Beginning and Ending Well In Christ

Starting a journey, project or endeavor in a person's life is often begun with great zeal and anticipation.  Examples of those who started well and ended well are included in the Scriptures, and, yes, there are examples of those who started well and did not end as well.  Two examples are Noah and Abraham.  Noah was given a huge project.  Abraham was called to a journey not knowing where he was going.

During the days of Noah, as a whole, humans were evil and wicked.  These words are recorded in Genesis 6:5, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."  From the time of Adam and Eve and their fall into disobedience man continued to become more and more evil.  God covered Adam and Eve's nakedness with the skin of an animal after they tried to cover themselves with leaves.  God shed the animal's blood and covered Adam and Eve.  Hebrews 9:22 says, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."  

Then Cain, Adam and Eve's oldest, slew Abel out of jealousy and hate and was driven from them.  Then God gave Adam a new offspring named Seth and from that generation came children who sought God.  Enoch, Seth's great, great, great, great grandson sought God so diligently that God translated him into heaven.  By faith, He had the testimony that he pleased God and God took him.  And from Enoch came his great, great grandson Noah who was favored with grace in God's sight.  Yet, as a whole humans were evil and wicked in their thoughts and behavior and God was going to destroy them off the face of the earth with a flood. But one man, Noah, was a man of faith and found grace in God's sight.

God spoke to Noah to build an ark.  He moved with fear and finished the ark as God directed.  Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives along with two of every animal that could not survive in a flood, male and female, were brought into the ark.  God spared Noah and his family to continue His plan.  Yet, when Noah came off the ark he planted a vineyard, made wine and became drunk.  He wound up in his tent naked and asleep from his drunkenness.  His behavior along with his son's behavior brought on the disfavor of God.  He started well, preached God's righteousness for years, finished the Ark and saved his family but then Scripture gives the account of his drunken stupor and deep sleep that brought on a curse to a son that gazed upon his nakedness.  Noah began well but did he end well according to the Scriptures?  I do not mean to disparage Noah or his work for the Lord.  Hebrews 11:7 says, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."  He failed by getting drunk and allowing himself to be in a precarious condition and position. Ham's behavior was displeasing to Noah, Shem and Japheth and he and his offspring became their servants. 

Then, God commanded the three sons to disperse and populate the earth.  But people stayed close together and formed a large city and then decided to build a tower to heaven.  Remember the tower of Babel?  After there was no dispersion and there was no one serving the one true God, what would God do?


Enter Abram or, later, Abraham who God chose to lead out of his homeland.  He was approached by God and told to leave his country and go to the country that God would show him.  He left his country, and family of origin and journeyed to that "promised" land.  Abram was not a righteous man.  He was a pagan who worshipped and served other gods. This can be proven by the Scripture.  Joshua 24:2 says, "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods."  Abram was part of a family that served other gods but God chose him to bless him to be the father of many people.  Abram also failed God at times but he finished well by serving God and becoming the father of the faithful. Jesus also said of Abraham in John 8:57, "Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." 

Let me encourage you.  Through Christ we are sons and daughters of Abraham.  Yes Abraham failed at times but he was still a man full of faith and served God.  Remember how he obeyed by offering his son Isaac.  Ask how many father's would place their son on an altar and sacrifice them.  Most will say, "I don't think I could do that." Abraham obeyed God's command.  So we are blessed in Christ to be the seed of Abraham. 


Galatians 3:9 says, 


"So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." Verse 16 says, "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ."  We can build altars as Abraham did and seek God to live a faithful life through the grace of God.  He has called us and chosen us in Christ to begin and end well, with all our faults and failures.  Simply place your trust in Christ, seek the Father and live well in Christ.  Christ is the author and finisher of our faith.  That is His promise.  He is the better way.  Thank God for Jesus and His faithfulness and obedience all the way from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the tomb, from the tomb to the right of of the Father making intercession for us every hour of every day.  Through Him we begin and end well.  To Him be glory!