Philippians 1:6

Introduction

Thus far, we have examined the first 5 verses of Philippians 1.

We saw the greeting in verses 1 and 2.

In verses 3-5, Paul is deeply thankful to God for the believers that are in Philippi.

What we see is whenever Paul remembers these believers, he can’t help but to thank God for them.

And as he is praying, there is something specific these believers are doing that causes Paul to be thankful.

We see that in verse 5: “in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”

These believers didn’t sit back and do nothing, they actively participated in advancing the gospel.

This participation would included:

Obviously,

Their evangelistic witness to the world and even their suffering for the sake of the gospel would make them participants of the gospel

And contextually what we see is that this participation in the gospel included their

Support of Paul, we see in

Verse 7 of chapter 1, he says: “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.”

They stood by him, encouraged him, and they helped meet his needs in every way that they could.

Philippians 4:15–16 “You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.”

And so the focus of Paul’s thanksgiving — what he has in view — is that they participate in the gospel work with him

And then we come to verse 6. Now, verse 6 is not random, it flows from what he has been doing in verse 3-5.

Here Paul gives us an additional reason that he thanks God for these believers.

And the reason he has this attitude of gratitude is because he knows without a shadow of a doubt that it was God who began the work within these believers and it is God who will bring that good work to completion.

The moment of their conversion took place because of God’s grace

Their current preservation, as they are actively participating in the gospel work and as they press on in their pilgrimage, is because of God’s grace

All the way until the very end when they are glorified in the sight of God, takes place because of the work and the grace of God.

And because Paul knows these truths, he is filled with gratitude when he prays.

And so my plan is to look at a few details in verse 6 and then — I see 4 doctrinal truths in verse 6, and today we’ll just talk about one of them.

But first let’s look at a few details here in verse 6.

Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

The word, “confident” means to be persuaded of or to be totally convinced. This isn’t referring to mere human expectation or human hope, but an absolute certainty that comes from knowing and believing in the promises of God.

He is confident of this very thing…the very thing that he is confident in, is that “God, who began a work will perfect it…”

The word “began” is a compound verb that we only see twice in NT — both of which are referring salvation

The other time it is used is in Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

In this text, Paul rebuked certain believers in the Galatian churches who believed that they could finish in their own power what God had divinely begun in their lives solely by the power of His Holy Spirit.

It’s a rhetorical question, obviously they could not finish the work in the flesh that God begun by the Spirit.

And here in Philippians — Paul is assuring the believers that the good work of salvation was something that God began.

And that’s the first doctrinal truth I want to spend some time talking about.

God Initiates salvation

The text does not say that “you (believer) who began that good work, God will perfect until the day of Christ Jesus”

It says God began it.

Even when we look at the conversion of Lydia — the first convert in Philippi, Luke says in Acts 16:14 “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”

The Lord opened her heart…

In Philippians 1:29 “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”

Has been granted is from charizō, which is from the same root as the noun charis (grace) and literally means “to give, render, or grant graciously.”

In God’s sovereign grace, He not only gave believers the marvelous gift of faith to believe in Him, but also the privilege to suffer for His sake.

That’s what Paul is saying here.

Again, showing us that faith is a gift of God’s grace — His unmerited favor.

One must believe on Christ in order to be saved. But one can’t believe on Christ apart from the grace of God.

And so this doctrinal truth that God is the one who does the saving is not only seen in verse 6 of chapter 1 but also in verse 29.

The doctrine we are examining is — Monergism - that salvation is monergestic — meaning that God is entirely, completely, and solely responsible for any person’s salvation.

Sanctification we know is synergestic - there are two agents involved in us becoming more like Christ - us and God - Philippians 2:12–13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

But how we go from death to life

From an unbeliever to a believer is monergestic.

And so let’s break this down a little bit by asking 3 questions

Why must God be the one to initiate salvation?

When did God purpose salvation?

What does God do to cause salvation to happen in time?

First question: Why is it necessary that God be the One to initiate salvation?

Or put another way — what does the Bible say about the nature of man that would necessitate God being the initiator in salvation?

Doctrine of Total or also known as Pervasive Depravity.

MacArthur defines it as —

It is devastating impact of sin on the person and covers three related concepts: (1) the pollution and corruption of all aspects of a person; (2) the complete inability of a person to please God; and (3) universality, in that all are conceived and born as sinners. Together these show the abysmal state of unredeemed humanity, all of whom are both unable and unwilling to glorify God.

Let’s break this definition down:

MacArthur’s first point in his definition of total depravity is that all aspects of man both the material and the immaterial have been corrupted by sin.

The material is corrupted by sin, in that the body is subject to decay and death and becomes an instrument for evil,

And the immaterial or the inner person has been totally corrupted by sin, this includes—the mind, conscience, reason, desires, affections, and heart—all of it has been defiled and corrupted by sin.

Now let’s examine the Word on this point:

Looking at the mind:

Titus 1:15 “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.”

This text shows that the corruption of sin is not superficial. It reaches the very faculties by which a person thinks and judges.

