God's Workmanship
Notes
Transcript
Today we are looking at GOD’S WORKMANSHIP and discovering the MASTERPEICE WORK OF GRACE...
In Genesis 1 we see God’s workmanship… after six days of creation with mankind being the pinacol of this creation God says “It is VERY GOOD!”…
The Greek word for workmanship or masterpiece is Poema (poiema)… we get our word POEM from this word.
In scripture we see God has two beautiful precious poems...
1- The poem of creation Romans 1:20 (all creation points to its creator!)
2- The poem of our salvation where we see that because of Christ we are made into a new creation like
2 Corinthians 5:17 states along with our passage today.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Now both All Creation and His New Creation should point to the One who did the work.
In the garden God would tell man, “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of knowledge of good and evil… if you do, in that day you will die.”
Satan, the serpent, comes along and says to man and woman “you will not die!”
Mankind chooses to disobey God and believe the lie of Satan. This creates the lost state of mankind, also known as the depraved state of man.
Paul has finished laying out the many blessings we have “in Christ”… He prays for the saints and then continues His thoughts concerning man’s salvation!
Today we look at the transforming power of grace at work (Paul paints for us a powerful CONTRAST!!!)… we begin with the dark, dead, sinful contrast of who we were (past tense) and contrast that with who we are (present tense) in the light, living, in Christ. (Remember: Paul is writing to believers in Christ)
This passage reveals the contrast between our spiritual state before Christ and the new life we receive through His grace. It shows how we were once dead in sins but are made alive through faith, emphasizing God’s initiative in our salvation and His purpose for us in Christ.
Todays passage teaches us that grace is not just a one-time event but a continuous state that defines our relationship with God, emphasizing our responsibility to walk in the good works prepared for us.
Join with me as we read these wonderful truth in Ephesians 2:1-10
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Our Condition…
Our Condition…
Verses 1-3 Emphasizes that understanding our former condition points to the necessity of grace and sets the stage for appreciation of what God has done in Christ. consider the bondage that Christ has freed us from!!!
Spiritually Dead… all sinners are dead, the only difference is the state of thier decay!
Disobedience (sin is missing God’s mark. disobeying God)
Many Sins (it was
We lived this life DEAD… this is describing the WALK we had! (walking dead)
Sin Nature (the essence of who we are)… it was incorporated into all areas of our life
We lived in the lusts of our flesh (emotional depravity)
We indulged the desires of the flesh (physical depravity)
We indulged the desires of the mind (rational depravity)
Notice: we who we obeyed! Just as in the garden we were listening to and following the devil!
If we are not obeying God we are following the devil
We cannot sugar coat this… it’s like putting frosting on a turd, it won’t help!!!
We were under God’s ANGER… enemies with God!
These three verses paint a picture of the doctrine or teaching of TOTAL DEPRAVITY:
TOTAL DEPRAVITY
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
Romans 3:23 could not be clearer…
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
God’s Intervention!!!
God’s Intervention!!!
Verses 4-6 mark a radical change, bringing us into spiritual vitality and life! These verses point to the cross and resurrection as ultimate displays of grace and divine love, and how God’s mercy is a catalyst for our transformation.
Notice here how grace not only saves but also raises us up to live a hopeful life, seated with Christ symbolically in heavenly realms.
“But God”… My favorite two words in scripture! God is going to intervein!!!
Rich in Mercy!!! as the walking dead we needed MERCY!
Love so much...
There is NOTHING you can do to make God love you more
There is NOTHING you can do to make Him love you less
“Even though” (our depraved state)… God gives
Life… spiritual life even NOW!
Christ conquered death and was raised
We too have victory over sin and death because of this
We too have NEW LIFE!
Grace… He lavishes this on you and me
“With Christ”… notice our standing in Christ, our proximity to God!
“Because”
Not because you were a good person or earned it
But rather “BECAUSE… you are united with Christ”
God intervenes in our lost and depraved state through Christ in such a powerful and merciful way… But why???
Why...?
Why...?
So God can… point!
Points to us as examples… “of His grace”
Points to ALL He has done “in Christ”
God wanted to SHOW His Love, Grace, and His Workmanship!
Should we not want to also:
POINT to ALL He has done!
POINT to His grace!
If there is any pointing to ourselves it is to show how GREAT His grace is, how GREAT ALL He has done in our lives and then tell others HOW HE DID THIS!!!!
How...?
How...?
Verses 8-9 summarize so powerfully the content of chapters 1-3…
There is such great assurance that our salvation is solely by grace through faith, not based on our works. This truth in our hearts and minds should dismantle any self-sufficiency and encourage us to a humble posture of dependency on God.
By Grace… the tool God chose to work out our salvation
Belief… Our faith in the finished work of Christ (sinless life as God in flesh, His death, burial, and resurrection to life)!
Receiving of Gift… we are so prone to want to earn or pay back, rather than just receive.
No credit to you… only God
Not a reward… nothing earned
No boasting only praise!
Now What...!!!
Now What...!!!
WORKMANSHIP or MASTERPEICE … Salvation is God’s workmanship and we have the opportunity to POINT TO GOD! We have PURPOSE!!! We need to embrace our purpose in Christ.
Good works does not produce salvation, however salvation should produce good works.
Now, while works don't save, they are the evidence of a transformed life and active grace within us, propels us to live according to our new nature.
Who we are...truly a new creation…
No longer the walking dead
No longer enemies of God in His anger
New Creation
New Life “in Christ”
New Plan and we have purpose!
The work and purpose He prepared in advance is not that we have to work in them but rather we walk in the good works He will perform and work in and through us as we walk by faith!!!
As Galatians states even our walk is through Grace in Christ Jesus
It is salvation through Faith
It is a walk of faith
But it is NOT BLIND faith! God has given us His Word that we may clearly see!
God has prepared a path for you and I to walk…
Verse 10 captures in one verse what Paul will draw out in Chapters 4-6.
This passage emphasizes the importance of recognizing our new identity as God's handiwork, created for good works. God's grace not only saves us from sin but also empowers us to live a new life of purpose and good works.
God’s work of Grace has given you and I a new work… we do not work for this amazing Grace, however we desire to work in light of His Grace!
Praise God!!! What transforming Grace… Let’s begin to walk in contrast to the world in light of His work in us through grace!
