This verse rings out the message of life and hope, it lifts our eyes from the littlenesses and failures of life to the great Almighty plan that is perfectly sure of accomplishment. It causes us to forget for a little while the more personal side of the warfare and gives us a glimpse of the greatness of God, which is sometimes a little difficult for us to comprehend but inspires in us trust and gratitude.

Paul gives us here the unhesitating assurance regarding the Divine purpose for a human life, and whenever he uses definite and emphatic language, as in this verse, we may take it that he has something of special importance to teach us. 

Confident. 

In other parts of his Epistles you hear him say, “I am persuaded” - “Confident”. He brings us to a point in this verse in which there breaks upon our view a vision of God in tender beauty, beginning His great redeeming work in our Christian life. He reveals it step by step, increasing the value and range of the work, and time after time giving fresh gifts and new graces, until there comes a moment when, in the twinkling of an eye, He is able to put the finishing touch to this great work, and make the life and work altogether and for ever complete. He will finish what He has begun. That seems to be the picture which Paul is drawing for us to gaze upon, and this verse gives expression to a fact which should have a large effect on the future in relation to our faith and service.

The perseverance of God.

I like to look away from the more personal side of the warfare to GOD, and to remind my heart of God’s plan and purpose, and of the part God has undertaken to play in this great warfare, which rests the heart, calms the spirit and tells us of the absolute certainty of victory.

God will not fail. God will not give in although all the hosts of hell are assailing. The quality of perseverance is one we all admire. Remember how William Carey, when he was faced with tremendous difficulties, was asked by a friend, 'Well, what can you do now ?’ And his answer was, ‘I can keep at it’. Is not that the same spirit which Paul exhorts the Christians in Ephesus to “put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”. To persevere, “to stand”. The world has the greatest admiration for the one who throws his energy into some failing cause and by his persistence and determination turns the tide and brings victory and triumph where there was only defeat.

Our Jehovah Jesus will finish what He begins. 

What strength comes to us from that fact! What strength comes to the missionary when he sees a life, of which he had hoped much, failing to stand against the inrush of some Satanic onslaught. He looks up and says, “Lord, I trust You to finish what You have begun”. What strength comes to us at home, face to face with all the difficulties, the deadness and indifference, what strength comes in the individual conflict, when we remember that. What strength comes to us as we think of it in relation to our dear ones, to the boys and girls on whom our hearts are set.

The Old Testament saints laid emphasis on this fact, it was like an anchor to their faith in days of backsliding and darkness. The impossibility of their God fainting, or failing, or growing weary was so deeply impressed upon their minds that their faith remained firm. Nothing can bring us more comfort, and send us into the day's work with more hopefulness and certainty of victory than the knowledge of the unceasing perseverance and determined faithfulness of the Lord Jesus, not only in regard to the wide universe, but in regard to the individual life.

We sometimes make too little of this quality in the character of our Lord. I feel sure that life would be lived upon higher ground and more joyfully if, amidst the tasks and trials that bring pain and tears, we had this thought before us, “GOD CANNOT FAIL". The Lord Jesus cannot grow weary, His purpose will ripen, He may move in mysterious ways, but His wonders He will perform.

Isaiah 40 v29, shows us that the Lord will never let go His hold of a life if there is anything in that life of which He can keep hold. The Bible is full of the tireless obstinacy and endless patience of Divine love. Take the case of the Israelites. What does the present condition of the Jewish nation speak of but the marvellous, persistent, eternal faithfulness of Almighty God? There is no nation in the world that has had such knowledge of suffering as the Jews, and yet in spite of all the sufferings it is still a nation, and this can only be explained by Divine revelation. The smallest of all the nations will be the greatest influence amongst the nations.

The promises of God to Israel are being fulfilled. Israel is suffering but Israel is being kept. God’s hand is upon Israel and He will finish the work He has begun in regard to His own chosen people. The Divine perseverance will be rewarded in that day when the word shall be literally true, “in you the nations of the earth will be blessed.”

Take the disciples in the New Testament. They disappointed the Lord right up to the eve of Calvary. They were selfish and unteachable, and yet it was in those very men that the Divine patience and love and perseverance triumphed. The Lord saw the triumph when He crowned them with the gift of Pentecost, and with a witness in suffering that shook the very foundations of the world and compelled kings and peoples to face the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ, and acknowledge Him, and bow down before Him.

The Perseverance of God. 

What a glorious fact. What a reality, what a source of strength, that what He begins He will finish. 

Let us summarize a few passages of Scripture.

Ezekiel 12 v26, “The word of the Lord came to me: . . . the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer, whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” Here is the Divine assurance upon which we can rest in regard to every work which God has begun.

Amos 9 v14-15, “I will bring back my exiled people Israel . . . I will plant Israel in their own land . . .“ Here are the finishing touches to the national life of Israel.

Zachariah 14 v20, “On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, . . . ”. The finishing touch to the individual life. Made holy in all its details.

John 13 v1, “Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love”. The finishing touch to the purpose of Divine love.

Hebrews 7 v25, “He is able to save completely . . . because He always lives to intercede for them". He will put the finishing touch on saving grace.

Revelation 5 v9, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God . . . You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve God, and they will reign on the earth.” Here is the finishing touch to the victory of Calvary that will come to the redeemed through the Saviour, from every land and every nation, and to the satisfaction and joy of the Lamb.

The perseverance of the Saviour, the perseverance of God. He will finish what He has begun. We need to learn the lesson in relation to ourselves, to our work and to our loved ones for whom we pray. We need to learn the lesson of trusting God to put the finishing touch upon His own work. He will finish what He has begun until, in the day of the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, He crowns it with eternal praise and glory. Amen.

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