You Are a Work of God

This coming Sunday, we are wrapping up our (all too!) short series called “BeLoved”, on our identity, dignity, and destiny in Christ. On Sunday, we talked about how as God’s beloved children,

we are also created to be his beloved ‘co-workers’.

That is, we are made in “the image of God” to ‘be’ like God in the way we do a sort if imitation of what God has done in creation: brining order to disorder, peace to chaos, light to dark, and life to death. He has graciously given us, human beings, a real share in his rule over creation and a real share in his ongoing new creation work. It’s our “vocation” (our calling) as human beings: to work, alongside God, in his redemption of the world. 

And it grants our lives the greatest dignity imaginable: to join God in God’s redemption of the world.

We are a work of God, meant to work with God. Simply amazing.

Look at the way Karl Barth, my favorite theologian, talks about this – and the direction he takes it:

“Among Christians there are far too many grouchy and sour faces. You have no reason to look that way, and it does you no good. You are a work of God. He had created you and done so much for you that is good. And now your task consists simply in your being the one created by him and endowed by him. So, now be the one endowed by him, and since you are that one, don’t fail to sing God’s praise, even if you have no imposing voice. Don’t fail to live in the joy in which you have been placed, even if you can only make that joy imperfectly apparent. That is not an art. You can do it too. May God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit prevail and make this happen among us human beings!”

Insights, Karl Barth, page 14.

Catch that: you are a work of God, and your task (vocation) is simply to be who God has made you to be. Because of that, don’t fail to live joyfully, praising him with your voice and your whole life!  Even if our joy is imperfect, and even if our praises are meager – don’t fail to be who God has made you to be. After all, you are a work of God. As I said on Sunday, echoing Paul, “put on” this vocation, “clothe yourselves” in it as you become more and more like Christ, the image of God.

I wanted to share that with you because I thought that was the right word to hear as we approach Thanksgiving and the Christmas season…a season of joy and praise!