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The ​Making of a Masterpiece

3/1/2019

14 Comments

 
The Making of a Masterpiece
God has given me many ministry opportunities over the years, and one of those ministries was working in a museum of Christian art. Ironically my husband was the artist in our family; he taught art in Christian schools; and he even proposed marriage to me at an art museum.

When we moved to Greenville for my husband to pastor, our church congregation was small. To help with finances I began working at the Museum & Gallery at Bob Jones University.  I received a lot of art training, gave tours, and became captivated with everything art.

​
The M&G collection is made up of Old Master paintings, tapestries, etchings, stained glass, and even furniture. It was interesting to learn that each art form goes through a process for completion, and there are specific tools used to accomplish the final masterpiece. 
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As Christians Our Artist is God

  • He is taking us through a process of sanctification or completion. Psalms 37:23, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”
  • He uses specific tools to accomplish this. Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness…that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
  • Our lives should be a direct reflection of Him. Jeremiah 61:3, “[He] gives them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness…that He might be glorified.”

A Fascinating Type of Artwork is Etching

Let’s look at how an etching is done as we think about God making us a masterpiece for His glory.
  1. First the artist takes a polished metal plate and applies ground or resin to it. Spiritually--At salvation our lives are a new blank slate (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we are covered with Christ’s righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
  2. Next a sharp etching tool is used to draw into the ground. Spiritually--After we are covered in Christ’s righteousness, He begins making us into His image with the etching needle of God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12, 13)
  3. The next step involves acid.  The plate is submerged in an acid bath to bite away the layers of metal and chemically engrave the plate. Spiritually--The acid bath is like the trials we go through (James 1:2-4).  These are the times that we really learn who God is and who we are.  It takes these trials to etch Christ’s image on our lives.
  4. Finally the plate is inked and pressure is applied to the artist’s plate and the etched image transfers to the paper for the finished print. Spiritually--Pressure in our lives reveals who we really are, which should be a beautiful picture of Christ likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).
As our Master Artist takes us through the sanctification process our prayer should be these words from the hymn O to Be Like Thee:
"O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart."
Debbie
What process has God taken you through, and what specific tools has He used to mold you into a masterpiece of beautiful art for Him?
Please Share
14 Comments
Michele Morin link
3/1/2019 08:06:44 am

Wow, sometimes that process of becoming like Christ feels like God is using acid, and yet we know that suffering produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope! We will not be disappointed! (Romans 5)

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 10:29:31 am

You are so right, Michele. The hope our trials produce is not just wishful thinking but a confident expectation that God is working all things together for our good and His glory,

Reply
KellyRBaker link
3/1/2019 09:26:55 am

Beautiful post. The overall process isn't pretty, but the finished results are beautiful. We need to keep this in mind through the hard times.

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 10:45:01 am

Thank you, Kelly. It is so hard to keep an eternal focus in the midst of the messy here and now. But what a wonderful God we have who is lovingly conforming us into the image of His Son.

Reply
Calleen Petersen link
3/1/2019 10:11:27 am

Art is a beautiful medium to explore this in. It draws metaphors well.

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 12:31:56 pm

Yes, art is a creative expression of being made in God's image. He is the original Creator of all. There are many spiritual parallels that can be drawn through the different mediums of art.

Reply
Crysyal link
3/1/2019 10:42:31 am

What a beautiful post! I love the metaphor as art paired with the undeniable biblical truths of God being an artist that shapes us.

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 12:40:48 pm

Thanks! It IS God's work. We need to be willing to let Him make us into the masterpiece.

Reply
Laurie Hess link
3/1/2019 11:38:43 am

As a former chemistry teacher( and a person who loves art), I used to do etching with my students to teach them about acid reactions. I never thought about how this could be used as an analogy for how God shapes us spiritually. I love this!

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 12:26:21 pm

Ohhhh, I would have loved being in that class! Maybe you could do a demonstration to your SS class or at a ladies' meeting and make the spiritual application. It would make a wonderful visual impact on those who would see it.

Reply
Lesley link
3/1/2019 04:48:26 pm

This is a beautiful post! I love the link you make between the artist's work of creating a masterpiece and God's work in our lives.

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 07:31:12 pm

Thank you, Lesley. Life makes so much more sense when we realize it is being fashioned and designed by our Creator God.

Reply
Rebecca Jones link
3/1/2019 05:56:25 pm

A reflection of the artist, God, Himself. Ephesians 2:10 I've been through several processes, I just wrote about pruning.So there will be lovelier flowers and more fruit.

Reply
Debbie
3/1/2019 07:34:55 pm

The verse is perfect - "we are His workmanship." Thanks for sharing.

Reply

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