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“God's Masterpiece”
Ephesians 2:7-10
Rev. Min J. Chung
(Easter Sunday Baptism Service, April 20th, 2014)
Happy Easter! Say Happy Easter to [a] couple people beside you. warm up the atmosphere here.
You’ve been wearing [a] suit since last night huh? Sleeping with that, getting up at 5 am coming
here for convenience.
God’s masterpiece that's the title of the message today Ephesians chapter 2 verse 7 to 10.
Ephesians 2: 7
"7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your
own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that
we should walk in them."
Pray one more time.
[praying]
Lord,
We pray for your blessings upon us, that your people might be strengthened and empowered by
your word, so that we can go forth and do your work as workers for the kingdom of God.
Strengthen your people; strengthen all the people that will give testimonies, and [a] strengthen all
the people who will hear the word and the testimonies of your work, and [a] help us to be full
and satisfied and strengthened and empowered to live for your glory.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
[end praying]
This past, this weekend, since Friday, this morning, and today third time I'm speaking here,
continuing on speaking from Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 1 is about God’s wonderful
plan in eternity how he is going to redeem the world. Big God who’s [a] just redeeming,
cleansing, saving this world.
Chapter 2 is about us- how we are a part of that. Chapter2:1-3 talked about what we were, just
depravity and sadness, how we were dead, how we were enslaved by the world, Satan, world,
and flesh, and [a] how we were the ones who deserved the wrath of God.
This morning we talked about "but God", reversed that trend, reversed that course of our lives
through Jesus Christ that we are saved. Jesus Christ and now this passage, Ephesians chapter 2
verse 7-10 talks about where we are headed to because of God’s work in us, God's work through
us.
It talks about three aspects of our lives, and the big picture, the grand picture of God’s plan for
us.
First of all the past, secondly the future, and thirdly we’ll talk about the present, we'll talk about
before and after, right, we’ll talk about the past- what God has done in our lives, v. 8-9. And then
the future,- what God will do, through v.7-, our future. And so that we can be in light of those
perspective of past and the future how we can live in the present. What he is doing now. We
ought to live in our lives through v.10.
So these three main things are our plan for this afternoon. So let’s get to work here.
First of all the past: What God has done in our lives so that we can have, we can be changed, we
can have purpose, we can be recreated to become who we were meant to be.
Eph 2:8-9 talks about that and
" For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of
God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
We’ll emphasize four words to talk about our past: saved, grace, faith, gift – these four words.
First of all: saved."...by grace you have been saved through faith"
So we have been saved. In original language it’s "saved" is in passive perfect.
Passive means someone else did it for us, someone else is an active agent, we know the God the
Father by the sending of his own son, Jesus Christ dying on our own behalf. God did it for us.
God saved us. God is the active agent. Perfect tense means it describes right now there is a
present state that we have that is a result of a past action.
So when Jesus Christ , 2000 yrs ago, died on our behalf, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ,
that’s when we were saved, we came alive, we were dead but we came alive, we were enslaved
but we are free, we were the agent or object of God’s wrath, but we became there the object of
God’s blessing. We were saved, we came alive, and beginning process of salvation began, at
that moment, and because of that moment, that affect is carried on right now. And describes a
present state, and that will never change, because of what had happened. through the death of
Jesus Christ, and our faith in him that will never change until eternity . Who did it? God did it.
God did it. God saved us. And because of what he has done, that we became children of God,
he will never leave us nor forsake us. We were saved from the wrath of God, we are saved from
death, we are saved from slavery, but now we are saved to his grace, mercy, you know greatness
and blessing, that's coming in our life, saved.
Second word is the word grace. Grace is all that God does for us in Jesus Christ. Of course there
is 'no' aspect and there's 'yes' aspect.
"For by grace you have been saved"
There’s 'no' aspect. There‘s no wrath of God which is what we deserved before God saved us.
Of course then there is 'yes' aspect. Fullness of eternal blessing is coming. That's what we receive
instead of wrath. Salvation by grace is not just not receiving wrath, punishment, imprisonment
you know worldly terms- that kind of thing we deserve -, but something contrary something that
is totally opposite, which is fullness of blessings, eternal joy, and pleasure, and Christ, that's
what we receive instead.
So we are saved from sin and wrath, enslavement, but we are saved to righteousness and
blessing.
We are saved from what Adam has done- the curse of Adam-, we are saved to eternal blessings
in Jesus Christ. That’s what grace is. Saved. Grace.
