Dear Alexandra:
We very much enjoyed your analogy of Christian perfection at work in us to an artist painting a masterpiece.
We also see a reverse analogy of us being the painting and God being the artist.
Among human beings, the painting "fights" against the desire of The Artist to create His masterpiece here on earth, and unfortunately many will never be completed. They like living and indulging in their imperfections, and have no desire to change. They think that just because they believe, their continued willful sins will be forgiven; thus, they will be considered unworthy, and may end up being burned in the fire.
In the Love of the Lord,
Frank