The created . . . again

I wonder what it was like at the beginning—you know when God formed Adam into a man, and breathed life into him. Can you
imagine watching God create? “The
Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis
2.19. And then “The Lord God
caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took
one of man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out
of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Gen. 2.21-22.

How rich, how beautiful to imagine the hands of God forming and shaping the first human beings! (The above scripture doesn’t
mention God’s hands, but it sure seems like he would have used his hands,
doesn’t it?) Think of an artist,
think of a creator at work . . . my mind instantly goes to the potter, and his
hands—wet, and covered with clay.

And then, through our acknowledgment of Christ’s work on the cross, (if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation), God the Creator creates
again. He shapes us yet again,
as though from the first time…and yet this time, we can choose to be workable
in his hands, or not. Isaiah
wrote, “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Have you ever seen anyone ‘throw a pot’? To see a wet, grayish-brown blob of wet clay formed into a pot right before your very eyes is an amazing experience. Obviously, the clay
is purely at the mercy and creativity of the artist who shapes it. One of the most critical steps in
throwing a pot, is centering it. If the clay is not centered when the
potter begins to pull up the piece, it will be off balance, and it will be a
struggle for the whole process.

Next is opening up the center of the clay, which like centering, requires physical acuity; and then pulling, which combines squeezing and pulling at the same time. Finally, the base of the
piece is trimmed, so that the
creation will be stable. As I
studied these four steps of throwing a pot, I saw the symbolism to how Christ
makes us into new creations, don’t you?

First, God centers us on the saving work of Christ on the Cross –

Then, we are opened up to the truths of Scripture, and God’s plan for our lives

Next, we are rounded and pulled and shaped by submitting our wills to God, including
the refining work of trials in our lives, when we have the opportunity
of leaning solely on the Creator to make us strong in character

Finally, as long as we breathe earth’s air, we will be trimmed, honed and shaped
by the loving hands of God, so that we will be, as James says, not only ‘strong
in character, but full and complete’.

You are the created . . . again.

Christine