Reading this little article that Ann Voskamp linked to this weekend.
The last point caused a pause for thought “Link your hope to the God who is not done.”
I think that often we think of Christ’s words on the cross (“It is finished.”) as referring to a completion of everything. We want all of the hard work to be over, and we complain bitterly and think that God is unfair somehow when there is still plenty of work for us to do and plenty of healing and restoration that God is yet bringing to his broken world.
The resurrection pointed us toward the glory and beauty of the completion of all things. Christ’s complete, physical body gives us a glimpse of what the whole creation will be like when he returns it to it’s unbroken state. We are not there yet.
I Thessalonians 5:12-24
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
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. (ESV)
In the midst of everything else, rejoice always! Admonish one another, encourage one another, abstain from even the appearance of evil and rejoice all the time. Why?
“He who has called you is faithful.”
We do know and mourn the fact that all is not complete, but we also have a great reason to place our hope in the One who faithfully fulfills his promises and who will bring all things to completion in His good time. All is not complete yet, but it will be and we can place our hope and trust in Him until that day.
