Picture this scenario: I’m in search of a vintage Porsche, so I keep an eye on sale sites until finally one day I see a listing for a beat up, holes-in-the-floor 1963 Porsche 911. Right away, I contact the seller and tell him I want it. We agree to sale terms and then I go get the car. But I don’t just move it from the other guy’s driveway to mine. I bought it with a purpose. So I set about restoring it. Some bits just need to be cleaned up, but others need to be completely replaced. It’s a laborious process; there’s plenty of sweat, a few tears, and even a little blood, but it’s worth it; when I look at it, I can already see the finished project even while it’s still a work-in-progress.
It’s an incomplete analogy, but this is the work of Christ. He didn’t just come into the world to see what He could find. He came with a purpose – to recover what was lost, to redeem it, and to restore it to its original goodness (Luke 19:10). He’s taking back what was His to begin with. Instead of throwing up His hands that the whole thing is a lost cause, He’s painstaking. He knows what needs to be done, and He’s willing to do it to the uttermost.
Unlike cars, we aren’t inanimate. We had a hand in the vandalism of God’s creation, in the loss of His treasure. We’re complicit. But it doesn’t change how He feels about us. It doesn’t diminish His jealousy for us or lessen His zeal on our behalf.
How great is the love that He has for us! He watches diligently. He waits patiently. He goes to the very ends of the earth. He works thoroughly. Nothing is too lost for Him to find, or too costly for Him to redeem, or too damaged for Him to restore. Nothing.
A car can’t feel the sanding that removes rust, or feel the wrench as new parts are secured into place. But we can. There’s a good chance sometimes you won’t be comfortable in the restoration process. Things probably won’t go as smoothly as you’d like and you may not make the progress you thought you would at the pace you expected. Sometimes you may even wonder what God is up to.
I can tell you – He’s making you holy (Hebrews 10:14). That requires so much more than just touching up the paint. It’s a complete overhaul. He’s giving you a new heart, new desires, and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). He’s making you mature and complete (James 1:4). It’s very likely the process won’t be much like you thought it would be. But God is faithful. He will finish the work and you will be all you were made to be.
“God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” Philippians 1:6