use our time. Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

                We only have so much time to make a difference in our world. The daily choices that we make will determine if we invest our lives well or foolishly. To be very honest, when we look back over our lives it will be a mixed bag. None of us are focused and on task all of the time. But we can determine to use our time wisely. We can look for opportunities to invest our lives in others and in ways that bring glory to God.

                When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, he responded with a two-part answer. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

                The clock is ticking for all of us. We cannot stop it or slow it down. But we can maximize the time by living wisely. Then when we stand before God’s throne, we will hear those words, well-done good and faithful servant.

Psalm 34:12-14

Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.