“So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.“
Philippians 2:12-13 AMP
We have been discussing the fact that the Lord is not only the Source of our salvation, He is the Completer of our salvation. To be sure, He will not leave us “half-baked.”
Salvation, through the blood of Jesus Christ, has put us in right standing before God. The work of the Holy Spirit in us, brings us to spiritual maturity and completion.
“For by the one offering He has perfected forever and completely cleansed those who are being sanctified [bringing each believer to spiritual completion and maturity].“
Hebrews 10:14 AMP
Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we could NEVER be formed into the image of Christ. But with His help, with Him working in us, we can live our life full of His very nature.
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!“
Galatians 5:19-23 NLT
Yes, as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, He will produce the qualities that make us look just like our Father.
In our opening scripture we see Paul explaining that the Lord even gives us the desire for Himself. And—in addition to giving us the desire for Himself—He gives us the ability to know and perform what is necessary to fulfill His will.
Yes, another wonderful aspect of the Lord’s help in transforming us into His very image is that He, by His Spirit, produces in us the desire for Him, the desire for His righteousness, as well as the tools we need to do what He wants us to do.
Child of God, the Lord started something in us that has put us in right standing before God AND given us access to His Holy Spirit. And, we can be sure that what He started, He will finish!
So, stay with Him! Let Him finish!
“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.“
Philippians 1:3-6 NLT
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.“
Colossians 2:8-10 NKJV
An incident that happened many years ago, has proven to be something I reflect on often as a parable illustrating the Holy Spirit working in us.
I had gotten my first personal laptop and had run into a roadblock in terms of getting my screensaver to work correctly.
I was in complete frustration mode. I was snow-blind from all the advice I had looked up, from the step-by-step help offered by those knowing more than I do, just totally stymied.
As a last ditch effort, I called a helpline, and the person tried to guide me through what I was supposed to do. But it just was not working.
Finally, they said to me, “Do you give me permission to take over your computer?” Well, I had never even heard of such a thing (like I said, this many years ago). I told them I did. And with just a little more information, suddenly I saw the cursor begin to move around on my screen, going from one drop-down menu to another, finally finding a specific place to fix the screensaver, clicked on something, and then said, “That should do it.” And it did!
The disciples were overwhelmed with all the Lord was trying to impart to them before He was offered up. But they were not able to grasp what was going on, much less know how to operate going forward.
Then Jesus promised them that He was not going to leave them alone. He was going to send a Helper Who would guide them into everything they needed to know and do.
“”I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.“
John 16:12-14 NKJV
The Lord spoke of this outpouring of His Spirit on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Yes, Jesus stood before the people and made an astonishing offer.
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.“
John 7:37-39 NKJV
Indeed, as John explains, He was offering that whoever would come to Him and ask, would receive an outflow of the Holy Spirit, from His being into their being.
You see, we could not on our own, receive the Holy Spirit of God. Our sin separated us from His Spirit, with no way for us to access Him, spirit to Spirit.
Then Jesus came, God in flesh, and received into Himself, the Holy Spirit, as a Man, so that we could, as human beings, also receive of the Holy Spirit. As well, His blood cleansed us so that we could receive the Holy Spirit through Him.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.“
John 1:14-18 NKJV
As John put it, we receive from His fullness, from His overflow.
Yes, He Who had all the fullness of God in Himself, dispenses into us, the Holy Spirit of God.
In our opening scripture, we see Paul commenting that we are made complete in Jesus. His fullness, becomes our fullness. His overflow, becomes our overflow.
We have been talking about the fact that Jesus is the Author, the Originator, and the Finisher, the Completer, of our faith.
And, as such, as we have discussed, He doesn’t leave us to walk this road alone. No, He made it possible for us to have the Inner Witness, the dynamo of God: His Holy Spirit, operating through us.
As I began with, I was totally frustrated, trying to figure out the problem with my computer and could not access, and could not make sense of anything I was being instructed to do. Then, the expert took over and did for me what I could not do on my own.
Child of God, it is futility to try to walk as God would have you to walk, and do the things God would have you to do, without His Spirit being given control in our lives. If you want to be completed, if you want to finish well, come to Him now.
Lord willing, we will bring this all together tomorrow.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.“
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
Back many years ago, there was a time when I sewed basically everything I wore. But, I remember once I was making a dress, and I already had the body of the dress gathered onto the bodice, with one sleeve afixed, as well. I don’t remember now what it was that happened, but the project got stalled; something went wrong that needed to be redone. I don’t remember what it was; but I could never get back to finish that dress. I remember that I eventually threw it out; but not before keeping it tucked away in a drawer for several years.
I think many people have that drawer (or closet) of shame. You know the one: where unfinished projects go to die. Sure, we may tell ourselves that we will eventually finish it; but somehow that never happens.
I remember my father telling a funny story about a time that he and my mother had both sent off for correspondence courses. My father had sent off for one involving electrical repair, and my mother had sent off for one involving advanced piano technique.
Well, time went by, and my mother, in cleaning out some area, found my father‘s dusty correspondence course manuals. So, she asked him (in a sarcastic manner): “Harry, where shall I put these books? (obviously pointing out that he had not done anything with them). His answer to her still brings a chuckle to me. He retorted: “Myrtle, just put them wherever your piano books are.” I guess she had that one coming. You see, she hadn’t finished her course either.
Indeed, starting something that is never finished—or is not finished well—is ubiquitous.
Yesterday we discussed the fact that the Lord became our perfect High Priest. And as such, intercedes for us before the Father.
Today we want to focus on the fact that Jesus, unlike the high priests appointed by men, was appointed by God! And because He has a never-ending life, He is always there for us.
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.“
Hebrews 7:25-28 NKJV
Yes, our High Priest will never die. He has gone into Heaven; and from Heaven, He performs His Priestly duties for us. We can now boldly approach Him for help anytime we are in need. He is ALWAYS there for us.
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.“
Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV
In our opening scripture Jesus reassures His disciples that He would always be with them as they fulfilled His commission.
Child of God, this promise was not only for the original apostles. It is for us as well. Yes, you can be sure, and we can be glad, that the Lord does not have a drawer of shame. No, He is not only the Author of our faith; He is the Finisher. He will be with us, perfecting us, comforting us, keeping us, until the day we become like Him.
Tomorrow we’ll discuss how the Lord is always with us NOW in this life.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!