In Ephesians 2:4-10 Paul says,
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
In Christ we have been raised from the dead and seated with him where he is. When we were raised to life we became new. Paul says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
The greek word used for masterpiece is “poiema” which means: a product, thing that was made, workmanship. When we were raised with Christ we became a new thing. The old man ruled and influenced by death and deception died. The person that was raised was fashioned totally new, by the creator of all things. Which is why we are called a masterpiece or workmanship. And to be clear the quality of the build (the created thing), reflects the skill of the builder (the one who created and fashioned it).
Paul goes on and says, “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus”. The greek word for created is “ktizo” which means: Through the idea of proprietorship of the manufacturer; to fabricate, found, form, create, creator, make. When a manufacturer sets out to create a product he does so because there is a reason, there is a problem or a need that this product is going to solve or fulfill. The manufacturer puts everything into the product that it will need to succeed for the purpose of its creation. This is why it’s called a masterpiece instead of a piece of crap, because the product can actually can do what the manufacturer intended it to do.
“He (God) created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things (or good works) he planned for us long ago.” The greek word for works is “Ergon” meaning: to work; toil (as an effort or occupation); an act, deed, doing, labour, work. These good works are our purpose in life. Using our gift to accomplish these good works becomes our occupation. These good works become what occupies our time, energy and focus. These good works are our mission.
Our mission is a vital part in a bigger mission. As we learn to see life from the perspective of being united with Christ in heavenly places our whole outlook changes. We start to see the bigger picture. We start to see what God sees. When you start to see what God sees it changes everything. It changes the way you think. It changes your perspective, what you think you can do and what you think you can’t do. It changes your priorities, decisions, action and therefore your results. Understanding that you are united with Christ where he actually is, is step one of truly understanding your position and identity. From this first step flows purpose and vision, which is your mission. And when you have seen what can only be seen from the perspective of wholeness seated with Christ, you awaken a great sense of obligation to your mission.
Your mission is motivated by your perspective and understanding of who you are in Christ. When we get this right everything else will follow. Remember, “ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” A masterpiece has the ability built inside of itself to accomplish what the creator created it for. It’s a masterpiece because it was built by a master. If we believe that we are broken after being made new than what does that say about the image we hold of the one who fashioned us?