Last year, PaulƵs comments in Philippians 1:6 caught my attention: ƵI am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.Ƶ
At the time, I was feeling so far from complete. More often than not, I felt broken, like I was getting worse. In some vague way I expected that by my 50s a lifetime of growth would unfold in a beautiful bloom. Instead, it seemed like I was withering.
As I grappled with this, the Lord showed me I had a wrong perspective.
My assumption Ƶ a very human one Ƶ was that I should be getting better and better. But GodƵs end is that I am Christ-like, not Ƶbetter.Ƶ God defines completion as being conformed to the image of His Son; that is how I need to understand the completion Paul is sure of (Rom. 8:29).
Next, the Lord reminded me of Colossians 2:10, which says we are complete in Christ. Other ways to translate this phrase include, Ƶfilled to capacityƵ or Ƶfilled to completionƵ in Christ. Christ is fullness, completion. We are complete because we are one with Him who is completion. This is why Paul is sure God will complete His good work in us.
When He died, Jesus said, ƵIt is finished.Ƶ This is the truth about us, even when that voice inside says, ƵYouƵre FINISHED!Ƶ (in the negative sense). God is manifesting in us what Jesus already finished. Hebrews chapter four says His works have been finished since the foundation of the world. We are among His works.
While all of this is true, it is also cosmic and mind-blowing. You and I live on Earth. Should I just lay back and say, ƵWell, I guess IƵm finished!Ƶ That doesnƵt seem right. What relationship does completion in Christ have to daily life, which is a big, messy process?
PaulƵs letter to the Ephesians gives clarity: ƵFor we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in themƵ (Eph. 2:10). In other words, we are created complete in Christ, and God has prepared a life of activities through which our completion and Christlikeness are displayed.
Can I just go through life passively, like a marionette on the strings of destiny? Not exactly. I am a real boy, not a puppet. That means I have to show up; I have to participate. How do I do that?
A crowd once asked Jesus, ƵWhat must we do to do the works God requires?Ƶ
Jesus answered, ƵThe work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sentƵ (John 6:28-29).
How do I do the things God prepared ahead of time for me to walk in? Believe in Jesus. Belief is more than agreeing with Christian doctrines. It is more than wishing on a star. To believe is to live in union with Jesus, however imperfectly (Galatians 2:20). Paul said living by Christ within enabled him to strive with all ChristƵs energy, which powerfully energized him (Colossians 1:29).
This is wonderful news for those of us who feel a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Being one with Jesus means He is our completion; it also means He will motivate us to act according to that completion, to grow into it, to become more Christlike.
So now when my brain yells, ƵYOUƵRE FINISHED,Ƶ I smile and reply, ƵYes I am. Thanks for the reminder.Ƶ