His Workmanship

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Ephesians 2:10

I, like so many ministers before me, have always used this verse to speak of the fact that God's intention for those who have been saved by grace, is that they serve Him.  We are called to make a difference in people's lives.  Yet, this morning, during my personal time with God something else just kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.  You see, this verse has another truth built into it beyond just the call to serve God.  How does the verse begin...We Are HIS WORKMANSHIP....   God is constantly at work in our lives and has been doing so since we first called upon Him to be saved.  Actually He has been at work drawing us to Him even longer than that, it is what the United Methodist doctrine calls "prevenient grace."  God was/is at work drawing you to Him so that you could be saved and then serve Him.  You are His Workmanship...created the way He intended  you to be created.

Have any of us ever made mistakes or sinned...yes?  And with that sin comes guilt, hurt, the punishment of God.  And then His grace kicks in and we can turn to Him and find hope, renewal and a fresh start.  And not only for the new believer, but for us believers who have made mistakes too.  Why would God impart grace to us when we have blown it?  Because we are His workmanship, and He is not through with us.

Do you ever suffer from insecurities because of your looks, body type, socio-economic group, race or so on.  Well guess what?  You are His workmanship.  You are who He intends you to be.  He knew before He ever gave you life the choices you would make.  He knew before you were ever born exactly what you would look like.  He knew exactly what His call was for your life before you ever sinned.  Why?  Because you are His workmanship.  And through His grace the work continues.

This has really hit home with me over the past 15 years of watching my home denomination and the churches I come to telling me that I am a divorced minister...so I am no longer called of God to ministry.  But wait a minute.  I am His workmanship.  That means through His grace He still is at work in me and has a call for me.  That truth holds for all of us.  God's workmanship in our lives is not selective, giving grace to those of us with only certain sins.  His grace and foreknowledge of our path and call, are all encompassing.  If you have repented and placed yourself totally into His hands...then the work continues.  After all, He has already invested so much into you, even to the point of the death of His Son for your future. 

Friends.  May we never forget or allow the biases and judgements of others cause us to doubt that we are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works."

I praise God that He isn't through with me yet.  And I stand in confidence that He has a place for each of us to serve.  Here am I Lord, send me.