Works in Progress
A compilation
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Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. Referring to this process, Paul said, “This will continue until we are … mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him” (Ephesians 4:13).
You are a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation in developing the character of Jesus will take the rest of your life, and even then it won’t be completed here on Earth. It will only be finished when you get to Heaven or when Jesus returns.
At that point, whatever unfinished work on your character is left will be wrapped up. The Bible says that when we are finally able to see Jesus perfectly, we will become perfectly like him: “We can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2).
Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than he is anything else. We worry when God seems silent on specific issues such as “What career should I choose?” The truth is, there are many different careers that could be in God’s will for your life. What God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do it in a Christlike manner (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Corinthians 16:14; Colossians 3:17, 23).
God is far more interested in who you are than what you do. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity but not your career.
The Bible warns, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. … Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you” (Romans 12:2).
You must make a counterculture decision to focus on becoming more like Jesus. Otherwise, other forces like peers, parents, coworkers, and culture will try to mold you into their image. Sadly, a quick review of many popular Christian books reveals that many believers have abandoned living for God’s great purposes and have instead settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship.
Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like himself before he takes us to Heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.—Rick Warren1
Recovering sinners
Dallas Willard used to say that we should begin church services like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings: “Hi, my name is Cameron McAllister, and I’m a recovering sinner.” Let’s revisit the apostle Paul, this time in his letter to the Philippians. Consider these words:
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you” (Philippians 3:12–15). …
When we think of transformation in the lives of Christians, we need to think in present-tense terms. Every Christian, like Paul, is a work in progress—a person “being saved” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Moreover, different Christians are at different stages of the journey, displaying varying levels of spiritual maturity. To be sure, this state of affairs can be surreal. Some old people are spiritual infants; some young people are spiritual grown-ups; some giants are spiritual shrimps, and some shrimps are spiritual giants. This is part of what Christ is getting at when He says that the first shall be last and the last shall be first…
According to Scripture, the problems dogging humanity are more severe than poverty and ignorance, as serious as those are. Sadly, a sterling education doesn’t guarantee moral behavior any more than a big bank account does. Even with the best of resources and in the best of circumstances, we still do ourselves and others harm. To use scriptural language, we are fallen. We are sinners.
Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission. In all of human history, His is the one perfect life, the shining example, and the beacon of hope for us all. He alone can address what we are and point us to what He would have us become. True Christians are the ones who have made Jesus their Master and who stagger forward on the road to becoming like Him, picking up many scrapes and bruises on the way. They aren’t perfect, but their Master is, and He’s the reason they keep pressing stubbornly forward, even if they have to limp.—Cameron McAllister2
God’s unfinished business
In a way, we are all unfinished business, as far as God’s concerned. He’s started a lot of “projects” that are well begun, even perfect in their own right, but not complete. The Master never stops work on His creation—the molding, the shaping, the chiseling, the polishing are all meant to help us make progress and bring us closer to Him.
We can lean into God’s work in our lives by intentionally seeking to grow in our relationship with our heavenly Father. We can do this by involving God in our decision-making and applying the spiritual principles in His Word to our decisions (James 1:5). We can seek to learn through the things we experience in life and remind ourselves in the hard times that we grow spiritually when our faith is tested and we see that God is the ultimate solution to life’s problems. “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2–3).
We can recognize and work on weak areas. We all have room for improvement. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It’s not too hard to accept in a general way that we are imperfect. It gets harder when we get specific about our mistakes or weaknesses. It’s humbling to acknowledge where we fall short, even if only to ourselves and God. But doing so helps us to make spiritual progress. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).
We can focus on giving of ourselves to others. As we forget ourselves and focus on meeting the needs of others and bringing them the gospel, we become conduits of God’s love to those people. And as we pour out, God’s Spirit works in and through us. “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).—Alex Peterson
Prayer for progress
When we first received the good news of the gospel, we became God’s handiwork, newly created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Emphasizing the newness that has already come to us, Paul can write in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” Yet, earlier in the same letter, Paul writes, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed [present tense] day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
So what is it? Are we already renewed? Or are we in the process of being renewed? The biblical answer is “Both.” This answer is based on the eschatological dimension of our lives in Christ, the “already and not yet” reality in which we live. When we became Christians, we were already made new by God’s power through the Word and Spirit. Yet that newness isn’t complete yet.
Our lives in Christ are a long process of ongoing renewal through the Word and Spirit as we live in communion with the Triune God and God’s people. In Ephesians 4:23 [“to be renewed in the spirit of your mind”], the present tense of “to be made new” reminds us of this fact. As you look at your life today, you should be able to see ways in which God has already renewed you. And I expect you can also identify ways still in need of renovation because you are God’s work in progress. …
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for all the ways you have begun to make me new inside. I’m sure I can’t even count half of them. Yet, how grateful I am for what I can see. Thank you! Still, Lord, I know that I am a work in progress. Yes, you will bring this work to completion one day. But, for now, I am still being formed and reformed by you. Thank you. And may this continue to happen as I open my whole life to you. Amen.—Mark Roberts3
Published on Anchor November 2024. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by John Listen.
