August 6, 2023
What Does It Mean that We Are God’s Masterpieces?
Ephesians 2:1-10
Reverend Yongchoel Woo
During the time of Vacation Bible School last month, Dave Stockford and several teenagers completed a special project to build outdoor benches. (slide1) The benches were placed in a shady spot among the pine trees in front of the church. The benches are small but attractive, simple, and sturdy. I would recommend all of you to try to go there and sit down on those benches.
I don’t know what species of wood were used in making those benches, but trees were cut, trimmed, and remade as construction lumber. Then, they were designed to be a bench with a special purpose, use, and function, each part cut to the right size, and connected with screws to be a nice bench. Originally those cut down trees were just wood materials, but they turned out to be beautiful benches, which is completely different from the trees and timber. If it had not been for the efforts of those who beautifully designed and assembled several pieces of lumber, the beautiful benches would not have existed. Those benches are the result of beautiful team work.
This morning, we read the passages in Ephesians, telling us who and what we are. (slide 2) I want all of us to come to understand who and what we are in God’s sight and ask ourselves how this new understanding of our identity can affect our views of, attitudes to, and relationships with those around us.
When Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Ephesus area, planted a church, and continued his ministry, many problems happened within the Ephesian Church. Among them, there was a serious problem the early Christians in Ephesus could not overcome while looking at each other. (slide 3) They continued to view one another in terms of their race, ethnicity, and social-economic status, rather than seeing themselves as God’s children. Though they, in Christ, came to see one another as those who were saved from their sins and death and became connected and united in His body as the church, it was not so easy for them to overcome the historical and cultural biases and prejudice that had been embedded in their thoughts, behavior, and way of life.
Regrettably, some undesirable things happened in the church. (slide 4) For example, the Gentile Christians felt alienated, humiliated and discriminated by the Jewish Christians, the poor were looked down on and ignored by the rich, and those of low social status felt inferior to those with high social status. Invisible lines were drawn among the Christians and serious tensions and conflict among them worsened. The resulting toxic atmosphere in the church negatively affected the unity, growth, and ministry of the church.
At that time, Paul realized that such problematic situations could not be ignored and wrote them a letter to give them the spiritual wisdom to resolve their issues. In today’s scripture, (slide 5) Paul reminds them of who they were in God’s sight, and in doing so, tries to encourage them to look at one another in the same way that God does.
(slide 6) Paul concludes that all those who know God’s love in the gospel Jesus proclaims, and join together as the body of Christ, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, poor or rich, or whatever their social status, are the very beautiful and precious workmanship of God. (v.10)
(slide 7) Before coming to Christ, they had followed the ways of the world. (v.2) They spent their lives pursuing and fulfilling their physical desires and worldly values, which turned out to be their transgressions and sins. They could not escape God’s wrath and judgement. Accordingly, they were destined to die for their sins, with no hope for their future or eternal life.
At that time, God did not abandon or punish them for their sins, but designed for them all the wonderful plans in His son, Jesus. (slide 8) Through His son’s sacrificial death on the cross, He forgave them so they could live a new life free from sin and death. It is not because they were qualified buy any merit or legalistic standards, but because, through Christ, God wanted to show mercy to them, and planned to willingly forgive and embrace them with his gracious love, regardless of their sins and disobedience.
That’s what Paul wants to say to the early Christians in Ephesus. He wants them to know they became His workmanship by His grace, (slide 9) which is manifested by His wonderful salvation plan for His people ; sacrificing His son on the cross for their sins.
While preparing for the sermon, something touched my heart. It is that the original Greek word translated as God’s work is ‘poiema’,(slide 10) and the English word poem we know well is also derived from it. When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, the Gentile Christians, the majority of the Ephesian church, were familiar with some popular epic poems, like Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey, ‘ in which many gods and goddesses are at work to bring about a positive ending to a bad situation.
Paul uses the word ‘poiema’ to illustrate that God works through the lives of His people to transform them from their status of sinners, who are destined for eternal death, into His masterpieces, that is, His loving children Likewise, (slide 11) Paul seems to mean by His workmanship (poiema, poem) that God redesigns the salvation of His people in Christ in order that they could live a new life, freed from sins and death.
Why does Paul say to the early Christians in Ephesus that they are His workmanship? Because it says the truth about what God had done for His people. (slide 12) Moreover, it is because, in the specific situation of the Ephesus church, that perspective could make a difference in viewing one another in the faith community. They could go beyond seeing one another in terms of their ethnicity, social status, and material possession, and looking at one another as the masterpieces of God’s creation and salvation. In the end, it is because it would lead the Ephesian Christians to be re-united in Christ.
Now, let’s ask ourselves this question. (slide 13) Why does God create His people as His workmanship(masterpieces)? We can find the answer in verse 10, (slide 14) “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
What does this mean? I am quite sure that the ‘good works’ mentioned here are not referring to the righteous and good works that are completed by conforming to the Jewish law. Then, what does it mean that we Christians are created anew to do good?
Within the scripture today, we can draw on the background for the possible answers to this question. The answer is the opposite to the way His people used to live, that is, (slide 15) ‘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. ‘(v.2)
Considering this, we can see how doing good is related to discarding the way we used to live and follow the way God wants us to live our lives. As His beautiful workmanship (slide 16) we should live our lives in response to His grace and love, according to ‘His expectation, purpose and will’ for our lives. By doing so we can reveal what He has done for us, just as a work of art reveals the artist’s intention, meaning, values, beauty, and imagination. As His workmanship, every one of us, without exception, should pursue this goal.
Let’s summarize. In the scripture today, (slide 17) Paul wants the early Christians to know who God is, and who they are in God’s sight. He is saying that God does not see and evaluate them with human standards, like ethnicity and the Jewish law. Instead, He creates them to be new children of God in Christ. They are His workmanship, witnessing how God, through Christ, works for His people’s salvation.
All of us are His workmanship and (slide 18) each of us should see others in the same way God sees His people. Though we are accustomed to looking at ourselves and one another in terms of age, gender, social and economic status, educational achievements, material possessions, and so on, this is not what God wants us to do. We should be able to open our spiritual eyes and go beyond those human perspectives in order that we can see ourselves and one another as His loving and precious children. Otherwise, we can’t appreciate the beauty God has created in us and those around us.
This coming week, (slide 19) let’s focus on seeing one another as His workmanship, that is, His precious children, and observe how that positively changes and improves our relationships with others.
In addition, as His workmanship(masterpiece), (slide 20) let’s strive to find out how we can reveal who He is, His love and salvation, His expectations, His will, and His vision through our lives. And let’s examine what old ways of life, prejudices, and bad habits we need to discard from our lives so we can better glorify and exalt HIs grace and love.
