Focusing on God’s Workmanship

A little girl asked her father if a mule, they had just seen, was a Christian. The father replied, “No. Of course not! why do ask?” “Well, you say Grandma is a Christian and that mule has a long face just like Grandma’s,” says the little girl.

I fear the trend today among Christians is to imitate “Grandma.” They portray themselves as miserable sinners rather than rejoicing Christians. They seemingly think of themselves as weak struggling sinners still – rather than God-redeemed and God-empowered saints. This kind of thinking is a great happiness robber. It may well be the reason for the long faces on many of us who say we are Christians.

There was a time when each of us “were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8). Such is a time for mourning (2 Cor. 7:10), even trembling (Acts 24:25), over sinning against God. But, should that mind set continue after receiving forgiveness? In 2 Corinthians 2:7, Paul warns against a forgiven person’s being overwhelmed by over much sorrow. Evidently one of them had met God’s terms of pardon. Now was the time for him to be comforted, no longer bowed down in sorrow. This, it seems to me, indicates that a redeemed sinner should emphasize the redeemed (rejoicing) part over the sinner (sorrowful) part.

Somehow, the idea that a Christian should portray no self-esteem at all, has crept into our thinking. So, we think we must always be demeaning ourselves in order to glorify God. Self-esteem is confused with self-righteousness. Self-esteem or self-respect is what we think of ourselves. We are not discouraged from just thinking highly of ourselves, but from thinking more highly “than we ought to think.” (Rom. 12:3). There is a big difference between thinking as highly as we ought and thinking more highly than we ought.

Christians are told to rejoice always and they are given many reasons for rejoicing over whom they have become through Christ. They are elevated to be, to name just a few things

∙ Heirs to heaven. (1 Pet. 1:3-4)
∙ A chosen generation. (1 Pet. 2:9)
∙ A royal priesthood. (1 Pet. 2:9)
∙ An holy nation. (1 Pet. 2:9)
∙ God’s own special people. (1 Pet. 2:9)
∙ God’s workmanship. (Eph. 2:8-10)
∙ Children of God. (Gal. 3:26, 27)
∙ Lights in the midst of darkness. (Phil. 2:15)

One would be thinking more highly of himself than he ought if he were to think that he became any of these things on his own. That would be self-righteousness. But, emphasizing what he has become by the power of God in response to obedience is glorying in the Lord (2 Cor. 10:17) – in His power and His grace.

Did God save us in Christ in order to for us to dwell on our sins – past or present? No. He died to make sinners into saints. To turn the unrighteous into righteous people. Like the Ethiopian eunuch and the Philippian Jailor’s household, we should go on our way rejoicing. We should praise God for his workmanship and for our being part of that workmanship. It is not a time for beating ourselves up over how sinful we are or have been; nor for seeking to convince others (including God) that in reality we are still a wretched people.

The Lord’s Supper is a solemn weekly memorial honoring Jesus for his sacrificial death for our benefit. However, this does not mean that it is a time for morbid thinking about sin and death. It is a time for reminding us of the goodness of the Lord, in the giving of His body and the shedding of His blood, so that we could be saved from the guilt, despair, and eternal consequences of sin. Praise God. What a Savior? It is a time for awareness of communion (fellowship) with the Lord and each other (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16). Yes, even a time for quietly rejoicing in the Lord.

Nothing that I have said is designed to discourage us from being acutely aware of what we were without Christ (Like those in 1 Cor. 6:9-11 and Eph. 2), but to encourage us to be much more conscious of what the Lord has made us to be. One purpose of the New Covenant is that those once purged under it should have “no more consciousness of sin” (Heb. 10:12).

“Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think (‘dwell’ in some versions -eb) on these things.” (Philippians 4:4-8 KJV)

As Christians, we have no right to boast about who we are, because we have been made such by the will and power of God. Nor, do we have the right to degrade who we are, because that would reflect on the quality of God’s workmanship.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”