Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely.
And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
“He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.”
Those words rung in my mind this morning.
It brought to mind what Paul wrote in Romans 8:29-30:
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
I wonder. Do we really believe this?
He started this work, choosing us before we were born. Choosing us to become like his Son, our whole spirit, soul, and body sound and blameless before him.
And what he started, he will complete. Because he is faithful.
Do you like what you see in the mirror? Or do you see your sins and failures, the dirt and grime, and grimace?
Our Abba doesn’t grimace. He knew you from the first. And he still chose you. He called you. He justified you, wiping away your entire record of sin.
And whether you can see it or not, he’s in the process of sanctifying you through and through.
This is God’s will: your sanctification, your becoming like Jesus. (1 Thesssalonians 4:3)
And he’s not going to stop until he’s completed the process and he glorifies you, making you completely like his Son.
So put on the breastplate of righteousness. Not your righteousness, but the righteousness of God that comes by faiith. Let confidence in God’s love for you guard your heart. (Ephesians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:8)
And know that the hope of your salvation, of your becoming like Jesus is a certain hope. Wear that hope every day.
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ… (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
And again,
He who calls you is faithful; he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 