Are You Done?
So, the question "Are you done?" is often asked when someone finishes a project, or when we have accomplished a difficult task. Yet, when it comes to the Christian life, the answer is simple. No, we are not done. Not until the Lord calls us home or Jesus Christ returns in glory. Even though your salvation has been secured. You are never done!! Don’t sit back and just think, I don’t need to do anything because my salvation is secure. We must work until the very end. Dig into God’s Word and find something to do for the Kingdom. Make yourself useful for the gospel. As long as we draw breath, we are to work for the kingdom till the very last breath we have in us.
One of the great comforts of the Christian faith is knowing that our salvation is secure. However, we are not saved by our works, and we are not kept by our works. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life we could never live. Through faith in Him, our sins are forgiven, we are declared righteous before God, and we are adopted into His family forever. Jesus Himself said in John 10:28-29, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. " What a wonderful promise that is. If you belong to Christ, you are held securely in His hands. Your salvation does not depend upon your strength, but upon His faithfulness.
Yet, that glorious truth should never make us spiritually lazy. Sadly, some people misunderstand the doctrine of eternal security. Brothers and Sisters, we must remember that the grace that saves us also changes us. The Holy Spirit creates within us new desires. We begin to love what God loves and hate what God hates. We want to know Him and serve Him. We want to see others come to faith in Him..
Paul, said in Philippians 3:12-14. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own... Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. " See the words, "I press on. " Paul did not coast. He did not retire from serving Christ. He kept pressing forward because Christ had first laid hold of him.
The is work piling up. There is still God's Word to study. There are still prayers to be offered. There are still lost people who need to hear the gospel. Young believers need encouragement. Acts of kindness to do, burdens to carry.,There are many opportunities to glorify Christ daily. Beloved, the Christian life was to be lived from a recliner. It is lived on our knees in prayer, with our Bibles open, our hearts fixed upon Christ, and our hands busy serving others. Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Do you see the word always? Not occasionally. Not when it is convenient. Not only when we are young and healthy. We are “to be always abounding” in the work of the Lord.
As we age it may look different. A young man may serve with strong hands, while an older saint may serve through prayer, encouragement, and wisdom. The assignment may change, but the calling never does. Every great or small act serves the Kingdom. Scripture teaches us that faithfulness is what God wants. Perhaps you visit someone who is lonely. Perhaps you teach your grandchildren Bible verses. Maybe you write a note of encouragement or share the gospel to someone, or you simply pray for your church daily. None of these things may make the evening news, but every one of them matters to the Lord.
We work not for our salvation. We work because of our salvation. There is a world of difference between those two ideas. Good works are not the root of salvation, they are the fruit of salvation. They do not earn God's favor. They demonstrate that His grace is already at work in our lives. This calls to mind Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created inChrist Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ” God has already prepared good works for His children to do. Every day He places opportunities before us to glorify Him. The question is not whether there is work to do. The question is whether we are willing to do it.
Brothers and Sisters, as long we have breath “we should walk in them, ” He has given us purpose. Until He calls us home, He has work for us to accomplish. Don't waste your days sitting on the sidelines. Open your Bible every day. Pray without ceasing. Encourage another believer. Tell someone about Jesus Christ. Serve your local church. Be faithful where God has placed you. One day we will hear our Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. " On that day our labor will be finished. Our race will be complete. Our faith will become sight. But until that glorious day arrives, we keep pressing forward.
So, then are you done? If you are still breathing, then the answer is NO!! God is not finished with you yet. Keep growing. Keep serving. Keep praying. Keep sharing the gospel. Keep looking to Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The same grace that saved you is the grace that strengthens you to serve Him until your very last breath. So then Loved Ones, stay Bold in the Gospel and Strong in His Word.
