From the Study of Pastor Austin 03.01.2026
One pass after another, with no visible progress. The same block with the same blue piece of paper with hundreds of ceramic bits stuck to it. Each pass leaves behind it a thin sheet of dust, like the fresh-fallen snow which turns the landscape white while the ground beneath remains in view. Running my hand across the rough, cross-hatched surface, what was previously a crest has revealed itself to simply be obscuring the flat spot where there should have been a graceful curve. What was once a dull, decently smooth surface has taken on the look of a topographical map as layers of sanded mud fade one into another.
Car restoration is not for those who seek a quick fix. No older vehicle is ever in immaculate condition. This ‘76 Corvette is obviously still at a stage you might call “in progress,” but the feel of the work is beginning to cast a glimpse of what its final form will be in the mind’s eye. Fifty years, sixty years, or longer can have a profound effect on a vehicle. Often in restoration, the goal is not to restore back to what the car looked like when it first drove off of the lot, but to make it straight, perfectly lined up, and stunningly beautiful. If the process is done right, the surface will shine like a mirror as the light dances over it on a sunny day; no ripples or movement except the shape of the body. You feel quite the sense of pride when one of the jobs is finally completed.
I do wonder sometimes if the Lord sees His work in a similar way. When one of His saints finally crosses the finish line and is glorified forever, 1 Peter 1:7 says that all of the testing they went through will “be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The Lord Jesus has promised that He will present His bride “holy and unblemished,” without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27). That said, the process to get there is not like a bunch of ratcheted adjustments. Sanctification is a long process where God picks us up when we were cracked, broken, marred, and faded, having the layered patchwork of many hands over the years on our souls.
As He works around my life, every panel needs constant removal of self-centeredness, sinful flesh, corrupt and worldly ways of thinking. If only those things could be knocked off in big chunks, I’d feel like I am making real progress. However, more aggressive tools, especially after the initial stripping down, can leave gouges and marks difficult to keep out of the final polish. Sometimes necessary, those are reserved for particularly recalcitrant areas. The more successful method is the slow, tedious process of adding Christlikeness and shaving worldliness, day after day, panel by panel. I wonder if our Lord ever remarks to Himself, “Woah. This spot in his personality is really pronounced. He is going to need a lot more endurance and gentleness to flow that in and keep it from being an eyesore in the final design.” Or even, “Hey now, sanding this back revealed a significant crack that has been buried for a long time. We’ll just have to delay the other work until that has been repaired.” Probably not; He is the Lord “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). I guess that’s just me being impatient with my inanimate subjects.
Looking down at this vehicle, it is encouraging to know that our Savior does not prune (John 15:2) or discipline (Heb. 12:7-8) those whom He hates, but those He loves, to whom He promises holiness and the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:10-11). This is a workman to whom we can gladly submit ourselves as His life-long project.
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