Mentoring Men for the Master

MY DEAR BROTHERS, LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS: JESUS HAS MADE YOU HIS “MASTERPIECE’

MY DEAR BROTHERS, LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS: JESUS HAS MADE YOU HIS “MASTERPIECE’

Ephesians 2:10

God commands that we never praise ourselves, but it is all right for another to brag on us (Prov. 27:2).  And when that “Other” is God Himself and He calls us “Masterpiece” that should bring SUPER ENCOURAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION to live a godly life.  And this God does in Ephesians 2:10 when He says, “We are His Masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good works which He ordained for us to do before we were born or born again, even before the creation of the world.”

What is the meaning of the word “Masterpiece?”  Webster’s 10th Collegiate Dictionary defines it as a “SUPREME ACHIEVEMENT DONE WITH EXTRAORDINARY SKILL.”  In the case of a true follower of Jesus, how has Jesus made us His “Masterpiece?”

  1. Jesus Has CREATED Us An Entirely “New Creation” or Person – 2 Cor. 5:17.

 

  1. Jesus Has CHOSEN Us To Do “Good Works” Ordained by Him Before The Foundation of The World – Ephesians 2:10b.

 

  1. Jesus Has CLOTHED Us With The Power of The Holy Spirit To Do These “Good Works – Luke 24:40-50; Acts. 1:8.

 

This Power Consist of Two Gifts:

  1. The Gift with a big “G” – the Person and Presence of the Holy Spirit.  This is salvation through the new birth of the Holy Spirit – John 3:3; 3:5.
  2. The gift(s) of the spiritual gifts which are bestowed upon every single believer when he is born again, enabling him to do a special service that will glorify Jesus, build up the body of Christ, and minister to the needs of others. (1 Peter 4:10).  Why?  Because every believer possesses in his “Spiritual DNA” the ability to render services that no one else can do.  Every true believer is 99% like all other believers, except for 1% which is that special giftedness an all-loving Father has bestowed upon him.

 

We, therefore, conclude from the above definition of “Masterpiece,” that God has made us His redeemed children “Masterpieces,” not just to get us to heaven or to sit back an enjoy or even brag about our special status, but to serve Jesus Christ, the body of Christ, and our fellow man.  Moreover, He has equipped us with the special abilities to do just this – spiritual gifts.

Then six things are imperative for every believer who would follow Jesus and conform to His image (Romans 8:29).

 

 

 

 

(1)     You should know your spiritual gift and if you do not know it you should discover it quickly.

(2)     You should use it in context of a Body of Bible-Believing and Bible-Obedient local church or group

(3)     Remember and never forget that if you’re not using your gift(s) or they have become stagnant, you are “grieving” or “quenching” the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19) and making Him dysfunctional in your life and keeping you depressed

(4)     You should depend constantly upon the Holy Spirit to enable you to discharge your functions.

(5)     You should keep growing in effectiveness in the use of your gifts.

(6)     You should remember that one day you must give an account of how you used your gifts on earth which will determine your rewards in heaven.

 

Illustration:  I confess that I hate most TV Programs, especially “Reality TV”,  except one recent show.  It showed how they took a horribly ugly woman, with horrible face, 200 pounds over weight, who was given an “EXTREME MAKE-OVER,” until she looked prettier than Queen Elizabeth 11 of England.  Amazing, unbelievable!

Then my mind took me to the second chapter of Ephesians which begins by showing how ugly and horrible everyone of us were:

  1. Dead- not knowing God,
  2. A prisoner to the sins of the world
  3. An object of Divine wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3)

 

But then this same person experiences an “EXTREME MAKE-OVER.”  The dead person comes alive, freed from sin unto righteousness, saved by grace through faith, becomes the very dwelling place of God (verse 2:22).  In a word, “God’s Masterpiece”, is  the result of an “EXTREME-MAKE-OVER.”  (Ephesians 2:4-22).

Permit me to share with you, humbly and gratefully Seven Glorious Benefits for Exercising My Spiritual Gift(s).

  1. Gives me definite direction for my life.
  2. Contentment in knowing that I am not “Wasting” my life but investing it for time and also eternity.
  3. Incredible joy and fulfillment in daily living.
  4. Acceptance humbly that I am God’s “Masterpiece” only by His grace and never desiring some one else’s gift.
  5. A great sense of humility and gratitude.
  6. Increasing favor of God upon myself as I continue faithful in using my gifts for Him and others.
  7. Assurance that my Accountability at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) will bring to me a crown, not for myself, but to lay at the feet of Jesus (Rev. 4:11).