Today's Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
If you take an old car to a classic car auction, one that might be called a "survivor," you might get a good price for it. Collectors like these cars that have sat in a barn for years with little damage from the passing of time.
However, if you take that same car to a restoration specialist and he works his magic to restore it to near-perfect original condition, you will probably get a better price. Buyers appreciate his skill in making sure the ID numbers all match, producing a smooth, straight body with a flawless paint job, even to the point of using original knob, switches, nuts and bolts.
Or consider fine woodworking. If you take two otherwise identical pieces of furniture, the one that shows the skill of the woodworker will command a higher price. One piece has gaps in the joints, saw marks, grain running in different directions, and a spotty stain. The other has tight joints with barely a line showing. It has been hand planed or sanded to a smooth finish. The grain all flows together. It's oiled to accentuate the wood instead of stained. That second piece will likely command a higher price.
The skill of the craftsman adds value to his work.
Today's passage reminds us that as a believer, one who chooses a new life in Christ, you are one who has been crafted by the most skilled craftsman of all, God himself. You are a unique workmanship as there is no one else exactly like you. You have value to God not only because he loves you, but also because he crafted and shaped and molded you into who you are today. You are his work of art.
But you also have value to others. God didn't create you just to be put on a shelf for display. He created you for "good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (emphasis added).
That begs the question, "what are these good works?" Rather than focus on individual good deeds like helping others, or feeding the poor for example, as we so often do, consider the whole of what the Apostle is saying in this passage.
You are saved by faith, which is a gift of God. You were created to live a life that is pleasing to God. So, consider the individual good deeds like going to church, or being truthful, or showing love to others as part of a life that has been redeemed by God. It calls to mind Romans 12:1 where the Apostle urges us to present ourselves to God like a living sacrifice that is pleasing to God. Your whole life, not just part of it.
Having come to God in faith in Jesus, you are his priceless work of art.
Choosing a new life in Christ, you are called by God to live it.
Think about it …
How might you show praise and thanksgiving to God for creating you?
In what ways can you express your value to God in the life of others?
Is there a particular area of your life that God needs to refine for his purposes?
