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