The Work Praises Its Master

“We who at first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.” Verse 12.

An artist is honored by his work. The finer the craftsmanship, the more skillful the artist. A sinner that has been saved by grace, filled with the Spirit of God, and conformed to the Master’s image, is an unparalleled work of art. The more of God’s nature (the more of Christ’s attributes) a human being possesses, the more God will be glorified by that same person. God’s mystery, the hidden wisdom of God, was predestined by Him for our glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7.) Now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is to be made known to principalities and powers in heavenly places, according to His purpose from eternity past which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are the material, He is the artist. Our will can be likened to the natural resistance in the potter’s clay. If our self-will is stronger than God’s will, we will become like clay that breaks in the hands of the potter and must be reshaped as another vessel. Therefore, the sooner we learn to say, “Not my will, but Thine,” the sooner we will be conformed to His image and be to the praise of Him who created us.