Chapter 52

The Lord The Perfecter

"I will cry unto God most High; unto God that performeth all things for me" Psalm 57:2.

"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" Psalm 138:8.

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6.

"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: To whom be glory for ever" Romans 11:36.

We read that David once succumbed to unbelief, and said, "I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul" (1 Samuel 27:1). So even the Christian may indeed fear that he will one day perish. This is because he looks at himself and what is in him, and does not set his trust wholly on God. It is because he does not yet know God as the Perfecter. He does not yet know what is meant by His name, "I am the Alpha and the Omega: the Beginning and the End: the First and the Last" (Revelation 21:6; 1:8). If I truly believe in God as the beginning out of whom all comes, then I must trust Him as the continuation and the end, to whom all goes.

God is the beginning. "He which hath begun a good work in you"; "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:16). We are to be thankful for God's free choice, made before the foundation of the world, that we became believers and have the new life.1 Those who are still unconverted have nothing to do with this election--for them there is the offer of grace and the summons to surrender.

Outside, over the door of the Father, stands the inscription, "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). This everyone can see and understand. No sooner are they inside the door than they see and understand the other inscription, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me" (John 6:37).2 Then they can understand how all things are of God--first, obedience to the command of God, then, insight into the counsel of God.

But then it is of great importance to firmly hold onto this truth--He has begun the good work. Every thought of God will strengthen the confidence that He will also perfect it. His faithfulness, His love, His power, are all pledged so that He will perfect the good work which He began. Please read how God has taken more than one oath regarding His unchangeable faithfulness. Your soul will rest and find courage in this.

And how will He finish His work? What has its origin from Him is sustained by Him. It will one day be brought to Him and His glory. There is nothing in your life, worldly or spiritual, for which the Father will not care, because it has influence on you for eternity.3 There is no moment of day or night in which the silent growth of your soul is not to go forward. The Father will take care of this, if you believe.

There is no part of your destiny as a child of God that the Father will not continue and complete His work in--even in things which you have not yet given thought to.4 There is one condition--you must trust Him for this. You must in faith allow Him to work. You must trustfully say, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." You must trustfully pray, "I will cry unto God that performeth all things for me." Christian, let your soul become full of the thought--The whole care, for the continuation and the perfecting of God's work in me, is in His hands.5

And how glorious the perfecting will be. In our spiritual life, God is prepared to exhibit His power in making us participants of His holiness and the image of His Son. He will make us fit, and set us in a condition for all the blessed work in His Kingdom that He would have from us. He will make our body like to the glorious body of His Son. We may wait for the coming of the Son Himself from heaven to take His own to Him. He will unite us in one body with all His chosen, and will receive and make us dwell forever in His glory. How can we think that God will not perfect His work'? He will surely do it He will gloriously do it--for everyone who trusts Him for it.

Child of God, please say in deep assurance of faith, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." In every need say continually and with great boldness, "I will call on God, that performeth all things for me." And let the song of your life be the joyful doxology, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: To Him be the glory for ever." Amen.

Lord God, who will perfect that which concerns me, teach me to know You and to trust You. And let every thought of the new life go hand in hand with the joyful assurance--He who began a good work in me will perfect it. Amen.

Footnotes

1) Rom. 8:29,30; Eph. 1:4,11

2) Gen. 28:15; Ps. 89:29,34-36; Isa. 54:9, l0; Jer. 33:25,26

3) Matt. 6:25,34; 1 Pet. 5:7

4) Isa. 27:2,3; 51:12,13

5) Heb. 10:35; 13:5,6,20,21; 1 Pet. 5:10

Notes

1. "He that endureth to the end, shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22). It brings but little profit to begin well. We must hold the beginning of our hope firm unto the end (Matt. 10:27; 24:13; Heb. 3:14,16; 11:12).

2. How do we explain the falling away of some believers? They were only temporary believers. They were partakers only of the workings of the Spirit (Heb. 6:4).

3. How do I know whether I am a partaker of the true new birth? "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). The faith that God has received me is matured ---is confirmed--by works and by a walk under the leading of the Spirit.

4. How can any one know for certain that he will persevere to the end? By faith in God the Perfecter. We may take the Almighty God as our Keeper. He who gives himself in sincerity to Him, and trusts wholly in Him to perfect His work, obtains a divine certainty that the Lord has him and will hold him firm unto the end.

5. Child of God, live in fellowship with your Father. Live the life of faith in your Jesus with an undivided heart, and all fear of falling away will be taken from you. The living seal of the Holy Spirit will be your assurance of perseverance to the end.