We Are God’s Workmanship
The Apostle Paul told the brethren in Rome that “since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – His divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
And we know from what we read in Genesis chapter 1, the creation chapter, each step of His creative endeavors was followed by the statement: “and God saw that it was good”. And finally in verse 31 of Genesis 1, He sums up all He has created by saying: “God saw all that He made, and it was VERY good.”
The Hebrew for “good” is tov, and it has a rich dynamic meaning that implies functional purpose, beauty, harmony and alignment with God’s design. We might define it as being exceptional, or excellent, although these English words don’t begin to describe the meaning of the word tov. Everything that God created was very or exceedingly good. His workmanship was excellent. It was quality workmanship.
In fact, in the book of Job, it says: “The angels shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth” (Job 38:7). We know that everything God creates, everything He does, everything He plans and designs and brings into existence is worthy of getting excited and overjoyed about.
In Revelation, chapter 4, it says: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).
We’re amazed when we investigate the heavens and examine the vastness of the universe, just as we are when we look at His creation under an electron microscope.
No matter where we look, we see God’s amazing workmanship. And the interesting thing is that God is still creating.
The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians: “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). God is creating something in us. He’s creating something that can only be done by Christ living His life in us. And that creative process that we’re going through is GOD’S WORKMANSHIP.
If God requires quality and excellence in everything He does, everything He creates, then it’s obvious that God’s excellence in spiritual character is going to be required in us as well. We all realize we are not there yet.
But we need to take courage in knowing that we are God’s workmanship and that God is willing to use all His spiritual resources to achieve the excellence He desires in us. “Praise be to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1: 3)
All these spiritual blessings are poured out on us to enable us to be molded and formed and shaped, so that ultimately we can be brought into a state of excellence in God’s sight. Consider how the weekly Sabbath and God’s annual Holy days work in this respect. Think about our calling.
To start, God calls us, gets our attention and begins to work with us. He gives us the gift of repentance, the forgiveness of sins and the gift of His Holy Spirit. What a blessing the gift of repentance is that enables us to begin to see that our way is totally wrong and that God’s way is the way of excellence. And what a blessing it is to have our sins forgiven, without which we couldn’t move forward. (Romans 4: 7-8; 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22).
God knows and guarantees the outcome of His workmanship. We will be able to stand firm if His Spirit resides in us, enabling us to use all the gifts He gives us. His gifts, His blessings help us to overcome as He molds and shapes us.
Let’s use the Fall Holy Days to praise and thank God for all His gifts, all His blessings and for the awesome process that He is bringing us through to become the finest example of His creative ability and workmanship.
Because we are His workmanship.
John Hinds
