On the one hand, we are complete in Christ. God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). On the other hand, we are still a work in progress. Accordingly, Paul writes, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6, NASB).
Until the day of Jesus Christ? Not knowing when the Lord will return, it is possible that some or most of us will not live until the day of the Lord. Perhaps none of us will. But we get Paul’s point. He is saying God will be doing a good work in our life until the very end.
You should find that comforting if you are not pleased with the current status of your relationship with Lord. It means God will not leave you where you currently are. He continues to work in your life to perfect you. He will continue to do so until the very end.
God’s ultimate will for our life is to be conformed to the image of His Son. But that is place we never fully arrive. Much room will always exist for us to become more complete in Christ. That’s why God continues to do a work in us.
A clear message in the verse above is that God wants to do more than just save you. He wants to perfect you. He will never abandon that objective in your life. Here are three things He utilizes to accomplish that end:
1. Sanctification.
The word sanctify simply means to set apart. That’s what God did to us when we accepted Christ as our Savior. God set us apart for Himself. We are no longer our own. Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul reminded the believers that upon salvation God had set them apart from the world:
“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:11, NASB
According to this verse, we did not set ourselves apart for God upon salvation, but God is the one who set us apart for Himself. This divine act of salvation is not without significance. God protects and provides for those He sets apart to be His own.
2. Grace.
We are saved by grace through faith. But that is not the extent of God’s grace in our life. He is bestowing this unmerited favor upon us throughout our life. Even the ministry and spiritual gifts He gives us are by grace and not by works. Reflecting upon his own life, Paul said he labored more than all the other apostles. Then he said, “Yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15:10, NASB).
God often calls us to do things that are bigger than we are. But some believers look at themselves, and they can’t see how God can use them in an extraordinary way. Those who do so are looking at their potential through the lens of their personal ability and intellect. But whatever plan God has for your life, He gives you ample grace to help you realize His will for your life.
3. Personal Trials (?)
We will all be tested in this life. At times, our personal trials can seem unbearable. But I say to you by the Word of the Lord, that is not and will never be the case. God will personally see to that. For as Christians, we have this assurance: “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able….” (1 Cor. 10:13, NASB).
Of course, nobody wants to experience difficult trials in his life. But trials are not all bad. In fact, if we are to become complete in Christ, we must have some trials in our life.
Why? Because there is a limit to how much you can grow, if your faith is never put to the test. God will allow some trials in your life because, “The testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:3, NASB). But again–in all cases, God is faithful to not allow you to be tested beyond what you can bear.
But God Is Not Finished with You
As a pastor, I have met a few believers who look at their own life and conclude that they must not be saved. They feel as though they need to be saved all over again. Are you a genuine believer and that’s how you feel? But be encouraged. God does not cease to work in your life after your salvation. He is still working with and in you to perfect you. He will continue to do so until the very end.
Copyright © 2024 by Frank King. All rights reserved.