Third word is faith, I would like to define this faith, and raking my brain, I would define it like in
this one sentence: Faith is the trusting condition of the resurrected heart that releases God's
immeasurable and unending grace.
There are three parts here:
First part I want to emphasize is the resurrected heart, because we have put our faith in Jesus
there has to be a capability in our heart to receive from God.
Faith so, faith starts from rebirth. when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, God gives us
regeneration, birth, [sound] you know the baby, birth takes place, right?
So our heart is resurrected. We are alive. Now, please look at me. Our hearts are alive. So second
part of faith is, now we can, we have choice, we can believe, and we cannot believe, but we have
a heart that is capable to believe. So faith, sometimes you can doubt. And it happens even to
believers, right? Even when you are unbeliever , you don't have capability to believe. But now
we have a heart that is capable of believing. So We can doubt, depending on what we think, and
we can believe depending on what we think, trust, so, that happens a lot. So when we believe,
now our heart is in a condition of faith, trusting in God’s word, we have to fight to believe. When
we doubt we need to doubt our doubt. And we need to continuously work as we pray ‘Lord help
me to believe’ and trust as you mediate, your heart has a capability to latch on to the blessings of
God the promises of God and believe. So it's a Condition of the heart, condition of the trusting
condition. Faith is the trusting condition of the resurrected heart.
Third part is now when you are in that condition, what happens Is God is waiting. God is just
waiting to just release his . Whatever grace is, whatever good thing is. Just like the father wants
to feed his children.
He’s waiting and when our heart is in condition of faith [sound] whatever it is , it’s just coming
down. Lot of times we think that God is not, God does not want to bless us. God is like mom,
who, you know most frustrating things for mom is kid doesn’t eat. So what does mom do ? Mom
is chasing around the kid, trying to feed them, trying to push the spoon into their mouth, into
their nose, nostril, anywhere trying to feed them. That’s what God is like.
We want to eat manure, we want to eat cockroaches, we want to eat other things. God wants to
feed us good things. We want to drink this dirty, filthy water. But God wants to help us to drink
living water . In Jesus Christ, and he wants to feed us. And when our heart we already have the
capability if you are Christian, if you are believer, if you have a resurrected heart, and as you
hold on to the word your heart becomes in condition of faith, then whatever he’s just waiting for
glimpse of faith, and he just releases food , bread of life, living water, strengthen the power in
Jesus Christ, and feeds us strengthens us and then he releases God’s immeasurable and unending
grace.
So this passage says "by grace you have been saved through faith" . There’s part that God does,
and there’s part that we do in receiving of this grace. Jesus Christ receive.
So today, you may never have received Jesus Christ as savior and Lord, grace is just coming
upon you, he just want to dump you with this zillions of -if you want to quantify with moneydollars , with kazillions of whatever your desires, kazillions whatever, I don’t even know if
kazillions is a word, but just trying to emphasize the amount. He just wants to release you with
his blessing, so just receive.
'Jesus come in to my heart, thank you God. Jesus cleanse me.' This is what you need to do, by
grace, by faith we need to receive.
So we talked about save, grace, faith, fourth word is gift.
As we talk about our past, what God has done in our past, it’s is a gift, to emphasize the credit.
We deserve no credit, only God deserves credit. We cannot demand gift. Can you give me a gift?
It doesn't work. Gift is something that someone willing has to give. That person doesn't owe us,
so we cannot demand. We can ask for it. But the person has every right not to give. So God
gives to us, though he doesn’t need to, though it doesn't add anything to him, God gives use the
blessings, gift, so when he gives to us all we can do is receive. That's why no one can boast.
That’s what verse 9 is saying. It’s a gift of God, not a result of our works, our right. We don’t
deserve it, so that no one can boast. So we can either receive it and give thanks, give him praise
and glory that’s the reaction of saved people. Or boast. Either give thanks or boast. Either cherish
or perish.
This four things, four words put together, what God has done in our lives, that we are saved in
Jesus Christ, we are continuously, you know, become a people, that receives God’s blessing. We
are saved by God’s grace through faith receiving the free gift of eternal life, now we are alive,
we are children of God. this is the foundation of everything. Foundation of everything.
Everything we just talked about, is incredibly only the beginning. Just talks about the past of
what God has done. Now before we talk about the present, let's talk about the future.
Second point. Talked about the past, what God has done. Secondly the future, what God will do.
