Jesus Christ. He is the initiator and designer of my faith but also the closer, the finisher; the one who has obligated Himself to bring to completion that which He began in my heart.
I rest greatly in that. Really I am along for the ride once I have agreed with His verdict upon my soul, which is that I can choose life or death, or, that is, to remain in the death into which I was once born.
My goal then has been to do all I can to not resist the Spirit, who is transforming me, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, into the one He created me to be…second born, born of the Spirit now and not just born in the flesh.
Though My servant fall 7 Times, He will stand. For I will make him stand.
I rest in that, but something else is at work in me because of that word from God. I want to be an easy subject. I want God to smile when He thinks of me and not groan because I am so rebellious and difficult…slow to see and slow to just run hard after Him.
I wonder sometimes if part of His agony over fallen creation, might be that which He couldn’t give because we were just so resistant to Him.
In the end when the flesh has perished and we are complete and perfectly remade, living with Him in eternity, I want to make sure that nothing I did to resist Him affected anything He wanted to give to me but couldn’t.
The good thing is that this is not based on my performance or skill or special ability or talent. It is only dependent upon my heart. Will I submit to Him or constantly go my own way, causing God to have to constant put a bridle in my mouth and tighten up the reins. How exhausting that must be for Him.
How do we do this? It’s so simple: Here’s what Jesus said: “Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, this is fulfilling all the law and the prophets”. Ha! How awesome is God! What a teacher He is!
My word to anyone who says to that “But how do I do that? Is this: Read the Word and do it. That’s it. Then let Him cleanse me, transform me and use me according to His glorious will. That’s when I can know perfect fellowship with Jesus Christ, the Creator of the universe and the very author and finisher of my faith.
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