Nothing is more certain in a Christian’s life than change into Christlikeness because He loves us. It doesn’t always feel like it. Sanctification is a dig-your-fingernails-into-the-rock-and-hang-on climb, but it is guaranteed. Christ purchased our passage from justification through to glorification. Paul stirred the Colossians with the purpose of Christ’s work:

He [Christ] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him. (Colossians 1:22)

Paul was working it out on the ground, to present every man complete in Christ (1:28), but it was a work already paid for. Paul couldn’t make change happen, he was an agent of God applying the changes bought by Christ on the cross.

Christ doesn’t just give Christians a map, put them in the car, and point them in the right direction. He takes us to the end. There is, however, a condition.

if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard. (verse 23)

The gas is faith and the oil is hope. Christ grants us faith for sake of reconciliation with the Father and strengthens our faith for transformation into His image. He increases our hope as we mediate on His resurrection and our resurrection in Him. He fulfills the condition in us to get us to His likeness.

When we come to the Lord’s Table we are continuing in faith and hope. We acknowledge week by week that we need Him until we’re presented complete before the Father. We need to keep believing and coming. We need to keep eating and drinking. We continue to look to Christ. He is our life and when He appears, we will also appear with Him in glory.