Daily Reading: Ephesians 2:4–10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10)
I walked through the department store and saw an employee from the women’s department approach a female shopper and ask if she was interested in a free complete makeover. It would be unkind for me to say that in my judgment she could have used it, since I was probably in greater need of one. It would be great if someone could give me a complete makeover so I would look how I want to. But some projects are too enormous to tackle.
It is hard to get the outside of our lives to look the way we would like. It is more difficult, even impossible, to get the inside fixed up nice and keep it that way. Our intentions get thwarted; our thoughts get corrupted; our attitudes get sabotaged; and our affections get hijacked. Our fix-ups don’t last; do-overs are not possible; and complete makeovers are beyond us.
Among the glorious benefits of the atonement is the transformation that begins at our new birth and continues until we are loosed from the residual effects of the fall and are clothed in our new body, fit for life in heaven. God lifts us up and gives us a new standing in Christ. At the same time, He begins creating something new in us. His fingerprints can be seen in His handiwork declaring that the changes in us are the result of His work, not ours. We are His workmanship.
Identify a place where God is at work in your life and determine to cooperate with Him in making the transformation complete.
Ken Heer is the author of Ancient Fire (WPH) and has been a pastor and church leader for fifty-two years.
