God's Magnificent Masterpiece Series

INTRODUCTION

Outline.

1. Our Canvas Before Painting

2. Our Canvas During Painting

3. Our Canvas After Painting

Introductory Remarks.

1. In our lesson today, I will discuss: “God’s Magnificent Masterpiece.” We can never hear or read enough about God's grace and how He has made us “a new creature in Christ Jesus.” In this “Expository Sermon," we will be demonstrating the divine process of how God has “created in each of us a Masterpiece.” We will view God’s handiwork in creating us into His portrait of art in Christ Jesus. The elegance and beauty of the "Mona Lisa" fail in comparison: to the magnificent beauty of what God has created in each of us. We are His work of sublime and radiant beauty, a marvelous portrait of Heavenly Essence! Painted on the canvas of life, with the precious blood of Christ: “The Lamb offered without spot and blemish unto God,” 1 Peter 1:18-19. When you feel down and out --worthless and unworthy. Remember whose you are and in whom you have been created. We are God’s masterpiece: “Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which He hath before ordained that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2:10. Amen!

2. First, we will consider "our canvas before painting." The beloved apostle describes the Ephesian's former state before they were created as God's Masterpiece. He penned: "And you hath He quickened, who (were) dead in trespasses and sins…and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others," Ephesians 2:1-3. Then, we were "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ…Therefore, we are no more strangers, and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God," Ephesians 2:11-19. [Text shortened for brevity].

3. Second, we will discuss “our canvas during painting.” How Paul describes our condition, location, and who we were with when we were painted as God’s Masterpiece. He penned: God who is rich in mercy, when we were dead in trespasses and sins, hath “quickened us,” making us alive, while with Jesus. At that time, when we were together with Christ (by grace, we were saved). The hands of Christ painted our picture. He was permitting us to begin a new life, created in Him, unto God’s glory as a portrait: of unique and splendid beauty.

4. Lastly, we will investigate “our canvas after painting.” In Christ, we have been created as God’s magnificent masterpiece. A replica of “God in righteousness and true holiness.” If any man "be in Christ, he is a new creation," or God's masterpiece of splendid beauty and heavenly essence! We are now the children of God, "through the faith in Christ Jesus," Galatians 3:26-27. Peter wrote: “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature (of Christ), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,” 2 Peter 1:3-4. With this brief introduction, let’s consider our first point in this lesson.

BODY OF LESSON

I OUR CANVAS BEFORE PAINTING

A. First, Paul wrote: “You…who (were) dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation (manner of life) in time past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others,” Ephesians 2:1-3. [Text shortened for brevity]. The picture under reconstruction, restoration, and preservation has been damaged, abused, and abandoned; a worthless portrait of art, fit only to be discarded and destroyed. But God,

NOTE: Christ’s Art Restoration and Preservation Service. Where portraits like ours undergo total restoration and preservation operations: including cleaning, washing, revarnishing, lining-relining, restoring, repairing, in-painting, and refurbishing, to become priceless works of art! Say, Amen, thank you, Lord, someone up in this house! Observe,

1. In our former condition, we were broken, incomplete, undone, and ruined works of art of our own making (painting). O, what a mess we had made of our lives. We got ourselves into things only God could deliver from our ungodly, lustful, and sinful behaviors. Help us, dear Lord! Paul wrote,

2. First, to the Ephesians: "Wherefore remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called the Uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands: That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ…Therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and the household of God…In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit," Ephesians 2:11-22. [Text shortened for brevity]. This is who we were, but now we are in Christ!