Why I Wrote “Masterpiece in the Making”

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

Workmanship. This word in Ephesians 2:10 is the Greek word, “poiema.” Our English word, poem, comes from it. It’s a word that speaks of artistic creation, and it can be found in only one other place in the New Testament. In Romans 1:20, it is used to describe how God, the Divine Artist, can be clearly seen through the beauty of His creation.

In the Ephesians passage, this word, “poiema” describes you and me; we are God’s works-in-progress. The Divine Artist is at work in your life and mine to create something breathtakingly beautiful. But in order for this beautiful life to become what God plans for it to become, we must trust Him in what is, for all of us, an unpredictable journey.

That’s why I wrote “Masterpiece.” The subtitle, “Life Lessons for Spiritual Growth,” points to a truth that is echoed throughout the book — spiritual growth takes place in your life and mine as we encounter the good, the bad, and the ugly that come our way.

All of life’s experiences are medium used by the Divine Artist as He shapes us into the people He is calling us to be.

I consider myself an evangelical Christian, but I’m concerned about what I see as an overemphasis on doctrine and an underemphasis on lifestyle in much of the evangelical church today. Spiritual maturity is not measured by how well we dot our doctrinal i’s and cross our doctrinal t’s. Spiritual maturity is measured by our character, integrity, and perhaps, most of all, by our relationships with others.

Jesus rebuked the doctrine-obsessed scribes of his day, saying, “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:26)

Doctrinal teaching is not absent from “Masterpiece in the Making.” Far from it. But doctrine is a means to an end, and that end can be summed up in the words of Jesus, who taught that the entirety of scripture is fulfilled in our lives when we love God and love others. (Mark 12:29–31)

The Reformation in the 16th Century was doctrinal in nature, and it was sorely needed by the church. Today, we are experiencing what I like to call a Reformation of the Heart, where doctrine and lifestyle come together as a witness to the world of the Good News found in Jesus.

I believe “Masterpiece in the Making” is a part of this new reformation as the church moves from its rigid obsession with right doctrine to an emphasis on where doctrine should ultimately lead as we grow in the grace, mercy, and love found in our Lord.

In Christ,

Dan

Masterpiece in the Making: Life Lessons for Spiritual Growth is available on Amazon.