Can we fix it? Nope!
When my oldest son was little, he loved watching the claymation show Bob the Builder. Bob had a “fix anything” attitude, a trusty talking vehicle team, and his catchphrase, “can we fix it? Yes, we can.” Thinking back, it wasn’t the talking machines that were unbelievable; it was the fact that he never got angry when fixing anything. I mean, come on, what guy fixes stuff and never once gets angry at the things around him? That, my friends, is unbelievable.
What was interesting about that show was that Bob couldn’t fix anything without his machines, no matter the project. His confidence came solely from their abilities and the work they did, and because of that, he learned to trust them. As believers, I think that we can sometimes struggle with this and, like Bob, need to learn how to be confident and trust in someone else’s work on our behalf.
Philippians 1:6 says: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. - NLT
In this statement, we see an expectant confidence in God and His faithfulness alone to complete what HE alone started. The good work here isn’t just salvation; it’s also our sanctification that God will perfect or bring to completion. See, while salvation happens the moment we put our trust in Christ, God continues to refine us every day to be more like His Son. The only work that you and I could possibly do is to continue to surrender and live out our faith in submission to His will.
Now, I will confess that I have struggled with this very thing over the years. Even as I was writing this, I was confronted with how often my “wanting to make sure I’m good” has gotten in the way. Salvation and sanctification are again only a work of God alone, and He doesn’t need our “help” to accomplish anything. We can rest in the faithfulness of who God is and be confident in what His word says and not what we can or can’t do. We have to remember that the same God that Paul was confident in when talking to the Philippians is the same God that we can be confident in today.
The only way though that we will ever have that confidence is to know God in a deeper way and that happens through His word. That means that you and I have to be in our Bibles daily and memorize scriptures such as:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 12:2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Psalm 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
And lastly Psalm 31:22 As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the sound of my pleadings When I called to You for help.
Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light. - V. Raymond Edman
Today if you don’t know Jesus, surrender. Come to Him and find forgiveness and allow Him to start a good work in you that only He can.