I’m Kept Firm to the End
By Susan Aken
“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:8
I’m no longer the idealist I was in my twenties. Back then, I believed if I checked all the right boxes and followed the correct formula, I’d struggle less with sins like selfishness and pride. I never found that formula. Although I’ve grown in my faith and obedience to Christ, I still battle some of the same weaknesses. Life and growth are a struggle. We’ll fight sin until the day we die. Strength and wisdom come only as I rely on God’s power. It’s a relationship not a formula.
I’ve believed in Jesus for over fifty years. I’ve had times when I walked closely with Him and times when I drifted away. I need His grace as much today as when I first believed.
God enabled me to believe and helps me live for Him. His grace alone will keep me strong to the end. When I leave this earth and appear before God, He’ll see me as blameless because of what Jesus did when He died on the cross and rose from the dead, not because of anything I did.
I know God will begin the work He started in me, making me blameless in His sight. He will keep me firm to the end.
My earlier focus was on self-effort. But living in grace isn’t about keeping the rules or finding a formula that I apply and then go my way. It’s about having a relationship with the One who holds me in His hands and will never let me go.
I’m kept secure forever in Christ.
Susan Aken is a homemaker, teacher, writer, and frequent contributor to Wholly Loved Ministries’ projects. She lives in Nebraska but was born and raised in Oklahoma. She and her husband have one son. Her greatest love is for the Lord Jesus Christ who has redeemed her and set her free. Susan enjoys reading, photography, spending time with family and friends, and writing. She has a heart for prayer ministry and loves her church. Visit her online at susanaken53.wordpress.com.
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Originally published Thursday, 21 September 2023.
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