Bible Text: Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Parable of the Soils (good–100,60,30, thorny, stony, hard)
John, in 1 John, assures us…that assurance causes us to examine ourselves.
Paul did not have these type of questions about the Philippians
He was confident about one thing concerning them…
WHY?
—He knew/remembered what had/was happening in his own life
—He knew Who was doing the work in their lives
- Acts 16:1(10)-40 — founding of church at Philippi during 2nd “missionary” journey
- Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke
- Lydia, girl, and jailor
- Luke apparently stays here
- Gifts sent to Paul at Thessalonica twice
- Timothy and Silas sent back to Thessalonica and Philippi various times
- Paul probably stops through on way back to Jerusalem on 3rd journey
- Paul jailed in Caesarea (2yrs)
- Paul sails to Rome
- Under “house arrest” in Rome (2yrs)
- Paul’s circumstances worsen towards the end of his first imprisonment
- Philippians send gift to Paul with Epaphroditus (gets sick, they hear, etc.)
- Paul writes Philippians
Vs. 1:1-2 – Servants, Saints, Salutations (Grace, Peace)
Vs. 1:3-5 – Being Thankful, Causing Thankfulness (Receiving, Financing, and Spreading the Gospel)
…being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The people of the work: (he)
- The Father
- Calls by grace
- Reveals His Son
- Draws souls to him
- The Son
- Quickens the spiritually dead
- Gives His spirit unto
- Stamps His image upon
- Bestows the fulness of His grace upon
- The Holy Spirit
- The spirit of regeneration
- The spirit of sanctification
- The spirit of faith
- The description of the work: (good)
- Illumination of the understanding
- Subduing of the will
- Removing a stony heart
- Giving a heart of flesh
- Infusing with a spiritual life
- Forming Christ in the soul
- Implanting grace in the soul
- The effects of the work: (good)
- Makes a man a good man
- Fits and qualifies a man to do good works
- Makes a man a proper home for God
- Makes a man ready for the heavenly inheritance
- The location of the work: (in)
- Not external, but internal
- Not outward, but inward
- The subject of the work (internal)
- Understanding enlightened
- Will is subdued
- Heart and inward parts written upon
- Mind and conscience sprinkled and cleansed by Christ’s blood
- Affections set on divine objects
- The status of the work: (begun, continuing, will complete)
- This is a description of a Christian’s conversion and life
- Words used here for beginning and end are taken directly from sacrificial ritual — our lives are a sacrifice
- Has begun (started, not finished)
- Limited, yet real faith, hope, love, knowledge
- Remaining corruption
- Continual wants and needs
- Will perform (finish it)
- Well of living water
- Grace is the beginning of glory (glory the perfection of grace)
- Incorruptible seed which will come to fruit
- Earnest of the Spirit of God
- ***Can anyone hinder Him? (Father, Son, Spirit)?
- ***Starting is evidence that He will finish it
- ***He who starts will finish (we didn’t start; we don’t do work of finishing–we can hinder that work)
- Until the day of Jesus Christ
- When (the day)
- The day we die
- The day of Christ’s return
- The day of our presentation pure and holy before God
- Continual (until, not on)
- Yesterday, today, tomorrow, but for ever 🙂
- Not something started, left, and finished
- Year by year, Month by month, Day, Hour, Moment
- Work of grace through faith
- When (the day)
God is doing a work in your life. Isn’t he?
What work is God doing in your life?
- Testing your faith, trying your patience, proving your love,
- Purging your sin,
Are you hindering the work of God in your life?
- He will accomplish His ends.
Are you pursuing the work of God in your life?
- ?Bandwagon? – when we know something good is going to happen, we normally jump on and go along
- Continuous surrender is most pleasant.
You Think Too Much! 