Verse 7 talks about that. It says "so that in [the] coming ages he might show the immeasurable
riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (v.7)
Now this verse is right after v.6, Ephesians v.6 that we talked about this morning. I’ll just read it
says “6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
Lord is here with us, but spiritually also we are with him there. Jesus Christ is in heaven right,
the right hand of God, but we are also with him there, he raised us up with him . seated with him
in heavenly places. We are up there with Christ with authority and power , and why did he do
that? Now v.7, that's what verse 7 is talking about: " so that in [the] coming ages" whatever that
time period is, that "he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace" We'll talk about fourth,
four things there.
What does that mean?
That means first of all: all of our lives, that's coming, what is coming in the future , future what
God is going to do in the future – all of our lives, in the coming ages, now and continuously all
in the coming ages is coming immeasurable riches of his grace, he's just going to pour and give
to us, progressively more .
There’s correlation in the next chapter, so we are going to use the next chapter give little bit of a
different aspect of the same principal. Ephesians 3:16 that says, same book just a few verses
later, it says Eph 3:16 says “that according to the riches of his glory", chapter 2 says "riches of
his grace", but here he says riches of his glory, talk about the same thing but grace that leads to
glory, according to the riches of his glory, " he may grant you to be strengthened with power
through his Spirit in your inner being,” so this is, all of our lives, there is a personal touch to that
phrase, and whatever “immeasurable riches of his grace” means, there's that personal touch, we
personally get this, each and every one of us. There’s personal touch. Individuals who now have
a capability to believe in our hearts, we have spiritual nature in our hearts, though we still have
sinful nature in our hearts, that spirits nature that is in connection with the holy spirit is capable
of receiving this personal grace. Personal grace that leads to glory , so that we can be
strengthened with power through his pouring into our hearts , into our inner being. All of our
lives, his grace, his power, his mercy, as we are seated with Christ, right beside God within our
intimacy with him, he's pouring all of our lives. That’s not all.
There's that all generation aspect, v.7 as it says” in this coming ages" not only all of our lives, but
seems like Ephesians is talking about all generation. Wow. Because next chapter helps us again,
like Ephesians 3:21 "to him be glory in the church" that's us, that's the believers in Jesus Christ,
in the "church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations" notice that the generation is not
just our generation, it’s in plural form. Generationssssss. I like pronouncing generationsssssss.
Let’s do it together, 1..2..3..generationsss…lets praising God..ssss… not only all of us, but
generation before us and generation after us. So many people as I go to different parts of the
world, now preaching to different places, and they're losing hope for the next generation,
generations changing, the millennial generation - their generation is changing . They have
different kinds of spirituality, different kinds of forms- church form and the mentality is different
. so previous generation do not know how to minister to the next generation . They’re stuck and
there's always when there is change, there is incredible change takes place. Previous generation
don’t know how to minister to the next generation and they generation becomes hopeless.
Temporarily. God’s going to work. God’s going to work. So, I said, let's read this together.
Christ . Christ through ALLL generationsssssss, there’s always hope for the next generation. I’ve
seen my generation receive God’s immeasurable grace. When we see your generation receiving
his grace holding on to his promise . because your heart which you have a capability in your
heart will be in condition of faith. With this you will be responsible for your generation. Because
my Bible, I don’t know about your bible, but my bible says generationssssssssssss. All of our
lives, all generationssss.
Third part there all intensity and all fullness of God’s power, blessing, and grace . v.7 says “so
that in coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace" all intensity and all
fullness.
Again help from the next chapter, Eph 3:19-20 Paul is thinking through the same line of logic,
and thinking and concept, he could not fully describe in chapter 2 so he is continuing on adding
in some parts to chapter 3, Eph 3:19-20 " and to know the love of Christ that surpasses
knowledge", we can’t all know this because , no matter how geeky and nerdy we are to be smart
to articulate in language and words, and vocabulary we cannot describe this reality eternal
reality,…I lost where I am, getting too excited, oh yea, verse 19 says, " to know the love of
Christ that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." How much
does God have? You can’t quantify what he has. "All the fullness" so he’s just waiting to give
everything. It’s us that can only receive little at a time. So after we digest he just wants to stuff us
with little more. You may be filled with all the fullness of God. All fullness, infinite, never
ending, why? Because God is the source, and his resources never run out.
v.20 "Now to him who is able", Is he able? Thank you two people, one and a half amen's. IS HE
ABLE? [audience: amen] This is not just for ABEL people here. If you don’t know ABEL,
ABEL is an area, a dorm area at this school, but it's ok.
