"Faithful is He who called you, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 5:24).

“Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6).

When I was 16, I undertook rebuilding the six-cylinder engine in my 1964 Chevy pickup. I would have never begun that work with any hope of completing it unless I was confident my father was willing and able to help me if I got into any trouble. I did, and he did.

Believers undertake every task in patient and confident expectancy (hope) because we know that our heavenly Father is able and willing and shall without fail save us to the uttermost by Jesus Christ to His great glory (Heb. 7:25; Php. 1:6; 4:13; 1 Thess. 5:23-24). Thus, though we are weak and unprofitable servants, though there be few of us, we labor in hope; we wait in confident expectancy that God will do as He has said. As Jonathan told his armor bearer, “There is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6). There is no limitation in God because of our infirmities that would prevent Him from saving us to the uttermost and accomplishing His eternal will by Christ. In spite of our weaknesses (Rom. 8:24-27), therefore, let us live in the patience of hope because our God and Father, who cannot lie, promised eternal life to elect sinners in Christ before the world began (Titus 1:1-2; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:13-17; Heb. 6:10-12). Though we are unprofitable servants, the Gospel is not an unprofitable work. It is the power of God Almighty to the salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ. God’s grace cannot fail to save His people (Isa. 55:11; Rom. 1:16-17). He made Christ sin for us and so made Him all of our righteousness (Rom. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:21). His exceeding great power raised us from spiritual death to life and faith in Christ (Eph. 1:19-2:6). If , when we were enemies, He reconciled us to Himself by the death of His Son, how much more now that we are reconciled and justified by Christ's blood, shall He save us by His life (Rom. 5:9-10)? All strength and all success is from God for Christ's sake, all by His grace alone. We therefore may undertake great things, knowing our Father is willing and able and shall without fail fulfill His will to bring us to Himself and glorify His Son for His grace to us who are without strength.

Rick Warta