“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.” 1 Thess. 5:23-24
I don’t know about you but I find this Scripture to be so encouraging. I find great comfort today in remembering God’s tenacious commitment to change us, through the Cross work of His Son and the on-going work of the Holy Spirit—to make each of His children increasingly like Jesus. From beginning to end, salvation is of the Lord. He began the good work of salvation in us, and He alone is sufficient to complete it. Phil. 1:6-“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
If this wasn’t the case, I don’t know where I would be (yes, I do…lost… as so many are today…inside and outside the Church), for the disparity between Jesus’ perfection and my brokenness is overwhelming at times. The thoughts I think; the things I feel; the choices I make, all fall very short of the perfection that can only be found in Jesus. I could never be my own savior, and only a great Savior like Jesus is sufficient for someone like me…like any and all of us.
As “the God of peace,” He is making me wholly holy—changing me through and through by the sanctification that He promised for each of His children and a sanctification that He will complete on the Day of Jesus Christ. He is healing and freeing every part of my/our being—body and soul—from the effects and affects of sin. He is never anxious about the process. He is at peace…as “the God of peace”, even when I’m not. He doesn’t roll His eyes, furrow His brow, clear His throat, or show any signs of a nervous twitch when He thinks about me/us. My Father…our Father… has provided peace which results in rest enabling us then to rejoice in Him, through His Son our Savior Jesus Christ who is the Prince of peace. Rom. 5:1-2-“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
I am so looking forward to becoming totally blameless and shameless at Christ’s second coming, only because Jesus took my/our blame and shame upon Himself on the cross. Even now, my life is safely hidden in Him forever, and when He does return, I will appear with Him in glory; for He is my life—my righteousness, my holiness, and my redemption. Col. 3:4- “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” I will boast in Christ plus nothing, for I have nothing in myself in which to boast. My hope is built on nothing less, nothing more, and nothing other, than His blood and righteousness. I Cor. 1:31- “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
I long for that Day when I will be ushered into the face to face presence of the One who loves me beyond measure…who loves me to the end. John 13:1-“… He loved them to the end.” For it is then that I will finally know and understand the depth of the Father’s own love for me and His children.
By faith, I actively trust in the righteousness I have passively received in Christ, and I gladly surrender to the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit—by whom I am sealed, with whom I am indwelt, and through whom I will be safely delivered into the loving presence of the Godhead. “He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.”
One last thing. I have just completed a book that deals clearly with a topic of great confusion in our time. It is called forgive: Why I Should and How Can I?, by Tim Keller. This was his last published work before His death and the insight in this most misunderstood doctrine is extremely helpful in establishing and maintaining peace amongst ourselves.
God Bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
