This is a question we have been on a journey for which to find the answer. Simply put, we are His greatest work and joy. He loved us even before we were born! He loved us before we could ever do anything good or bad. He loved us because He wanted us to be a part of His family. He created us to be the subject of His love and to have us love Him back.
We have seen and heard repeatedly, week after week, from God’s Word that God is love! (1 John 4:16) Because of His love for us He sent us His Son to be the Savior for the world. (1 Jo 4:14). His love for us has never been based on our goodness, but rather, we are the very best of His creation.
After He created everything in the universe, His greatest work took place. He took from the dust of the earth and created man. (Gen. 1:26a) “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our Own image, according to Our likeness…” It continues in vs. 27, “God created man in His Own imagine, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Verse 31 then tells us God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
What happened to us? Through Satan’s scheming and hatred for God he approached God’s greatest joy. Satan tempted Eve and then Adam followed suit in their disobedience to God. One lie, one act of disobedience, severed the relationship between God and man. As sin entered into God’s glorious creation, paradise was lost, and relationships destroyed. But God wasn’t willing to leave us in a fallen state. He sent us a Savior. His Son, Jesus, was sent to pay the ultimate price. His precious blood was shed on the cross so our relationship with God could be redeemed and restored.
We looked at the cross, we studied the necessity and urgency of baptism, and now we are looking beyond the cross and baptism to the resurrection.
Over the past several weeks we have studied in God’s Word about His eternal plan and how it was carried out. Jesus came down from heaven to give us an example to follow. In recent lessons, we learned how to follow Him to the cross, be buried in a watery grave and share in His resurrection. Remember, without resurrection, there is no life, no hope and no reconciliation.
This week we will be looking at our response to the hope we experience because of the resurrection. We will also see how to live a reconciled life. We have been restored to our heavenly Father through His Son, so we demonstrate His workmanship in us as we live in Him. He loves us so and He wants us to showcase His love for, and to, the world. Please remember, there is no greater love in the world than His love for us, and there is no greater love shown to others than when we share His love (1 John 4:7-11).
What does it mean for us to be His workmanship? We will attempt to answer that question this Lord’s Day. There is no greater privilege than to gather with the saints on the first day of the week. As we assemble together, in one Spirit, we pray, we sing, we partake in our Lord’s Supper, and we hear His message proclaimed. My prayer for you is that you desire to be a part of this time set for our coming together. As we do these things, we are sharing with the world New Test Christianity. br />
In Christ,br />
Steve
NOBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST