Last week we looked at the fact that God finishes what He has started, the fact that as the Sovereign Lord, history is indeed ‘His Story’. We saw that history had a beginning and will have an end. We also focused on the ability of God when it comes to our redemption – the fact that “He is mighty to save!”. When it comes to His work of salvation in us, Jesus is both the author and the finisher of our faith.
Having focused on the ability of God and the work of God in our salvation, you may be wondering if there is anything you and I should be doing to facilitate the process. Indeed, there is! The most significant thing we can do is to believe. Take note of Jesus’ answer to some enquirers’ question… Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (Joh 6:28-29) Jesus is the one the Father sent to save us – we must put our faith in Him. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1Jn 5:11-12) The writer to the Hebrews underlines the importance of faith in general, saying: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6) I believe that true faith will result in an earnest seeking after more of God. Having tasted of the goodness of God we should hunger and thirst for more. Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Mat 5:6)
The work of the Cross was finished some 2000 years ago when Jesus cried out from the Cross, “It is finished!” and then gave up His spirit, but His current work of redemption in my heart depends on my cooperation with the process. I, in a sense, have to sign consent and place myself on the operating table, and He does the work of transformation – the heart surgery. I must repeatedly place my life on the altar as a living sacrifice. (Unfortunately, the problem with a ‘living sacrifice’ is that it keeps jumping off the altar!) Paul urges his readers saying: Therefore, my dear friends… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Php 2:12-13) It’s paradoxical truth in tension. We work out our salvation and at the same time God works in us. We play vastly different roles, but it is nevertheless a cooperative venture. We are not passive, we are earnest, we are not into ‘lazy grace’, but like the Apostle Paul, by the grace of God we perhaps work even harder than others. Paul was able to say: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1Co 15:10)
We are not saved by our works, however, we are saved unto works that God prepared in advance for us to do. We come across another two truths in tension in the following verses: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:8-10) We are products of God’s workmanship and we each have a unique calling and destiny related to God’s grace and gifting upon our lives. That means that we each have a unique job of work to do, so each one of us is encouraged to run the particular race marked out for us. There are saints that have gone before, a crowd of witnesses, watching as it were from the grandstands of heaven, urging us on. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb 12:1)
Perseverance is a Christian virtue not often spoken about, but it seems to be incredibly important in making it to the finish line. …we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Rom 5:3-4) In his letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, Jesus urged them to persevere, to overcome temptations, obstacles and hardships in order to receive their heavenly reward. E.g. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev 2:7) The Christian life is not a hundred metre dash, except perhaps for those who receive Christ on their death-bed. No! For me and many it is more like an ultra-marathon. (Hey! I have had the privilege of serving the Lord for the past forty-six years, but it hasn’t always been easy!).
Dear friend, as we approach the end of yet another year, you may be feeling a bit tired and your Christian zeal may be flagging. However, with the help of the Spirit I believe that we have the capacity to finish the year strong. To bring some perspective though, let’s see the end of 2022 as but a milestone for us in the greater race of life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9) Perhaps you have been working hard and ‘doing good’ – don’t give up, remember God is also working! I am …confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Php 1:6) He will enable you to finish strong!
Thanks for reading my blog, I trust it encouraged you. Since you are already on my website you may want to navigate further and take a look around! God bless, Philip
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