Complete

This thought struck me while listening to my pastor preach Sunday; the thought of how completely Jesus stood in as our substitute. He was the perfect sacrifice, because He wasn't lacking in any way. So, no matter how vile the sinner; Christ was able to go and pay the price for their sins. More to the point, no matter how vile I am; Christ was able to pay for my every sin on the cross, completely. It just reminds me that He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
In all of this, I find that this is the kind of work that we need to do for our Lord: complete. What ever you do in service to God, give it everything that you have; because that is exactly what Jesus did on our behalf. Paul told Timothy that the time of his earthly departure was at hand, and that he was bing poured out as a drink offering; and he then tells him that he has fought a good fight, finished his course and that he had kept the faith. (That's a good three point sermon: 1. Fight a good fight 2. Finish your course 3. Keep the faith.) What Paul is telling him is that his life has been poured out in service to God, and that he didn't miss a thing. Jim Elliot said this, "Live to the hilt, every moment that you know is in the will of God." Live completely, in every sense of the word, in service to God.