Now, when applied to God, then, being faithful means that He will take care of what He has made - His creation, physical or spiritual - He will take care of it. It also means that He cannot begin something without finishing it.
Wow, if I ask for a raise of hands, how many of you have begun something that you did not finish? Every hand in the room ought to go up.
You see, God thinks things through. And, if He gives His approval to something that He is going to do, it will be done. And, if He feels that He cannot finish it, He does not start it. It is that simple. So, what He begins He finishes.
So then, do you now understand Philippians 1:6, He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ? Sure!
God is not like you and me! We get something partway done, and then we grow frustrated with it, or tired of it, and we quit. But, when God says something, He is utterly obligated to uphold the reputation of His name. When He gives His word to do something, there is an absolutely binding and known line of action that He will take. We may not know every nuance of that, but we do know the end because He says that He will do it.
And so, the whole Bible largely consists of showing God carrying out obligations that He has set Himself to do. And, He has done this in order that we will come to understand to trust His Word. God is faithful, because that is His nature. With Him there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. There is no change because of unseen circumstances; there is no failure; His power is never exhausted; and His faithfulness is the basis of our faith in Him.
The good news in all of this is that God is the perfect Father. And He knows how to get the best out of all His children.
In the process of that completion - as His good work continues - there are going to be fiery trials. God is going to perfect us. He is going to try us and test us. At times we may not feel very important and we may want to let down.
But remember that God the Father has called us personally. And He wants to see us earn the highest, the most meaningful, the most useful, and the most helpful office that He can give us. He is working out a great purpose in our lives. It is far greater than we can begin to understand.
So let us work diligently in our efforts to imitate God. Never let down! Never let anything lead us to neglect or become complacent toward God! And never carelessly take Him for granted!
Always place Jesus Christ at the forefront of our minds. Always focus on the tremendous example He set. And always do everything we can to be like Him! Never take your eyes off God or the great purpose He has set before us.
Now if God predestines someone to be conformed to the image of His Son, has God ever failed at anything? Never! It says in Philippians 1:6 that God is able to finish what He starts. We stumble around. But God desires to save us. God desires that we be in His Kingdom and He has arranged for us to be resurrected at the time of the seventh trump, at the time of the return of Jesus Christ. He is preparing us to be conformed in the image of His Son so that we can rule under and with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God. Do you have that hope? Does it stir you that God has not failed at anything yet, and that it is His desire for you to be conformed to the image of His Son?
I am not saying that this will be easy because in order to do this He may have to give us some awfully great pain in order to bring it about. A great deal depends on whether or not we submit to Him; whether we do it willingly or whether we fight Him all along the way.
Surely there is a corporate body, yes, called a church. But God does not leave out any single individual for personal instruction. His eyelids are testing the sons of men. Jesus said, I go and prepare a place for you. If He is doing that, He is preparing us to fit into the place that He has prepared for us so that we will be able to fit into that position.
God begins our salvation, and God will end it. And in between there will be all kinds of experiences that are designed to fit us into His purpose, which is to put us into His Family in the Kingdom of God.
And so, that beautiful metaphor there in Deuteronomy 32 is intended to show us that His concern is not general. His concern for each person is very specific. Though of awesome power, He is also One of concern - evaluating, preparing - that we might fit in.
The promises that God gives us can give us peace of mind:
That is a promise from God. He called you. If you stay close to God, do your part, He will complete the promise and the work in you.
