CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A JOURNEY
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
Do you sometimes feel as though
you are not making any progress in your spiritual life? The life of a
Christian is a journey. We have a supernatural, proficient guide and
map in the Spirit-inspired Scriptures, but we face distinct temptations
and trials. We know we have been saved by faith in Christ and have
heaven as our sure destination, but the intervening pilgrimage is
unique. We need God’s help.
I do not know where you are on
your personal journey. Perhaps you are exhausted and spent. Maybe you
have recently experienced significant growth, or you may have settled on
a comfortable plateau because of an uncertain future. But
I do know this: God wants you and me to enjoy and complete the journey.
He has pledged Himself to finish the good work He began in us at
salvation and will keep us strong until the end.
As with the Philippians, God will help us grow in grace
until He has completed His work in our lives. The God who began a good
work in us continues it throughout our lifetime and will finish it when
we meet Him face to face. God’s work for us began when Christ died on the cross in our place. His work in us began when we first believed. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ every day.
Great confidence gripped the
apostle as he thought and prayed for the body of Christ. Paul
guaranteed the believers that God would consider them “blameless” when Christ returns (1 Corinthians 1:8-9). This
guarantee was not because of their great gifts or shining performance,
but because of what Jesus Christ accomplished in them through His death
and resurrection. It was God’s work, not theirs, so Paul had no
question about the outcome. All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be considered blameless when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 3:13; Hebrews 9:28). If you have faith in Christ, even if it is weak, you are and will be saved. All believers are justified by God’s grace and stand before Him “blameless” (“free from accusation”).
If
you are feeling discouraged, remember God won’t give up on you. If you
are feeling incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings,
remember God’s promise and provision. Don’t let your present condition
rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to
Him. God will most certainly continue on to completion the good work
He began in us!
Posted on January 4, 2013 by Joe Quatrone, Jr.
- Christian Life is a Journey (joequatronejr.wordpress.com)
- Philippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ. (calvinistview.com)
- Philippians 1:8-11 (HCSB) (lwharper.wordpress.com)
- Jesus, Signs and Wonders (christophercrandolph.wordpress.com)
- Darrin Patrick – Marriage: Loving Your Wife and Your Mission (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)
- Philippians (tabernacleofgod.wordpress.com)
- Welcome to The New Earth (mytruthsetsmefree.wordpress.com)
- Sea Sick Medicine, Evans Olang (magnifyhisword.wordpress.com)
- So that I may gain Christ (dawnmarie4.wordpress.com)
- The Way, The Truth, And The Life (1shiningstar.wordpress.com)
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