You Are God’s Masterpiece

“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.” – Ephesians 2:10.

You are God’s masterpiece. Wait a minute, that can’t be right. I don’t feel like a masterpiece. It seems more logical to view ourselves as a third-grade art painting rather than a masterpiece. If we didn’t see it written in God’s word, we wouldn’t believe it. Yet, God created each one of us as a unique “masterpiece.”

It feels pretty good that Someone feels this way about you and me. We look at ourselves and say, “I don’t get it. This doesn’t look like a perfect person. This doesn’t look like a work of beauty.” It is hard to believe that we are God’s masterpiece. But if we read and believe God’s Word,  we see that we are God’s creation,  His treasure, His masterpiece. 

He carefully crafted all our parts: physical, emotional, and spiritual. God does not take any shortcuts or get lazy in His creation. But we are a work in progress. It is a process that doesn’t happen overnight. It is going to take all of your life on earth. It won’t be completely finished until you get to heaven.

It’s easy to be discouraged when we don’t see results. It’s even harder when we set expectations for ourselves and cannot measure up to them. Paul was well aware of the imperfections of the people to whom he writes. He gives thanks for them—whatever their failings. After all, they are partners with him in the great cause of Jesus. “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,  For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:3-6)

Paul reminds them and us that we are on a journey that has not yet reached its end. God has started work on us but the work is ongoing. We haven’t arrived at complete maturity. We still stumble and fall. We let ourselves and others and our God down. The much better news is that one day the journey will end. The One who launched us on the journey and who accompanies us on the journey will take us across the finish line.

When we look at our life, we don’t necessarily see rhythm, orderliness, or beauty. We certainly don’t see perfection. When we see ourselves, we tend to see our flaws. We see so many things that need to change. But one day, we will be the people God made us to be, and we will be those people forever through Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross. When Jesus Christ died, He suffered as a substitute in the place of and on behalf of fallen humanity. Christ’s death made it possible for men and women to be declared righteous, based on their faith in Him. So someday, we will not be a work in progress. Then you will see that you indeed are a perfect work of art — God’s masterpiece.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you believe your value comes from God? Why or why not?  
2. What does being God’s masterpiece mean in everyday life?