"Now to him who is able", because he has unending resource, not only does he have unending
resources, unending in his love . He just wants to. Not only He can, but wants to pour his grace
upon us. "who is able to do far more abundantly ", gets not worse, but gets better. to do far more
abundantly than all we ask -how much can you ask ?- or think?, NIV says imagine. he can give
you more, he is able to give you more than all you can think about. If we can ask for all eternity
that's just a dinky little glimpse of resource. We're only using dinky little glimpse of resource.
He's bigger than that, he's greater than that.
All we can ask or imagine. All intensity and all fullness according to the power at work within
us,
that power is just even beginning starts to work with us .all of our lives all our generations, all
intensity and all fullness.
and last part there is all eternity, so that in coming ages. All eternity,v.21 helps us different
aspect, he couldn’t all do it in ch 2. Ch 3:21" To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
through all generationsss forever and ever" and ever and ever and ever and ever amen.
Some people ask me, so this is all the future that’s coming- eternity that's coming-, ask me I
remember a high school student, sincere in his heart, you know really, he thought the idea of
heaven was great, but this kid just loved this physical activity, that normal high school kids like
and I don’t want to articulate here because we have little children here. Three words start with s
and end with x. so this kid likes it 'Pastor min', 'yea' if we go to heaven do we have this in
heaven, this physical activity in heaven that is popular among teenagers? If you don’t know what
I am talking about ask your mom or dad or small group leaders. Do we have that in heaven? Do
we just sing boring praise? He likes listening but didn’t like to sing. So, only boring praise? We
don’t have that in heaven? C’mon. I thought about that, how should I answer this. Well I say,
bible says we don’t have marriage in heaven, so we don’t have particular specific activity that
you enjoy, your friends enjoy, in heaven, but we still have pouring pleasure, pleasure of that
activity we have it. But we don’t have that activity in heaven. That activity is for our committed
Biblical marital relationship in heaven, on earth and is meant to portray God institute God
ordain that specific physical thing which is a beautiful thing according to the bible, God ordained
it so that it can portray intimacy and pleasure of heaven. He looked at me, so I had to explain
more. Think about this. If you do something to get something right? Would u do things even if u
get things without doing it?
Meaning is he thinks , 'oh, you get flowers to get that specific physical activity or something like
that. That's what he was thinking.
No no, I said, you do this specific physical activity, you do it to get this which is pleasure, so if
you have this if you get this would u do this? That’s what heaven will be like. So think about,
you think praise is boring, and heaven is full of praise, eternity of praise, so think about it when
you praise, you may not like singing praise in the church, but you praise right? Like WOW when
a sports players dunks, WOW. AWESOME possible potential subject of that specific physical
activity that you enjoy, there is a potential subject u have some attraction to that object, or
person, subject, and you go [whistle] I can’t even, it's been so long, it's been so long. You praise,
you express. Wow awesome, standing ovations, you share and talk to people. Did you see?
Expression.
See when you’re impressed by something you express. You expression and proof is the highest
pleasure. I think he understood. [chuckles] But he still said, he wants Jesus to come after he gets
married. I don't k no if you saw, some of you are younger now, I mean, I don’t know if you saw
a movie called Jerry McGuire. I think I really like that sports movie. Does anybody know? It’s
an old sports movie. Some of the old guys know. [30:00]
Jerry McGuire it’s a good sports movie. Tom Cruise, anybody know Tom Cruise. He’s a
struggling sports agent. He only has one sports, one athlete under him Cuba Gooding Junior. He
actually won an Oscar for this role. The phrase ‘show me the money’ came out of this movie. By
Cuba Gooding Junior. Great actor and he, tom cruise marries a single mother but struggling
whether he loves her or not. He likes her but he’s struggling whether he likes her or not. In the
end with Cuba Gooding Junior, with one athlete he wins big money. Again and everybody is
celebrating . but there as everybody is celebrating he realizes he's in love with her. Why?
