Finishing strong

We give special thanks to God for the grace to see the last Sunday of this eventful year. Now, we cannot afford to take the gift of life for granted. It is by the grace of God that we are not consumed, and we must always acknowledge the Lord for the preservation of our lives. May His holy name be praised forever.

Irrespective of your situation so far, in the few days remaining for this year to end, you can still finish strong. You can still finish well. In fact, you should still finish strong. Thus, the admonition to the Hebrew Christians is relevant for all today:

Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Actually, the ultimate finish line for the Christian is heaven (John 3: 16). Having everlasting life is the ultimate goal of the true child of God. This informs Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Romans, when he explained to them the reason why there was a need for a change of life (or lifestyle) among them. He said,

Romans 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

In other words, God calls you to holiness, not merely so that you can have an impressive and attractive character; nor just so that there can be peace in your conscience and in your home; nor merely to avoid the conflicts and strife that go with sinful living; but most importantly to the end that you may inherit everlasting life. That is the difference between the Christian life and the life of a mere moralist. The finish line of a moralist is here on earth; but it is no so for a Christian.

On the way to the ultimate finish line, however, we shall encounter landmarks (or bus stops) on our way, to which we shall need to arrive strong. This can be the end of a calendar year, of a stage in our education, of a career phase, or of a phase of life. Whether our “Finish Line” is December 31, or our date of retirement; or that day when death shall close our eyes, our Lord requires of us to endure to the end. He did not promise us trouble-free passage, but He admonished us to keep faith to the end (Matthew 10:22). In fact, He said to us:

Revelation 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

To finish strong, we must keep the faith. And this has nothing to do with the magnitude of adversity that we have to confront. In fact, it is written that if you fail in the day of adversity, it is evidence that you are a man of little strength of character (Proverbs 24: 10). Stir up your faith in God today, and finish this year in the strength of the Lord.

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