GOD’S WORKMANSHIP
I desire to say a few words about God’s workmanship. It would be good for us all to realise that there is such a thing as God's workmanship, something that is entirely of God. Nothing of human ability comes into it. From start to finish, it is God's workmanship, a wonderful thing to consider. Nothing of the fallen state of man comes into it. It is not only God's work but God’s workmanship, involving the skill of the Operator, having in mind a finished article. There could be no improvement on God’s workmanship. It is that in which God finds delight because it proceeds from Him, it is according to Him, and is to be His own finished product. It is seen and will be seen in persons. Paul says, “We are his workmanship”. We are not here to eulogise our brother, but I am sure I can say that he was an excellent example of God’s work. Eulogy would have been the last thing our brother would desire. He would rather attention was called to the Lord Jesus who has provided the righteous basis in His blood and is the Pattern of all for God's pleasure and as the Man Christ Jesus sustains all. The Holy Spirit how operates from this standpoint.
Now this section from which I have read (from verses 1 to 10) describe what is entirely God’s work. The material is persons who were dead in offences and sins. There could not be more unlikely material, and that is what everybody is naturally, what our brother was naturally. We are all the same, the most unsuitable material you could think of, and yet what is introduced is God’s workmanship. It says, “For ye are saved by grace, through faith; and this not of yourselves; it is God's gift; not on the principle of works, that no one might boast”. We have nothing to boast about because it is “not of yourselves; it is God's gift”. In the end, God’s workmanship only will remain. It is what goes through into eternity for God's pleasure, nothing else goes through but God’s workmanship. Every believer is part of His workmanship and now is the time when the workmanship proceeds, when growth proceeds. It is in view of God’s pleasure in eternity and in view of display in the world to come as this section indicates, but the time when the growth takes place is now; therefore there is need now to be committed in every way to such divine operations. I believe the Lord would have us to appreciate God’s workmanship more. Of course, the Lord would help us to be faithful in every relation of life, home, business, all these things. These things are all testimonial, God helps us in all these things, but what really matters is God’s workmanship. We as believers are the subjects of this wonderful operation of divine love. In the world around we might become too much occupied with all that men are doing, but what really matter is what God is doing. “For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works”. It works out testimonially, people can take account of the works who may not know the secret. Some of us can take account of the life of our brother as knowing the secret of it. It was God’s workmanship. He was never more appreciated, never more loved than now, but One has loved him more than we do, and has appreciated him more than we do, and He has taken him to be with Himself. The good works were seen amongst us and no doubt seen too in his movements amongst men, “good works, which God has before prepared that we should walk in them”. These good works were seen perfectly in the Lord Jesus here, and God's workmanship is after that pattern. It is new creation, created in Christ Jesus, in that Man and after the pattern of that Man. In the light of this we are prepared to sacrifice certain things here. As believers we have to forego certain things, but what compensation there is in being God’s workmanship. God wants to have us absolutely for His pleasure eternally, in every way suited to Him because it is His own workmanship in Christ Jesus and after the pattern of that Man. May every one of our hearts be encouraged until He come, and may we be prepared for the promotion in ourselves of this workmanship, submitting to be hand of the Operator. There is the word in Jeremiah about the potter and the clay. He made another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it, and that is God’s workmanship. We need to be submissive and pliable in His hand that what He has in mind may result with each one of us and may it be our privilege to appreciate God’s workmanship in one another. May the Lord help and comfort each one.
EDINBURGH
18th September 1972
At a burial meeting – previously unpublished
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