We are God's Handiwork

November 20, 2022 Background Scripture: Acts 19; Ephesians 2; Revelation 2:1 - 7 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 2:1 - 10 We are God's handiwork. Of course, that title comes from Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship". If ever a value could be ascribed to the worth of a Christian, this statement is the appraisal of such a value. Paul's statement recorded in his letter to the saints at Ephesus reminds me of the slogan: "I know I'm special because God doesn't make junk!" The ten verses of the Lesson Passage cover our previous spiritual condition, our present spiritual status, and our future eternal spiritual position. All saints have these three situations in common. Every person born into the world of man and woman is born spiritually dead because of sin. We who are saints today did not begin as such. We lived according to our senses and passion—and in many cases, we were controlled by them. That is the way of the world, and we were citizens of the world by birth. At that time, we did not know that the world was being manipulated and controlled by demonic spirits who are led by the prince of the power of the air, Satan. Our existence in the world was all we knew and understood. We lived according to the natural order and therefore we readily concluded that what we did and desired to do was natural. We did not know that the natural order as we experienced it was spiritually depraved. That was the only life we had lived and the only life we understood. Life made sense to us. That entire system of existence was and is condemned by God to eternal destruction. But when we heard and accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, God made us spiritually alive. We were saved by the grace of God from eternal damnation. We didn't know we were lost. We just understood life as we knew it. That spiritual awakening allows us to appreciate our present spiritual status. We are now aware of the spiritual struggle within us. We see our flesh warring against the Spirit of Christ who lives in us. Every Christian is spiritually bipolar. We live with two "natures" to use that word loosely, We have the natural person who is of this world, and we have the mind of Christ being continuously renewed in us. I don't know why God allows us to exist in such a state, but it pleases Him to work with us in this manner. It is the Spirit of Christ who makes us aware that God is doing a work in us. So, our testimony is: I'm not who I should be, but I thank God I'm not who I used to be! The saints know that God is still working on, and in, us. Every living Christian is under spiritual construction. Christ is the foundation that has already been placed in us. God builds on that foundation as we die to ourselves and are made more alive to Christ. God's revealed objective is not to have us live wonderful lives in a sinful world. Our idea of wonderful is still twisted right now. God's revealed objective is to prepare us for the ages to come. The saints will be the living portrait of God's grace. We are God's handiwork that He has created in Christ Jesus. Throughout eternity, the saints will reflect the unfathomable depths of the grace of God. Given our previous spiritual condition, there was nothing we could have done to receive such an honor. There is nothing we can do now so that we would be deserving of such an honor. We cannot brag about anything worthwhile that we might do of our own ability. No such thing exists. Anything worthwhile that is in us today was put there by God. We have nothing to boast about. We are products of grace. We are being transformed into what Adam was created to be. We will become the unblemished image and likeness of God. God will ensure this because we are His handiwork. Robert C. Hudson November 5, 2022