The storyline of the Bible begins with a simple, matter-of-fact statement...In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) While it is a revelation about the creation of the universe, it is more than that, it is a powerful declaration about the Creator, the God who stands above and behind the created world, the Author of all life.
As we come to the end of the Bible, we read of a vision of a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1) and the proclamation: God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God (Revelation 21:3). The story ends with a prayer for Christ to come and bring this about and with a note of grace: Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21)
God stands at the beginning and end of human history, and in between is story of God working out His eternal purposes through a people He has called to be His own. In Genesis 12 we read of His call to Abraham and the promise that all peoples on earth will be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). The Bible is the story of God's relentless love and faithfulness, despite the sin and rebellion of mankind/ His own people. He is the God who does not give up on His creation, who does not give up on these funny little creatures called human beings.
The Bible declares in Deuteronomy 7:9: Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love. He is a covenant-keeping, faithful and loving God, who has been, is and will be at work in this world and in the lives of those who belong to Him. For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) He will finish His work in us, in your life and mine, the work of conforming us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29)
The Apostle Paul tells the belivers in Thessalonica that God himself, the God of peace will sanctify you through and through, so that your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). And then he tells them, the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (24).
Similarily we read in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9: He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)
To the Philppians Paul confidently tells them that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philppians 1:6).
God, who is the Giver of Life, is also the One who calls us and enables us to live by faith, a faith that allows us to become more and more like the Lord Jesus. John tells us we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made [fully] known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him (1 John 3:2).
Though in this fallen world we fall short of complete Christ-likeness, be assured that what God has started in us, He will finish! As the old Sunday School song declares:
Little by little every day, little by little every way
My Jesus is changing me -- He's changing me
Since I made a turnabout face, I've been growing in His grace;
My Jesus is changing me
He's changing me, my precious Jesus
I'm not the same person that I used to be
Sometimes it's slow going, but there's joy knowing
That someday, perfect I will be
As we come to the end of the Bible, we read of a vision of a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1) and the proclamation: God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God (Revelation 21:3). The story ends with a prayer for Christ to come and bring this about and with a note of grace: Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21)
God stands at the beginning and end of human history, and in between is story of God working out His eternal purposes through a people He has called to be His own. In Genesis 12 we read of His call to Abraham and the promise that all peoples on earth will be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). The Bible is the story of God's relentless love and faithfulness, despite the sin and rebellion of mankind/ His own people. He is the God who does not give up on His creation, who does not give up on these funny little creatures called human beings.
The Bible declares in Deuteronomy 7:9: Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love. He is a covenant-keeping, faithful and loving God, who has been, is and will be at work in this world and in the lives of those who belong to Him. For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) He will finish His work in us, in your life and mine, the work of conforming us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29)
The Apostle Paul tells the belivers in Thessalonica that God himself, the God of peace will sanctify you through and through, so that your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). And then he tells them, the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (24).
Similarily we read in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9: He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)
To the Philppians Paul confidently tells them that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philppians 1:6).
God, who is the Giver of Life, is also the One who calls us and enables us to live by faith, a faith that allows us to become more and more like the Lord Jesus. John tells us we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made [fully] known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him (1 John 3:2).
Though in this fallen world we fall short of complete Christ-likeness, be assured that what God has started in us, He will finish! As the old Sunday School song declares:
Little by little every day, little by little every way
My Jesus is changing me -- He's changing me
Since I made a turnabout face, I've been growing in His grace;
My Jesus is changing me
He's changing me, my precious Jesus
I'm not the same person that I used to be
Sometimes it's slow going, but there's joy knowing
That someday, perfect I will be
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