A handkerchief made of very valuable material was ruined by an indelible ink blot. The owner could no longer proudly display her prized possession, so she sadly showed it to English art critic and painter John Ruskin. He took it, and with remarkable skill made that ugly ink blot the center of a beautiful design. The woman’s handkerchief was then far more valuable than before.

God our Maker faced a situation something like that of the artist, except that the problem was immeasurably greater. Adam was God’s supreme creation, but he had ruined himself by sin. With his original perfection stained and disfigured, he was fit only to be eternally discarded. But by the amazing strategy of the cross, our gracious God, the Supreme Artist, took ruined sinners and recreated them to reflect the beauty of Christ’s holiness.

When we put our faith in the crucified Savior, we are not only completely forgiven, but God’s Holy Spirit transforms us, making us into the Creator’s prized possession. As the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, we will be displaying throughout eternity “the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (2:7).

  — Vernon C. Grounds