What is the value of one person? We ponder the end of our lives as we age, or when someone is sick in the hospital, people will often say “God isn’t finished with you yet…”
Now this phrase, which is often just muttered for lack of something else to say, has profound truth. It presupposes that God IS working in the world today.
Well, when did He start and why? It might surprise you that God had His plans finalized and in motion long before He created the heavens and the earth.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:3-6)
God cherishes us!
God cherishes us, made in His image, with ability to love Him, come to Him and serve Him. The value of one in God is powerful! He gave us the ability to love Him, trust Him and obey Him. He knew there would be disobedience…He created us to come to Him through Christ…before the beginning.
This is…Prevenient Grace – In anticipation of our birth…of our coming to faith in Christ…of our serving HIM. This was all mapped out long before we came along.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Ep. 1:11)
The value of one: God calls us to Him
When He makes this call, God does the equipping…the preparing…and the doing…it all starts with God’s grace. He doesn’t just call us– God draws us to Himself. He never calls us to do anything without enabling us to do it.
God enables us to exercise faith. Christ has chosen us…locked in His purposes. God commenced a good a work in you. His prevenient grace called you to Him. He beckons us to carry it on. He does not quit. It is progressive, active and dynamic. That day…the day of Christ…when Jesus returns is when this world will cease to be and be recreated.
His grace allows us to serve Him
What God calls us to do He will do for us. Day-by-day, hour-by-hour. Moment-by-moment. That is sufficient grace for doing what God calls us to do always been the same…no changes. We are a work in progress…and God is not through with us.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)
God has begun a good work in you!
Be confident that He who has begun a good work in you will carry it out… God will complete the work… a new heaven and earth…and that is SAVING grace… He calls us to Himself…He equips us…He does the work… He will complete is when we see Jesus…and we will be like Him.