Because when he was looking around, he had no one to share that joy with. So he runs to her and
starts to give famous but fumbling speech. He walks to her and says ’Today we won, today we
won big. And whatever her name was, but there's no one, no one to share this joy with.' and this
is what he says, 'You complete me.' Which became a famous line in the sixties. I don't know,
whenever this movie was, Maybe eighties or nineties - nineties I think. To which she responds,
'you had me at hello.' But that phrase, 'you complete me'. What did he mean? When he had this
pleasure and joy it was not enough, but when he was able to expresses it and gives to a worthy
object, he says that pleasure was complete with the person that he can share with. When we
finally find someone worthy and beautiful to live for and share the highest joy we can experience
in eternity and finally that pleasure is proven and completed in expression of our praise and
worship. We will say to Jesus, 'Jesus, you complete me.' The greatest pleasure is proven and
completed in the expression of that pleasure in praise and worship and glory that’s what heaven
is.
Whatever activity we need to get there will become obsolete. Because we already have that
pleasure that we are seeking for and proof of that pleasure is that expression of that pleasure
through thanksgiving, praise and worship, and joy and that’s what we are created for and we will
find the worthy person, to praise, to express our joy towards, and we will it shows that type of
praise eternal praise, gushes forth praise proves the pleasure of all the people who are in heaven,
incredible, it's not possible to articulate that pleasure of the believer and saints , and then
completion and proof of that joy of the pleasure overflow is through our praise and worship.
Heaven will contain pouring pleasure given by God. God is pouring into us. So we receive
pouring pleasure and overflowing of praise that we receive from God - that kind of interchange,
'I love you, I love you.' That pouring pleasure of God, as he pours himself
into us. and that pouring praise and worship, because we are in exodus and joy, praise and
worships that’s what whatever is, whatever activity we need to get there will become obsolete. In
him an ocean of pleasure that we will experience.
Let’s go to the third. So we talked about our past, we talked about our future, let's talk about our
present. What is he doing now? Three things underneath there, look at the verse in v.10 ' For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.'
Talking about the present, ' we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works ',
now, ' which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.' right now, he's talking
about present as he finishes one sentence, Ch 2 v.1-10 is just one sentence, so he's just praising,
Paul is excited in one sentence he’s such a geek, nerd he’s just a smart guy. Incredible Greek. In
one sentence in 10 verses he just expresses, and he ends with how we ought to live.
So let’s break this verse down . First question is what are we now? We are Gods workmanship.
God’s workmanship. The word workmanship in v.10 original word, Greek word, is the word
poinema. The word poem comes out of there, it means it's his work of art. His
masterpiece..mm..wow. whoa.. workmanship sounds like hammer and nail, that kind of
workmanship, right but. Masterpiece wooo , phew, art, beautiful, worth, for we are God's
masterpiece.
God is the artist, the author and the perfector of our faith and individually he's working, but we
are its says 'working progress'. We're not done, he’s not done, he’s not through with us. So as we
look at ourselves, ‘masterpiece, what this is it?’ You look at each other, you look at your
roommate ‘ this is it?’. No, he’s not done with us yet. We are God’s masterpiece in the making.
So if you look at this passage very carefully. He’s not saying really we are god’s masterpiece
right now, because when you look at v.10 ' For we are his workmanship,' his masterpiece, but
you should read it with the next phrase together, most people make this so big deal about this
word and say 'we are God’s masterpiece', as if he’s done with us, but we should read this phrase
with the next phrase, 'his workmanship created in Jesus Christ', his workmanship, his
masterpiece created in Jesus Christ, meaning who is the masterpiece, what is the masterpiece?
his masterpiece is Jesus Christ, not us. Jesus Christ is his masterpiece, and we, he is making us to
be like him. We are masterpiece working progress. Jesus Christ is the perfection, he’s the goal.
The author and perfector of our faith, God is creating us to be like him. Individually we’re
becoming who we are, but together we are becoming like Jesus Christ, – together we picture
him. In Christ Jesus, it says in his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, means he’s the goal. We
are becoming like him. Jesus Christ is the perfection, Jesus Christ is the masterpiece. salvation is
creation recreation new creation to be like Jesus Christ, and God is creating in us, the church of
Jesus Christ, all the believers in Jesus Christ, together to be like Christ, as we become
individually who we are created to be, but together to picture Jesus Christ. That’s why Christ's
perfection in not a creature that was created, but second person of the trinity an eternal person,
becoming while remaining God man , God man therefore God made perfect expression
masterful, masterpiece expression of his perfect self. Love this verse, this helps us to understand
this - Hebrews 1:3 says ' He is the radiance,' radiance, 'of the glory of God and the exact imprint
of his nature,' How can infinite God be captured in one art form of this person in Jesus Christ
that’s why it's such a masterpiece? Christ is the perfect expression of God’s nature. Christ is the
perfect selfie of God. You know masterpiece imprint of this nature in his being. So what are we
now? what are we again? We are God’s masterpiece in the making, but we’re still under
construction.
