Deuteronomy 32:4 English Standard Version (ESV) “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

Psalm 33:4 English Standard Version (ESV) For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

Psalm 145:13 English Standard Version (ESV) Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]

Romans 3:27 English Standard Version (ESV) Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.

James 2:17 English Standard Version (ESV) So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Faith is described in the scripture first as God’s faithfulness, then becomes a law unto itself, and finally seen as a living entity within us.

The danger in seeing faith as a law is seeing obedience of faith as a demanding element of salvation. When we say we have no works it is a faith killer and a lie of the enemy. The truth is that faithfulness is still God’s possession alone.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 English Standard Version

²³ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

2 Corinthians 13:3 English Standard Version (ESV) since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

This passage is included because seeking proof of Christ in us is not by works but rather by the power of His abiding love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 English Standard Version (ESV) So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Timothy 4:15 English Standard Version (ESV) Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,^{[be in them]} so that all may see your progress.

Progress is not the same thing as being progressive. They sound alike but at the core of the progressive is a need to be different. We are to conform to Christ. Think of progress as a great work by John Bunyan (1628– 1688) The Pilgrim’s Progress. That is an extensive work that heralds sixteen milestones of Christian life. Is it a paradox, and allegory or a religious vision?

Every good work presented by our predecessors is meant to encourage us to live a life moving towards one common goal, eternal life. Since that life begins at new birth and like all newborns we explore and discover this new life. Our progress tells us if we are on the right path or not.

Psalm 25:4-5 English Standard Version

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. ⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Many of us have reached an age when our new birth are a far distant memory. For those of us that find ourselves in the infancy of this new life, is this prayer part of our experience? Do not feel guilty if it is not. We all begin with the milk of the Word, easy to digest and good for growth.

The words “make me” indicates a transition from being in charge to allowing God to take charge of our progress. We are often told as children we have to do this, this is right, don’t do that. Everything sounds legalistic and some of it is legal in form.

It takes progress to get from doing what is right because we are told, to doing right because that is who we are. He is the author and finisher of our faith even before we know what faith is and how it works.