God's Workmanship

Good Evening, tonight I wanna talk about God’s workmanship, God’s workmanship.

is a clear and powerful summary of the way of salvation. Verses 1-3 descrbie how low sin drags us down. Verse 1 says we are dead in sin, verse 2 says we are enslaved in sin, verse 3 says we are condemned in sin. But then 4-7 describe how high Christ lifts us up, we are made alive with Christ, we are raised up with Christ, we are seated with Christ in the Heavenly places.

Then 8-9 describe how this transformation takes place from what we were, to what we are. Paul explains, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing it is the gift of God, not the results of works so that no one can boast.

Friends God alone saves.

We do not and cannot do anything to contribute to our salvation, the only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that made it neccesary. GOD ALONE SAVES.

Therefore we have noreason to boast in ourselves about our salvation ALL OF THE PRAISE for salvation belongs to God ALONE. Verse 10 closes this paragraph by making it clear why no one can boast in the presence of God, Paul explains for we are HIS WORKMANSHIP.

Created in Christ Jesus for good works which Christ planned beforehand that we should walk in them.

A woman called her friend in tears. She had a precious handkerchief that her mother had given her which was passed down from her grandmother and she had carelessly spilled ink on it, and it was now ruined with a stain. Her heart was broken as she explained this to her friend.

The friend who happened to be an artist asked her to send the handkerchief to him, several weeks later he returned the handkerchief to her and this time when she called she was in tears, but these tears were the tears of joy, rather than tears of sorrow.

She found upon the handkerchiefs return that her friend had taken the handkerchief and using the stain as a basis had desgined a beautiful work of art in which he made this ruined handkerchief brand new, and it became something more precious and valuable than it had ever been before.

and in an infinitely greater way this is what God does for us by His Sovereign grace, sin MARS us, but God takes our ruined lives and makes us brand new in JEsus CHrist.

Paul declares this truth in graphic descriptive wonderful terms. He declares FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP

He says to you and me today, that if you have run to the cross and put your faith in JEsus as Savior and Lord listen YOUR LIFE IS A DIVINE WORK OF ART.

It doesnt matter what people think about you, it doesnt matter what people say about you, it doesnt matter what people do to you, if you are in Jesus Christ YOUR LIFE IS A DIVINE WORK OF ART.

What does it mean to be God’s Workmanship?

First of all would you consider with me:

The Glorious Truth of God’s Workmanship

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians

There will be no self congratulations in Heaven. All of the praise and glory and honor in Heaven will belong rightly and exclusively to GOD ALONE. Why is it that God alone deserves the glory? Paul answers this question by saying “FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP.

The Greek term for the word workmanship is the word from which we get our english work poem. It was used for poetry or paintings or songs, sculptures or architecture or any other work of art.

The writer here says THATS WHAT YOU AND I ARE IN JESUS CHRIST

That God through Christ is building and painting and writing something with your life, and with your salvation.

We are God’s workmanship, we are Gods masterpiece, we are God’s WORK OF ART. The term is only used twice in the NT here and in

Romans 1:20 ESV

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

That has been made- this phrase is our word for workmanship something that is being made by God alone.

Paul uses the word there to say that when humanity stands before God in judgment no one will have an excuse for not believing that there is a God, because even if you have never read the Bible says that God’s eternal power, and divine nature and his invisible attributes have been made evident by the which He has created.

You need to read the Bible to know God’s name but you don’[t need to read the Bible to know there is a God. Just look up and the sky above declares that god is real, the ground beneath you, the sea and all that is under the see declares that God is real.

But now Paul uses the same word in and he says WE ARE GODS WORKMANSHIP. In Paul uses the word to say that the greatness of God is evident in creation now he uses the same word to intend to say that the greatness of God is also evident in SALVATION.

The two go together because we have as much to do with our salvation as the Earth had to do with it’s own creation. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING God did it all.

Well Kyle you don’t believe in the big bang theory?

Yes I believe God said it and BANG it happened. God did it all in creation, and God did it all in SALVATION. We are God’s work of art. God created the Heavens and the Earth, and the Bible says the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Earth shows forth His handiwork. Think about that, the sun and the moon, and the stars and the galaxies,and the universe it is God’s handiwork.

God was just showing off, that’s his handiwork, but scripture doesn;t call Earth His masterpiece. Genesis tells us that mankind is made in the image of God were not evolved monkeys wea re God’s special creation made in His own image.

Just look at a baby and see the creative wonder of an almighty god. But the Bible doesnt say that humanity is God’s masterpiece, if you wanna see gods work at its best, you got to go to church and you gotta see people who were dead in tresspasses and sin, people who were bound in sin, people who were condemned and on thier way to Hell but God tok those who were dead and He raised them up.

He took our ruined lives and made us brand new and we are HIs workmanship.

