Embracing Our Identity as God's Masterpiece

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And I think we can relate in some ways because we all have voices in our lives that try to speak into who we are and shape our identity. And yet today as we begin this new sermon series, sometimes the loudest critic isn't out there, it's what we see in the mirror. Right? Some days we see confidence. We see that we are doing exactly what God created us to do. That we are living to our fullest and best potential. [00:02:08] (29 seconds)


But then if we're honest, we also have days where we see all the flaws and the imperfections. The times that we have failed as whether an employee or a boss. As a friend, as a parent, as a spouse, as a follower of Jesus. There's days, quite frankly, that we feel like we don't measure up. That we are not good enough. [00:02:37] (23 seconds)


And it's on these days that it's essential that we see ourselves not through our eyes, but through God's eyes. Because perspective is everything. Isn't it funny how two people can look at the exact same thing and see it completely differently? [00:03:00] (22 seconds)


Depending on our perspective, it's easy to fall in the trap of looking at how are we wrong? How have we failed all of our shortcomings? And we miss out on our true identity, the way that God sees us. [00:04:04] (16 seconds)


And yet perspective matters because it's important to understand the reality of our situation. That on our own or apart from Christ, the truth is that we aren't good enough. That we don't measure up. That we don't make it count, so to speak. Because here's how Paul describes it from Ephesians that Mike read just a moment ago. Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins, you used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil, the commander of the power. [00:04:20] (37 seconds)


The next two words, the most powerful, arguably the most powerful words in all of Scripture, but God, while we were lost and incapable of saving ourselves, God, who is rich in mercy and overflowing in love, made us alive with Christ. [00:06:17] (21 seconds)


And so no longer is our identity bound to our sinfulness and our selfishness. No longer does God see us as a mess. He sees us as a masterpiece. And so no longer is our worth determined, by what we do, but rather what Christ has done for us. It's not based on our performance. [00:06:39] (22 seconds)


This means that no matter how inadequate we feel, our identity is not defined by our past, whether failures or successes, but rather it's defined by God's grace and God's grace alone. We are His people. We are God's masterpiece. Masterpiece. [00:07:01] (20 seconds)


Because we feel that we don't quite measure up. And yet here is the truth that as Paul is writing these words, as he's speaking this identity over those who are in Christ, that he's showing us and reminding us that he's using this word poema, which, as we get the word poem from, it is this word that means masterpiece or workmanship. And so think of it this way, that a creator has shaped you and molded you into this masterpiece. [00:08:05] (32 seconds)


Kind of the words that I think are kind of beautiful way to describe it. It's God's, you are God's poetic statement created by God for God's divine purposes. A masterpiece. It means that you are of him, that you are from him, that you have been made by him, not just to exist, but for a purpose, that you are a masterpiece that has been created and crafted by God, shaped by his hands and created for a purpose, a purpose that God has put into place, into motion, even before you were born. [00:08:58] (45 seconds)


And yes, this is true for us, even though we don't feel like masterpieces, even though we would look at them with an honest look and say, we are not perfect, that we mess up. We do things that aren't the smartest or the wisest, right? And even though God has made us new, He's made us this new creation, we still stumble and fall. We continue to struggle with things. We continue to struggle with situations, and we think to ourselves, how could God possibly be working through me? But like all masterpieces, masterpieces aren't perfect, from the beginning, they go through this process of shaping and refining. [00:12:35] (44 seconds)


And that's exactly what God is doing with us. He sees the finished masterpiece that has been shaped by Christ, even when we can't. And so He chips away everything that doesn't belong. And He works in us and on us and through us, shaping us to be more and more like Christ. He shapes our identity. He develops our character. He uses the hard things, the good things in life, the painful moments, all of which to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ, a process that will never be complete until we are standing in His presence. [00:13:52] (43 seconds)


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