Completion Day

Some of the Seeds I’ve written recently have reflected the current situation of my wife Gemma and myself. We’re in the process of moving home. At the time of writing this Seed, we’re nearing the stage where contracts for the sale of our home and for the purchase of our new home will take place.

In England the sale of a home requires that the seller and buyer each sign a contract for their part in the deal, and then, on an appointed day, the solicitors representing them exchange each party’s signed contract, making things legal and binding. Usually at that point, a deposit is paid by the buyer. Once that is done, a ‘completion day’ is agreed, when the full price of the purchase is paid by the buyer and the seller moves out, hopefully, as in our case, to relocate to a new home!

This process, which, at times, has been very stressful, has so spoken to me of how our lives have been bought by Jesus as He died in our place on the cross. When we believe in His finished work of taking the full punishment we deserved for our sin, we ‘exchange’ our sinfulness and unrighteousness for His perfect righteousness. What an exchange!

As we’re born again, adopted as a son or daughter, raised up through the power of His resurrection, we receive the deposit, or down payment, of His Holy Spirit, making us alive in our human spirit and enabling us to begin to live godly and holy lives. That in itself is so amazing, but, even more, we each have a day in the future when the good work of the Holy Spirit in changing us to be more and more like Jesus will be completed. That’s the day when our life and work in this world is finished and we’re called to be with Jesus through death or His return, and we finally see Him face to face, our faith turned to sight.

Gemma and I are beginning to get excited and relieved that ‘completion day’ for our house move is getting nearer, and we’re working at being fully prepared for that event. None of us know the day or the time of that far greater ‘completion day’ when we relocate, not to an earthly dwelling but a heavenly one, but I sense that God wants to give us His people a renewed excitement and desire to be ready for that great event.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the amazing exchange You offer – my sinfulness and shame for Your forgiveness and righteousness. Thank You for Your promise that You will continue to change me into Your likeness, by Your Holy Spirit, until that Day when I stand faultless and with great joy before You. Please use me to tell others that You want them to be there in heaven with You as well. In Your name I pray. Amen.