You ought to be more excited about that, maybe you dont realize what a mess you were when God found you, you were a mess, but God took a mess and with His amazing grace He made a miracle!

Thats the glorious truth of God’s workmanship.

The Spiritual Purpose of God’s Workmanship

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

CREATED-

Boy our world would be a better place if we would just accept that truth. Were created. God created humanity, says He created us in His own image and after HIs own likeness.

God created man in His own image but the image of God on man was marred by sin. So God in His amazing grace recreated man. The text says were not just created in the flesh the Bible says we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

You missed it, a Christian is not a repaired sinner. He is a new creature in Christ. Listen to me if you are what youve always been you are not saved. Christianity is not an self improvement society, the change that need to be made in our lives doesnt happen by moral reform you MUST BE BORN AGAIN.

2

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We are NEW CREATIONS

What does that mean?

Look at that next clause, God created us IN CHRIST JESUS.

If You are a work of art, you didn’t become that all by yourself, you aint a work of art because of your skill, your family, your backround, your intellect, your ability...

No you are only God’s work of art if you are IN CHRIST JESUS

When God looks at Kyle in and of himself God sees a mess, ruined by sin, bound in sin, condemned in sin. But when I run to the cross and put my faith in Jesus Christ I am placed in Christ so that when God looks at me, He doesnt see my past and my sin and my mistakes He sees me clothed in the righteousnes of Christ, and He declares me to be a masterpiece.

calls Satan the accuser of the brethren, yeah and that word accuser is the word from which we get our English word category. Satan categorizes us. He stands before God labeling us, talking about us, He is saying to God how can you call him Your child?

After what he said, after where he went, after what he did!

Satan is the prosecuting attorney who throws Gods law in His face and gives the record of my sin so that God is forced to condemn me to Hell. BUT

1 John 2:1 ESV

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John

Says i gotta advocate with the Father and that word advocate means DEFENSE ATTORNEY, So I’m in court but I aint in court by myself… I gotta defense attorney, so when the accuser of the brethren makes his case, Ive got a lawyer to speak on my behalf.

He is a lawyer that aint never lost a case.

That when I trust in Jesus He’ll never lose my case, Can I tell you why?

Because in a normal court room the lawyer sits way down there, and the judge sits way up here. But says my lawyer is seated at the right hand of the father the judge in Heavenly places. e can’t lose my case how could he lose my case when My father is the judge and my elder brother is my defense attorney.

When he gets to accusing my lawyer says, I move that the case be dismissed. Satan says oh no we got the evidence on Kyle. HE did it , He said it, I got the evidence. Your law says that the wages of sin is death, SOMEBODYS GOT TO PAY.

But my defense attorney says your right the law is somebody has got to pa for sin, but since God is a Holy God he doesnt allow double jeopardy. So I move that the case be dismissed on the grounds that this sin has already been paid for!

The accuser of the brethren says well if the sin has been paid for whats the proof…?

At this time my lawyer stops talking and starts bringing out exhibits. But he don’t have to turn on no slides or no film HE is the exhibit, He says look at my hands, look at my feet, check out my side!

JESUS PAID IT ALL ALL TO HIM I OWE SIN HAD LEFT ITS CRIMSON STAIN BUT HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW.

The Sovereign Design of God’s Workmanship

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which Christ prepared beforehand He planned this in advance.

Listen to me, before you were saved, before you were born, naw that's not far enough back. Before God said let there be light He knew that you would belong to Him, and He set a blueprint and path for your life so that your life would have meaning and significance and purpose.

HE designed your life so that people would cross your path, doors of opportunity would open, certain gifts and skills and talents would be yours, resources will be made available for you so that you can use those thing that He has placed in your life to be a blessing to somebody else.

In fact He even designed the trouble you’ll have in your life.

You tought it was the devil but I believe even god designs the difficulty and the trouble and the pain and the hardship and the burdens. He designs even those so that He can use even those things as a testimony to somebody else to what god can do if you trust Him.

The Urgent Call of His Workmanship

Aw I didn’t go to church today God understands,

THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM

Look at verse 6 it says we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places, where is He seated? He is seated at the right hand of the Father, it says I am seated with Him at the right hand of the Father How do you know that?

The evidence that you are seated in Heaven is found in how you walk on Earth.

If you have been seated in Heaven you can’t walk the same, you can’t live the same. if your seated it governs how you walk. How are you walking?

The text says God in eternity past planned good things for your life to be a blessing to somebody else and He says now its your task to wlak in it, this is an urgent call. Do you know what this teaches u?

You dont have time to waste...

You dont have time to waste on selfish agendas, you dont have time to waste on foolish activities you dont have time to waste in worldy pursuits or pleasures. You dont have time to waste on foolish friends. You dont have time to waste.

You see sin is fun, we try to get people away from sin by saying what a miserable thing it is, but thats not true sin can be fun, but Jesus tells us that true joy is found in walking in the works God has prepared for you.