I thought about this morning, you know, just combining, 'Yo, why you judge me, I am who I am.
Don't change me. ' It’s the worldly way, but combining that with the scripture, Biblical way to
say this is, I'm just wording a little bit "Who are you? You are who you are before God, so when
you act and live like who you are before God, that’s called integrity, according to the bible, so be
yourself before others, before human beings, because if you are acting differently, you’re a
hypocrite, be real. If you cannot be yourself somewhere, you cannot be yourself anywhere. So be
yourself, be who you are created to be in Jesus Christ, be real. That’s who you are and live in
such a way and become who he created you to be.
What are we now? We are God’s masterpiece. Work in progress.
Another question we can ask, What are we recreated for? V.10 'For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus ' for good works. created in Jesus Christ means recreation…good works
mean, good,
That word good is used for when young man says,' Jesus you are good and Jesus says only God
is good. So God, purity, holiness, good works is not just activity, certain kind of activity is good
or certain kind of activity is bad, but he’s really talking about motive, nature, not only the nature
but also the motive of works -heart, good motive works.
So if you do things out of goodness of your heart, for God, and to really love and help others,
your work becomes good. Work means we still got things to do, but hard work talks about your
hands. Good works for the glory of God. In Jesus Christ, within the guideline of the scripture
we are to work, we don’t work to be saved, but if we are saved we will work. We are not saved
by good works, but we are saved for good works. We have been created, recreated to serve him,
and serve others, to show him.
The other question we can ask for the present is. How well are we being recreated?
As we walk with him, v.10 it says, the latter part of that verse says, we are his workmanship,
created in Jesus Christ for good works, he God prepared for us before hand, that we should walk
in them. That we should walk in them, in good works. Now God prepared beforehand, God
prepared before hand, this is sovereign planning, what he wanted all along, this is also written in
Romans 8:29, ' For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of
his Son,' so we think predestination,
ok so if I raise my right hand he predestined me to raise his right hand, no it’s not what it is, he
predestined us to be conformed, as we live, freely live according to our will, he’s orchestrating
all of those things so that we can be conformed to the image of his son, that we become like
Jesus Christ. So God prepared beforehand, is talking about that. To become like Jesus, to
represent him together as the church of Jesus Christ, so that our work will be just like Christ’s
redeeming hands, when he washed the feet of the disciples. That’s was not just work, but good
work, redeeming work showing his love in his heart, and doing the work in his hands to serve the
father and the disciples, and that’s good work.
And then the phrase, God prepared beforehand, we become Jesus Christ, good worker to walk in
them. It says God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So this paragraph ends, as it
began. Remember the beginning of chapter 2 says, we used to walk in transgression and sin,
now it ends with we walk in good works. Walk is a Hebrew idiom for manner of life, how we
live. Walk because journey , you know Hebrew concept of life is walking, progressing from
Egypt to Canaan. So walking becomes manner of life. All the walking and good closes the
paragraph that begins with our formerly walking in trespasses and sins, according to the manner
of this world, the contrast is stark and deliberate, don’t walk in sin and transgression, now walk
in good works, to picture Christ, become like Christ, which God uses so that you can become
like Christ through your walk.
Shows contrast between two lifestyles: evil and good, two masters you know Adam, Satan,
world, and Jesus Christ is God, purpose of those prepared in advance
is not to work in that it doesn’t say work in them but walk in them not just doing the working,
but walking in faith as you are doing it. Keep on walking with God. As well as you are working
for the lord, you need to do both. Walking with God -the foundation of our relationship with God
is the foundation. Then our work for the lord becomes good work, we need both. Please as you
live out your life in faith with need to do both, you need to have right walk with God, but also
you need constant work for the lord, you need to have both.
If you just have walk with God without working, you become lazy. If you just work without
walking you become legalist, you will be tired, you will be drained. Keep on doing both as you
walk with God, release that grace, and joy, and pleasure, you receive in your walk with God
through your work. Beautiful, beauty and the worth of Christ is pictured through you and you
walk .
so this does not mean doing a work for God, instead of working with God so that God is working
through you. Walking in these good works in which God prepared for us implies a lifelong
process , but this is what we ought to do throughout our life. Once we our saved the direction of
our life should e to walk on the path of obedience to God in everything. Serving God becomes
the bent of our lives every day. In every situation . there is no division for Christians sacred and
secular. Bible does not say your church work is sacred and your working, job, or studying is
secular.
