Being confident of this , that he that
who has begun a good work in you will carry it to completion until
the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 NIV
We are each a work in progress. All of
us, who name the name of Christ from the heart, have embarked on a
journey. God has begun a good work in us. At salvation, we have been
given a new nature. We are new creations in Christ. Inside our
spirits dwell the Holy Spirit and within us can be found the fruits
of the spirit. Spiritual attributes such as love, joy, and peace are
growing within us and affecting our lives as we yield to the Holy
Spirit. We also have been given spiritual gifts. Some of us love to
serve. Some are adept at spreading the good news. While others find
their joy in showing hospitality. Some of the other gifts that the
Spirit gives are prophecy, gifts of healing, and administration.
Our Lord wants us to grow in grace. He
that has begun the work in us will bring it to conclusion. He is
helping us to shoot closer and closer to the bullseye. Our Father
extends his grace to us and enables us to grow. When we fall, he
picks us back up. He is so patient with us. Let's cooperate with
him in the growing of our faith. Let's allow God to use his fruit and
his gifts within us to bring him glory. He will help us to hit the
mark of maturity. We can be confident of this. Step by step we are
getting closer, and although we will not reach perfection this side
of heaven, when we do arrive at heaven's shores we will be entirely
complete in him. Nothing will be lacking.
The scripture also says that we are
complete in Christ right now (Colossians 2:10). This is referring to
our standing in Him. This speaks of the work that Christ has done
inside our hearts. We have, however, not arrived. Though we may be
complete in our standing with Christ, that truth has not completely
affected the living out of our faith. God is causing us to better
reflect him day by day. He is helping to bring what's in us to the
surface. He is changing us from glory to glory.
Jesus is committed to our maturity. He
is in it for the long haul. He will be faithful to us even when we
are not faithful. Let's entrust our lives to his care and commit to
growing in grace.
1 John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now
we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made
known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.” These are comforting words. We
shall be like him on that day.
If you are struggling in your walk with
Jesus, take heart he will help you if you reach out to him. You can
also find help from a brother or a sister in the Lord. God is
committed to enable you to win. Surrender to him and he will cause
you to triumph.
