Philippians 1:6-11 – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Some years ago, a pastor invited me to preach at his church in another state. I did not know him very well, but in our phone conversations he seemed like a good man with a genuine heart for God, so I got on a plane to go serve at his invitation. After I preached, he pulled me into his office. His countenance changed as he looked very burdened, then revealed that the main reason why he flew me across the country was to ask me one question that had been causing him many sleepless nights. He loved the Lord, had been faithful to his God and wife, but lived in terror that one day he would become unfaithful to God and end up in hell. I took that man to this section of Philippians and told him three things:
- God is faithful for you. God worked for you through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, it is that same faithful God who never fails in His work who began a good work in you.
- God is faithful in you. God placed His Spirit in you to continually make your character more and more like Jesus Christ. He will bring it to completion. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. He will not fail you. In fact, He cannot because He never lies and has promised these very things to you. Subsequently, your love will abound more and more, and you will grow in the knowledge of God and how to make wise life decisions.
- God is faithful through you. The root of your righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is the vine and you are the branch. His fruitful life will continually flow more and more through you to bless God and others as the same God who was faithful for you and in you will always prove Himself to also be faithful through you.
Which of these three are you most confident in? Which are you least confident in?