“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…”
Jesus is the beginning and the end. He is the starter and the finisher. The Alpha and the Omega. This is something that we recognize and we celebrate. He is a God who gets us started and we know He will be there in the end. The inbetween is our responsibility. How we get from point “a” to point “b” is up to us. This defines the Christian walk for most of us. Starts good…ends good…struggle through the middle. However, this is not what the Scripture tells us. Jesus is the Author of our faith. There is no doubt about that. He is the source of our salvation and it is only through His work on the cross that we can even begin the journey of faith. Likewise He is the Finisher. When we go from this world to the next it is Jesus who ushers us into our eternal life. It is a relationship to Him and Him alone that finishes this life with an inheritance in heaven. But… Not only that…He is the everything inbetween! So what does that mean to you and me?
What it means to us is that we are not left to work out our salvation on our own. This is good news considering that we often find ourselves in circumstances that are overwhelming. God does not leave us to fend for ourselves. We are expected to “work out” our salvation (Philippians 2:12), but not in our own strength. Your salvation is a work of God and He is committed to complete it in you. The church in Galatia was trying to do it in their own strength and Paul said;
“You foolish Galatians! – Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:1-3)
As you run the race marked out for you today let me remind you that Jesus was not only there when you started…He is not only going to be there when you finish…He is with you right now by your side to give you the strength and guidance that you need to run this leg of your race. You are not alone! He is the Author…and the Perfecter!
David said, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).