Paul states in Ephesians that each believer is God’s workmanship (masterpiece). What is the difference between living as His masterpiece and simply experiencing the average Christian life?
God’s Masterpiece
Paul states in Ephesians that each believer is God’s workmanship (masterpiece). What is the difference between living as His masterpiece and simply experiencing the average Christian life? Paul shares in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” He has designed each of us to walk in unique kingdom roles and missions for His glory. We are not intended to wander about hoping to please God by finding something meaningful to do. Consider Jeremiah 1:5 where the Lord tells Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God had a unique kingdom role designed for Jeremiah before his life began. The Lord equipped him as He placed His words in his mouth (vs.9). Then He commissioned him and established his specific mission as He says, “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer 1:10). In the same way, God uniquely designs, commissions, and empowers each believer as they are assigned unique roles and missions in Christ’s body. First Corinthians 12: 12-18 discusses roles in Christ’s body and verse 18 concludes that “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” We are each free to either embrace the unique life God has designed for us or error as we determine to control our own lives and follow our own desires.
Your Choice
In order to truly live as the masterpieces God designed us to be, each of us must learn to live for Christ and Him alone. Many, the majority of believers, totally miss this. Once they are saved, they move forward by attempting to “act like Christ” while asking God to bless their personal plans. Instead of willingly and joyously surrendering their will and placing themselves totally under the authority of God’s Spirit, they insist on being in control. They do not understand and therefore do not experience biblical life as Paul related in Gal 2: 20a where it says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” In order to choose this life in Christ, we must become aware of whose life we are living at every point. Countless individuals and organizations, including mankind’s interpretations of the Christian religion, stake claims on us and pressure us to live as they desire. We often behave like actors performing on a stage as we attempt to meet all of these expectations. We must determine what priority we have been giving Christ’s voice among them all, and then decide what priority He will hold in our future.
First Priority
Jesus is to receive first priority and indeed replace all other voices. We progress little in Christ’s unique life until we learn that, although we honor all individuals, we are ultimately to only seek validation from the Lord. Only He knows who He created us to be and become. Only He can correctly reveal this to us. He directs all of our actions including whether and how we are to respond to the demands of others. As we follow His guidance, all other elements of life (marriage, family, employment, and ministry) will be lived much more effectively. God teaches us these principles like in Matthew 8:24 where Jesus states, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” It is living solely for Christ is His wonderful, life-long journey of learning to walk under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
Living in the Spirit
Through Galatians 5:25, God provides His doorway to the very life, light, and power He designed for every Christian. He lovingly states that “If we live in the Spirit, let us also keep in step with (walk in) the Spirit.” As we join Him on this incredible journey, we learn to permit God’s Spirit to transform us into Christ’s likeness and accomplish His kingdom missions, as He lives in and through us. We learn to keep our flesh on the cross with Christ (Galatians 2:20 above). Accordingly, we are set free from futile efforts of our flesh as it attempts to “act like Christ.” We truly live because, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” He lives in and through us and touches lives with His love, revelation, and power. As we grow in this walk, we learn to distinguish when we are walking in our own power (our flesh) and when we are walking in the Spirit. We recognize that all our righteous deeds (works of our flesh) are as a polluted garment before God (Isaiah 64:6) and we have no positive impact on God’s kingdom purposes.
Walking In the Flesh
Walking in our flesh will never result in living God’s masterpiece life. Consider how the following versus confirm this. Galatians 5: 16-17 says, “But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 6:7-8 also establish this truth; “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Revelation Through God’s Spirit
The only way to truly understand and embrace God’s life of walking in the Spirit is through the revelation of His Spirit. Ephesians 1: 17-19 states “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened …” Most Christians do not know this and attempt to live according to mankind’s “head-knowledge.” There is a huge difference. Note how Paul distinguishes these in 1 Cor 2:13-14 where it says “we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” Ask God for His Spirit’s revelation of all biblical truths as you journey with Him to “Walk in the Spirit.” God’s revelations become “alive” within us and results in His Spirit’s transforming g us.
The Journey
The Christian life is an incredible journey of growing in and walking with God. Through every step, He loves us unconditionally and delights in us. “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me” (Psalms 18:19). Every journey of ours is uniquely designed to develop and empower us to walk in Christ’s roles and missions. We experience an ever-deepening personal relationship with God and truly experience the unique life He designed for us. He views honest mistakes and failures in a way that is deeper but similar to how healthy parents love, celebrate, catch, and encourage a child who is learning to walk. All throughout our journey, God’s Spirit, not our flesh, is our source of personal transformation and action.
Conclusion
There is an incredible difference between believers who learn to live as God’s unique masterpieces and those who settle for the normal Christian life in the flesh. The first truly experience the incredible life of Christ and leave this earth with nothing of Christ’s design left trapped within. The second, though saved to live in eternity, will leave earth with most of God’s life lost within. By choosing to enjoy God’s kingdom life as He designed and by walking in His Spirit, all aspects of our lives and missions will increasingly glorify God as He accomplishes His will in and through us, and we will live humbly in demonstration of God’s Spirit and His power. Paul said, “I didn’t preach my message with clever and compelling words. As I preached, the Holy Spirit showed His power” (1 Cor 2:4). Please take time now to process all scripture and text above with God’s Spirit. Ask for His revelation and His direction regarding what steps you will take. Will you choose to walk in the Spirt and truly live your unique kingdom life for Christ?
Author’s Bio: Curt Martin, author of “Whose Life Are You Living,” was born in Columbus, Ohio and is married to his wife Joanne, having now walked with Christ across forty-eight years. They’ve been blessed with three adult children. Mr. Martin’s website is here. This man has over forty-five years’ experience in leading business organizations, successful business consulting, and participating in ministries at both the board and volunteer levels. His passion is to support individuals and organizations so that they can know who God created them to be in Christ as masterpieces of God.
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®
(The few scripture words that are entered in black are NKJ)
Here is some related reading for you: What Was God’s Purpose for Calling You?
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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