He Will Finish

We live in a 1 bathroom house for five people. It usually isn't a huge problem, but every once in a while - you hear a knock on the door when you are in there and someone will say, "Are you almost finished."

I learned early in life in a family of 8 that "just a minute" always depended on what side of the bathroom door you were on.

Sometime in the 1500's Michelangelo the great artist began a sculpture. No one knows who it is supposed to be, so they call it the David-Apollos. Michelangelo never finished this great sculpture. He never came to a place he was completed with it.

Michelangelo died many years ago leaving us pondering why it was never finished. Why he stopped.

God on the other hand is very much alive - and He is still working - and he will finish what he has begun.

He began and finished the works of: Creation -- Genesis. 2:1; Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. Legislation -- Exodus 40:33; And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

Revelation -- 2 Timothy 3:16; All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Manifestation -- John 17:46; 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

GOD WILL FINISH HIS WORK IN US -

We use the term, "saved" sometimes to express being born again. But in reality salvation is a moment by moment walk and cleansing. It isn't a position but a relationship - a relationship with Christ. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Notice the cleansing is conditioned to obedience - If we refuse to walk in the light - we are no longer covered by the blood. Also notice the cleansing is in the present tense - it hasn't cleansed me but is cleansing me now. We use the term "Sanctified" to express that God through the means of the Holy Spirit has purified our hearts by faith. That the we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, He that calls you to holiness will also make you holy - "Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Not only in salvation, and sanctification - but God continuously works on us -

Can you sing with me -

"He's still working on me: To make me what I ought to be: It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars The sun and the moon, and jupiter and mars How loving and patient He must be He's still working on me -

Philippians 1:6 - Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

6 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:

Ephesians 2:10 Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

"workmanship" (poiēma), God's work of art, God's masterpiece (The Epistle to the Ephesians, p.52). God fashions man and creates a masterpiece. God's workmanship is always a work of art. The believer does not create the beauty, the art that shows in the canvas of his life. The believer just shows that he is God's workmanship by the life he lives and displays.

, The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, (Chattanooga: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1991), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "C. The Believer's Conversion (Part II): The Work of God's Grace--Salvation, 2:8-10".

He will work on us, he will mold us, shape us, do whatever needs done to purify, to mature, to create his masterpiece on us. (That masterpiece will be a reflection of himself. ) But there will come a day he will set the brush down, use the last chisel, smooth out that last rough patch, set his tools down and look us over and say - "It is done." Or in a more well known way, "Well done thou good and faithful servant - enter thou into the joys of our Lord!"

He will finish building the Church - The gates of hell cannot stop it - 1 Thess. 4:16-18

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

He will finish His complete plan of redemption

In our Bible Study of the Book of Daniel a few years ago I divided this chapter like this -

Verse 1 – The tribulation (Notice Michael shall stand up)Verse 2 – Resurrection & JudgmentVerse 3- The Witnesses and hiding away in PetraVerse 4 – Sealing up the Book (Is this opened?) Many running to and fro and knowledge had increasedVerse 5- 12 The Length of the “Time of the End” Time, times and half a time is 3 ½ yearsVerse 13 Go thy way till the end be: for thou shall rest, and stand in THY LOT at the END OF THE DAYSDaniel was over 90 yrs old. He is told after this vision to go home and rest till he is called to heaven. After the times of the gentiles have run their course Daniel will stand in HIS LOT. What is that? The Bible doesn’t say He finished Atonement - Atonement was completed at the cross - Jesus had hung on the cross quite a while, endured a lot of things, suffered shame, pain, torture, and tremendous loss of blood - but he summoned some strenght and cried with a loud voice - "IT IS FINISHED." He will finish the devil, death & hell - He'll send them into the great abyss - Lake of Fire He will finish the redemption of the world - Rev. 21:5-6 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, "It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."