“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalms 138:8)  

Your faith that Christ will perfect your life is the reason you were able to surrender to His Lordship. Please consider carefully what’s being said here. The saint doesn’t say, “I have grace enough to perfect that which concerns me - my faith is so steady, I won’t stagger, my love is so warm, I won’t grow cold, my resolution is so firm, nothing can move it; no, your dependence is on Christ alone. Many Christians gradually replace faith in Christ with faith in their faith. They lose their child-like dependence on Christ, and require trials to bring them back to Christ alone. 

 You’ll never outgrow your immediate need of Christ. Trials will teach you to return to your first love. “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3). The Greek word translated “patience” is hupomone, which literally means “stay under”. For the Christian, “produces patience” means, “makes you submit to the Lordship of Christ”. So, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith makes you submit to the Lordship of Christ. 

 “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:28). 

 If there’s one stitch in the celestial garment of your righteousness which you inserted yourself, then you’re lost; but this is your confidence, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (Philippians 1:6). Your confidence must never be in what you’ve done, or in what you’ve resolved to do, but entirely in what Christ has done and will do. 

 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead … make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight” (Hebrews 13:20-21).