Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our faithful God. God is determined to accomplish His will, and He does not abandon His plans.
I have a sister who is famous for starting things and then not finishing them. When my first sibling got married, this sister decided to make a quilt as a wedding present. She found the pattern she liked. She bought all the fabric, in the several colors and designs that would work together. She cut all the pieces, from large sections to tiny corners. That was twenty-five years ago. I don’t know if she still has the material, but I don’t think the quilt assembly was ever started.
That’s just one example of a project that she gave up on halfway through. Maybe I’m not much better. I can think of many instances in my own life in which I had a great idea for a Bible study or outreach ministry or even something practical. Many of those have fallen by the wayside because, once I got into them, I realized I didn’t have the energy to follow through, or I realized I had bitten off a much larger project than I could handle.
That’s how people are. Not always – but there are often things we start and cannot finish for whatever reason. Not so with God. “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24).
When God starts a “project,” He finishes it. It never becomes too hard or too big for Him. He never gets distracted by other things that might seem more interesting or more important. He doesn’t always finish something immediately, but that’s because gradual and even sporadic progress is often His effective plan.
What is it that God is faithful to finish? In reality, anything that He has said He will do or that He has set out to do. That is an encouraging thought as we consider the ministries to which He has called us. In this context, however, I think the specific objective is found in verse 23.
Paul prays that God will “sanctify you wholly” and that their “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God’s objective is for us to be like His Son, holy and blameless. In our human eyes, that is an impossible objective. Why should God waste His time on it? Oh, but it isn’t wasted time or energy or attention! God will do it! Praise God, there is a day coming when He will complete our sanctification and when He will present us blameless. God will not give up until that objective is achieved.
I think it is interesting to note that Paul describes this faithful, sanctifying God as “the very God of peace.” That is one of the amazing things about God. He is committed to actively seeking peace with mankind, and that filters down to the individual level. He wants us to be at peace with Him through salvation, but also to enjoy the highest level of daily peace by our wholesome fellowship with Him, which is greatly enhanced as our sanctification progresses.
May this God of peace help you to truly revel in the relationship you have with Him and in the knowledge that He is constantly and faithfully at work to increase both your sanctification and the resulting peace that comes from a closer walk with Him. And certainly, in the assurance that He is faithfully working in your obedient service to Him as well.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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