God’s rewards are based upon how we “finish” our race rather than how we begin. “He who endures unto the end shall be saved.” Those who begin well but fall away, or fall short, will not receive the same reward as those who “finish strong.” Only those who overcome, inherit all things; they are the ones who obtain the testimony of the faithful who have “finished strong.”
Luke records the incident where Jesus turned and addressed the large crowds who were following with this admonition: “…for which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has the means to finish it – lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.” I had long assumed that the reason the man was not able to finish was due to “lack of funds” – this is how I had interpreted “not being able”. However, Jesus used a specific word that is translated “strength” in Old and New Testament passages. His words would have been understood by those who heard Him to mean “the man was not strong enough”. Simply insert “not strong enough” for “not able” and you can see that Jesus is warning the crowd of the importance of “finishing strong.”
The New Testament concept of “finished” is most often expressed in our English translations by the word “perfect”. Perfect conveys the imagery that something has become complete, mature, finished. The man who started building the tower never perfected it, never completed it, he failed to finish it. God's goal for every believer is to become “perfect” in Christ, mature, complete –His desire is for us to finish strong in the Lord.
Nowhere should this be of greater concern for us than in the specific area of “perfecting holiness.” Paul understood that “holiness” is the will of God for every believer. We are all called to be holy just as He is holy – we are to be holy in ALL we do. Are we still strongly seeking to “finish” becoming holy in all we do? Where are we at in our “building” process? Like Paul, are we able to say “I can do all things through CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH”? Is the grace we are receiving causing the POWER of Christ to be MADE PERFECT in our weakness? Is God still at work in us to do according to His good pleasure? Holiness becomes His house, and God gives His sons and daughters strength to do His work.
Every believer should be receiving Christ's power to strengthen us so that we can “perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Are we receiving His strength to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit? The work of God is not “finished” as long as any corruption remains. May none of us be found to have the shameful testimony that although we began to “cleanse ourselves from every contamination of body and spirit” we failed to finish holiness in the fear of the Lord. We must run with endurance and finish strong.
Speaking to the church of Sardis, Jesus warned “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” Jesus examines our lives and He judges the quality and progress of our work. He is looking to see if corruption remains that He is not pleased with, He insists that His bride be spotless. We need to remember His warnings to unfaithful servants who are lazy and unproductive, to foolish virgins, and yes even to once faithful stewards. Only those who overcome by faith and endurance inherit what Jesus has promised; scripture is filled with examples of starters who never “finished. ” We have the record kept for us to remind us that those who fail to finish will not receive the same reward as those who “finish strong.”