It's not about the nature of work, but your motive. As you work you are serving God there, as
you are with your family you are serving God there, as you are serving the church you are
serving God there . if we walk with God he walks with us. Everywhere that our work becomes
our service to God and others, that spiritually and powerfully
releases God immeasurable grace, and power through our hands in everything we do in our lives.
Every Christian should be seeking to serve the lord in accordance with his gifts and desires every
situation in life no matter what you do , based on their walk with God. Just one more thing here,
there’s the we concept.
That means there is corporate-ness to our walk. We talk about what are we now? God’s
masterpiece, working progress, we are being recreated for good works, but there’s the corporate
aspect, we don't walk alone.
We walk as we do work , we walk together, we ,there's corporate-ness
, it's about the church of Jesus Christ, believers in Jesus Christ, serving one another together ,.
Just proclaiming the gospel in the world through our words, through our works, through our
hands, it's what we do in our lives.
according to the context we here means Jews and gentiles, because the next passage talks about
how god broke the walls of hostility between Jews and gentiles, and all anybody can become
part of the church of Jesus Christ , there’s no race, there’s no class, anyone can come to know
Christ, so anyone can become 'we'. This passage sets the stage for the church of Jesus Christ,
anyone, Christ among any nation among any ethnic group we see the praise, different ethnic
groups in our church, wonderful praise, that's the church of Jesus Christ, we, we are his
workmanship together.
Remember workmanship means poinma, poetry of God. We together are a poetry, poem
consisting of words carefully crafted to fit together, so that the whole presents a beautiful picture,
that individual words cannot convey in isolation. So it's like we are poetry of God together .
individually you're word maybe or a letter. Even CFC is just a sentence . Another church over
there, another sentence, God is creating this incredible poem through the churches in the world,
and each one of you
either a letter of a word, but together, together, wow, beautiful poem of God, message of God.
Even so the church as God’s poem or new creation shows forth his nature, glory as various parts
work together in harmony. We are his workmanship. We are God's masterpiece. The worlds’
masterpiece produces libertines - they do whatever they want-, man’s masterpiece -trying to save
themselves- produces legalists, God's masterpiece produces lovers. We are not libertines, we are
not legalists, we are not first sons, we are not second sons, prodigal; we are lovers . God’s
masterpiece for the glory of God , and all the lovers of Jesus Christ come together , and
beautifully pictures the poem of Christ, beautifully pictures the message of Christ.
Poem, not that I know anything about poems, poem has to have, I think, two things, has to be
truth, content, there has to be content and truth. and there has to be touch there has to be artistic
beauty . musical aspect, in the message, so truth and touch.
Truth – or the message and the content is our walk with God. Touch is working for God. So as
we together we have substance, our walk with God, so whatever we do in our lives, there are
beautiful music, beautiful words, beautiful touch . The world can hear his message through us.
As we go forth in the world to show Jesus Christ.
I don’t know if you know this polish man , musician, Proruski. He actually was a musician,
World class musician actually became a prime minster of Poland in the early 1900s, and there's a
story about him.
where he was about to do concert to play piano an incredible musician playing piano, but a little
boy came out , somehow stroll through the stage before he came out, and starts to play this little
kiddy music, I don't know chopsticks or something. Everybody is surprised, 'what is going on
here?' And the concert people though that Proruski was starting to play to start the concert, the
curtain opens and the little kid playing piano , and everybody is laughing and people don’t know
what to do . the musician didn’t want to embarrass the parent of the kid, so he comes out , as the
boy is playing little music, he plays chopsticks or whatever, he's playing this music, he adds the
base notes, he adds the high notes…, it became the most fantastic chopstick every played in
human history. This little kiddie music became great music. Because of the touch of the
musician. we are like that what we can do is dinky, God does not need it. But what we can do is
little thing, Not really effective, but as we walk with God,
as he’s with us he adds the base notes, he adds the high notes into all of our lives, a poem of God
will be heard, music of God, orchestra of God will be heard,
and people will hear Jesus, see Jesus, receive Jesus one heart at a time, so that they can receive
the pleasure that we experience to give praise expression of joy, so that they will be complete.
Let’s pray …