Made Alive in Christ

Ephesians 2:1-10

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


We are God's workmanship? We are His masterpieces- the work of His hand? His living artwork?

I can almost see this... I have a lump of clay in the back of my art room. My Art Studio kids left it there after class the other day. Right now its not much. It's just a mass of clay smashed together in a plastic bag. It doesn't do anything. It can't be fired because it hasn't been refined into workable vessels. It's just there... taking up space. But it has potential.

If an artist comes along and lovingly works it in their hands, if they have a vision and sacrifice some of that creativity to create something more, that clay can be transformed into a functional vessel, a cup or an ash tray... or even into powerful sculptures that speak to the soul... We are God's work. Through Christ we aren't just clay in the bag taking up space. We become something more. We are worked and changed by the Artist into masterpieces... not by our own inherent qualities but by the work of the Artist.

I came to this piece of Scripture searching for the 'Dominion over the Air' line I discussed the other day. I found an amazing story of how He is working a masterpiece in me. God bless wild goose chases.