He’s Got You

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
– 1 Thessalonians  5:23-24 (ESV)

There’s something worth remembering here. I am well aware that many of the things I teach or write are often calling us to repentance, obedience, and other things that shine a light on how well we frequently blow it. But today I want to remind you of something else. While it may seem that we have so much work to do with regard to our daily walk, these verses speak to a wonderful truth.

He’s got you.

The beautiful thing about our adoption into the Father’s family is that He knew exactly who He was adopting. He knows how much you and I will blow it, from beginning to end. Which is why it brings me great peace to know that He knows because He went ahead and saved me in spite of me.

Look at Paul’s benediction. May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. That’s not just a look forward to our final redemption at Christ’s coming. He was praying for the believers in Thessalonica in their present moment. He was praying that while they lived, God would presently sanctify them completely.

Then he adds the part about final redemption: and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t pray this because he felt like there was a chance that somehow the LORD would forget to do this. This was a reminder of the LORD’s promise to redeem us completely upon His return.

But here’s the best part. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Here’s where you should feel a heavy burden lifted. While it’s true that we have much obedience to walk in while we’re here, there’s a greater and sustaining truth behind all of our work.

He is faithful; He will surely do it.

Do what? Finish what He started. He called you and I to salvation. He deposited the Holy Spirit within us as the seal of our redemption. He will empower us while we are here to do everything He has prepared for us to do. And when Christ returns, He will finish the final redemption of our spirits, souls, and bodies. By the way, none of this depends on our moral performance. His promise to finish what He began relies completely on His own integrity, not mine or yours.

So, today, on this Monday, remember that you can’t mess up God’s ultimate plans to redeem you. If He has called you to salvation, He is faithful to finish what He began.

He’s got you.