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Last week, I showed you how we sent away our old truck. We have replaced it with an eight-year-old minivan. We needed something bigger to accommodate the four of us and our dog.

This vehicle has many qualities I've never had before. It has a power sunroof. It has power doors at the side and rear. And it has leather seats. I’m cleaning the leather seats and vacuuming the dog hairs. I want to keep the van looking new for as long as I possibly can. I suspect, however, that as much as I hope to do this, I'll probably not be as diligent about it as I am now.

Thankfully, that's not like our God.

Our God is committed to making us perfect. He's committed to making us more like Jesus. He's not going to start with a good intention and not see it through. Listen to these famous words from Philippians 1. The Apostle Paul says,

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Isn't this an encouraging promise? The work the Father has begun in us, he will complete. He's not going to stop after a month or a year, like I might cleaning the van. No, he will make us like Christ. He will see this through to completion on the day Jesus returns. We will be perfect because we will bear Christ’s likeness perfectly.

Maybe you're thinking, "Has God given up on me?" Maybe you're thinking, "Life hasn't worked out as I thought it might." Maybe you're thinking, "Is God really at work in my life?" Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God is at work in us. He has not stopped working. He is not going to stop working. He will continue to work because he's committed to you and he will make you more like Christ. We can be sure of this because that's what Jesus achieved on the cross for us. Be encouraged.

Let us pray.

Lord, thank you that you are the living God who never lets go. You never give up. You are always at work in our lives. It is your desire, your purpose, and your plan we become more like Jesus. Lord, transform us more and more into the likeness of your Son, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I'm going to keep this vehicle as clean as I possibly can for as long as I possibly can. As I do, I know that God will continue to work in me. He will make me clean and pure, presented without fault before his presence on that day when I see Christ face to face, as it says at the end of Jude.

視頻大意翻譯 (video Chinese translation):

 嗨。

上一次我告訴你我把舊卡車送人。我們買了一部八年舊的小廂型車來取代它。我們需要有部大一點的車來載我們一家四口和我們的狗。

這輛車有許多特點是我以前從未有過的。它有一個電動天窗，側面和後面都有電動門，還有真皮座椅。我必須保持它們的清潔，這樣才能用很長的時間。所以我正在清潔真皮座椅和吸狗毛。我想儘可能地保持這車嶄新的外觀。然而，我懷疑，儘管我很想做這件事，但一段時間後我可能不會像現在這樣地勤奮擦拭。但我們的上帝不是這樣。我們的上帝承諾使我們完美。祂承諾讓我們更像耶穌。祂不會一開始懷著好意，卻不去實現。請聽腓立比書 1 章中的這些名言。使徒保羅說，

我每逢想念你們、就感謝我的　神．因為從頭一天直到如今、你們是同心合意的興旺福音。我深信那在你們心裏動了善工的、必成全這工、直到耶穌基督的日子．

這難道不是一個令人鼓舞的承諾嗎？父在我們裡面開始的工作，祂必完成。祂不會像我清潔車那樣在一個月或一年後停下來。不，祂會使我們像基督一樣。祂會在耶穌再來的那一天完成這一切。我們會成為完美的人，我們會完全地承受基督的形象。

也許你在想，「神是否放棄了我？也許你在想，“生活並沒有像我想像的那樣發展。也許你在想，「神真的在我的生命中工作嗎？這些話提醒我們，祂正在我們裡面工作。祂並沒有停止作工。祂不會停止作工。祂會繼續工作，因為祂對你有承諾，他會讓你更像基督。我們可以肯定這一點，因為這就是耶穌在十字架上為我們成就的。要受鼓勵。

讓我們禱告。

主啊，感謝你，因為你是永不放手的永生神。你永遠不會放棄。您一直在我們的生命中作工。正是你的願望、你的目標和你的計劃，讓我們變得更像耶穌。主啊，求你改變我們越來越像你兒子耶穌的樣式。感謝你，主。奉耶穌的名。阿門。

我將儘可能地保持這輛車乾淨。當我這樣做時，我知道上帝會繼續在我裡面工作。祂將使我潔凈純潔，在我面對面見到基督的那一天，毫無瑕疵地出現在他面前，正如猶大書結尾所說的那樣。

願主祝福你。

The Lord bless you.

Grace and peace
Pastor Callum