To be more like Jesus, we have to know him. We have to spend time with him and learn his character and his words. This week, we are going to look at the ways being with Jesus changes us. Let’s first look back at Genesis, when God created man.
After creating field and forest, vale and mountain, chanting birds and flowing fountains, God created his masterpiece—humans. God designed us for greatness. Not a greatness that finds satisfaction in career advancement or accolades, luxury, or the Pinterest life. It’s not a greatness that looks like success or recognition or money. It’s the greatness of being God’s representatives on earth—ruling in his goodness, offering up his beauty, and calling forth his truth. This is our design. We were always meant to be this way, but part of the fallout of the fall is that it became impossible to fully live out our design due to sin. It changed everything for humankind.
Jesus came to save us from the sin that mars our humanness and to restore us to being God’s rulers, priests, and prophets in his world. When God tells us to be holy, the emphasis is on his holiness that we, as believers, have acquired at salvation. We are positionally sanctified, meaning that at the moment of salvation we have the holiness of Jesus on us and therefore can stand before God blameless (1 Peter 1:15–21).
He’s reminding us of who we’re meant to be—set apart from the rest of his magnificent creation to display who God is. So how do we know what that looks like? By watching the only human who lived it out fully. To know Jesus is to know both the divinity we’re meant to represent and the humanity we hold according to its original, unflawed design. Christ’s earthly ministry pictures how we should live, speak, act, and think to recover our intended greatness.
I am his masterpiece. He is the artist. This reminds me of Jeremiah 18:1-6 where God gives Jeremiah a message for Israel telling them that they are the clay in the potter’s hands, and he is the potter. I need to quit beating myself up regarding decisions I made in the past and how I wish I had done certain things in life differently. All of those are part of my story and they brought me to where I am today. I need to be still, spend time with God and move forward with what he’s calling me to do now.
When I hear that I am God’s masterpiece, it floors me. I compare myself to those in the world around me, and feel I fall short… Every. Single. Time.
Yet, when I look at my loved ones, I totally see them as God’s masterpieces.
Why is it so difficult to look at myself through those lenses?
It shows me that nothing and no one decides who I am except Jesus. Jesus calls me his masterpiece and if He believes that, then I believe that.
I was created by God for a purpose, His purpose! I am worthy.
Beautiful I am beautiful in God’s eyes and he has a purpose for me and knowing that helps in the times when the enemy comes at me with untruths about myself.
Very comforting to know that in spite of being fallen God has a purpose for my life and one day he will take me to perfection but now I pray he will use this broken vessel for his Glory.
A masterpiece is a priceless treasure. It humbles me to think that God gave up His Son for me! Sadly I have acted like rubbish and treated others as if they were rubbish at times in my life. I need to embrace that I am a daughter of the King of kings who is dearly loved and to treat everyone else as princes and princesses, also God’s masterpiece. If they do not know Jesus yet I need to be a good ambassador for Him and tell them about Him.
I absolutely love that statement "Sanctification is a work of art restoration". I am being restored! Thank you, Jesus!
I am made in the image of the Almighty, restore me to what you intended me to be like, so that I can reflect who you are.
Thinking of humans as masterpieces rather than a fallen creation puts an exciting, vigorous spin on the subject of humanity. It causes me to be positive about parts of my life I’m fairly negative about, at the moment. To understand that God created us to be "great", not "fallen", really makes me see myself and others in a very positive light. This is exciting! Imagine what we can accomplish with the guidance and help of Holy Spirit!