From Start to Finish by Faith
by Jim Person
My righteousness is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’. As we lean toward God, He makes it happen. What a wonderful revelation of my name being found in him! It is through His love and His obedience, which led to his willing act to embrace the cross, for me and for you. My enabling wonderful Saviour is equipping me to stand against the temptations that beset my mind, my will, and my emotions.
This includes Jesus’ call to us, through His saving faith, and the fact that Jesus is committed to transforming all of life and all of history for our benefit. This eternal hope is more than anything I could possibly dream up in my finite mind. His name gives me hope, love, grace and the power to change. What a powerful name it is! For, in His name, God’s righteousness is revealed. From start to finish, we live by faith. As it is written, ‘but the righteous shall live by faith’.
Often, when this lowly fisherman dwells on the righteousness of God, I think it must mean ‘righteousness from God’. For He gives of Himself the very thing we need for living ‘rightly’. The righteousness refers to ‘right standing’ before God, given to us by God (see Philippians 3:9).
The righteousness of God must also mean God’s moral character, as we see it in His holiness and justice. For it is through Christ’s death that we are justified in God’s eyes, for this meets the just demand of God’s holy nature. When the Scriptures say, ‘from start to finish by faith’, I believe it means that, when I am standing with God, it is by faith from the start of my days to the finish of my days.
Each day I get up to embrace the faith I need for the troubles that will face me. Each day I begin by choosing to stand with Jesus. For it is by faith that I believe, by faith that I can live well, by faith that I speak well, by faith that I make good choices, and by faith I will respond in a good way emotionally to my troubles. If you are like me, you need help. I need Jesus. The days I do poorly are the days I stand on my own.
Today, let’s together enter the fray with our trust in our Redeemer, and live from start to finish by faith.
Prayer: Jesus, I need to stand with You as I face this day. Help me to walk out my salvation from start to finish by faith. I know, as I stand facing You and lean on Your shoulder, all is calm, all is secure, and all is good. Help me to not forget and turn towards my own abilities and my own strengths. Teach me Your ways, Lord. Amen.
Jim Person Jim grew up in Alaska and from a small child commercial fished every summer with his family. God called him, his wife Tanya, and their four children to move to Hungary as missionaries in 2003. God then led him to join Ellel Ministries in 2005. After serving in various positions with Ellel in Central and Eastern Europe, God led them back to the United States, where he is now serving with the Ellel USA team. Jim and Tanya have a passion to see leaders restored, the church discipled and walking in God’s fullness of life and freedom. They also love mentoring the existing and developing Ellel teams wherever God leads them. Jim also has a real gift for working with the land to create a beautiful and welcoming environment.
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