We know according to Ephesians 4:17 that the godless walk in “the futility of their minds.”

Man does not merely think wrongly on occasion; his entire reasoning process is affected by sin.

Jeremiah 17:9 gives a look into the heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Mark 7:21–23 also helps us see what is in the heart of man. Jesus says — “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

In Ephesians 4:18 we see how the unbelieving mind and heart function outside of regeneration: “being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;”

And so part of the definition of what total depravity means is that the whole person is corrupted by sin. Sin has polluted the entirety of man

Now, before we move on — does this mean that man is as bad as he could be?

No, unbelievers can do good things for society, friends, family

Name off a few things man can do that is relatively good even in their depravity:

Help people, give to the poor, perform life-saving surgery.

What is it the doctrine called when God shows underserved goodness to unbelievers?

Common grace — What would God’s common grace include?

life, breath, food, rain, and sunshine government, order human conscience wisdom, skill, beauty, learning, and cultural achievements kindness, patience, and temporal blessings given even to unbelievers

restraint of evil — God restrains evil and in His grace He holds man back from being as bad as they could be.

*So man is not as bad as he could be, but Scripture shows us that all components of a man have been polluted by sin.*

MacArthur’s second point in his definition of total depravity is that man is incapable of pleasing God on his own. This is more than saying man does not please God. It means he cannot.

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”

Paul also says in Romans 8:7–8: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

The fleshly mind is hostile to God

It does not submit to God’s law

Not only does the fleshly mind not submit to God’s law — it can’t submit. The ability is not there

Then he concludes be saying those in the flesh cannot please God

Fallen man is not in a spiritually neutral state

He is not standing at a crossroads, equally able to accept or reject God.

He is an enemy of God and he is unable to please God.

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

One of the clearest passages that show us man’s depraved state and his inability to please God is seen in Ephesians 2:1–3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

let me ask you: What can a dead man do? They can stink, that’s it. They can’t respond. They can’t initiate - they are captivated by the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are children of wrath.

But what do we see in verse 4?

What do those two words “but God” show us?

Ephesians 2:4–5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

God is the initiator.

God alone can save. God alone can transfer you from this state of utter depravity to spiritual life.

Paul leaves no room here for man’s decision to start the engine, for man to initiate. God always initiates.

The Gospel is about God, and His intervention, and His willingness to save sinners by His power.

And so the second point in this definition of total depravity is that fallen state is utterly unable to produce what pleases God.

MacArthur’s third point is that sin is universal. In other words, this corruption and inability belong to all people, not just particularly wicked people. All humans enter life as sinners.

First, 1 Kings 8:46 tells us that, “there is no one who does not sin.”

Psalm 14:3 intensifies the point: “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” This does not merely say many are sinful. It says all have turned aside, all have become corrupt, and none does good in the ultimate sense before God.

Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”

Romans 1:18-3:20 is dedicated to showing that all people are sinners and unable to save themselves.

Paul shows that the Gentiles are condemened in chapter 1, then he shows us that the Jews are condemned in chapter 2, and then in chapter 3 he shows us how the whole world is condemned. And then he concludes in in 3:23 by saying, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

Our federal representative — Adam — was perfect and had the freedom to sin or not to sin, He chose to rebel. And because of his sin death spread to all men, not just physical death but spiritual death.

And now every person comes into the world inclined towards evil and totally depraved.

What does it mean that Adam was our federal representative, and why does that matter for understanding both condemnation and salvation?

How should total depravity affect the way we evangelize?

How should this doctrine affect the way we think about our own salvation?

Alright now going back to our doctrinal observation from Philippians 1:6 — that God initiates salvation, we have answered the first question — Why must God be the one to initiate salvation?

And now let’s look at — When did God purpose salvation?

Now, what would your answer be to that question?

In one sense, man must place their faith in Christ in order to be saved, but what we see in Scripture is that God purposed salvation before time ever began.

God didn’t look into the future and see man put their faith in Christ and then choose to save them — why would that be wrong?

It undermines God’s

Sovereignty— it makes God’s choice rest on man’s action rather than on His own sovereign will.

Independence— it makes God’s decree depend on something outside Himself.

Grace — it makes election appear to be based on foreseen faith rather than on free and undeserved favor.

Glory — it makes the decisive difference in salvation ultimately man, not God.

Lordship— it portrays God as reacting to man rather than ruling over salvation from beginning to end.

Power — it weakens the truth that God Himself grants faith and brings sinners to life.

Mercy — it suggests that God responds to something found in man rather than showing compassion to the helpless.

Omnipotence — it makes salvation seem less like God’s mighty saving work and more like man’s initiating act.

Scripture does not teach that God chose men because He foresaw their faith; it teaches that men believe because God chose to save them.

God purposed salvation in eternity past and chose a specific group of people according to His own sovereign grace and good pleasure.

He then gives those people as a gift to His Son. The Son out of love for the Father and love for those that the Father gave Him, determines to redeem them by dying in their place, and then the Spirit applies the salvation to those people

Let’s look at a few passages:

Ephesians 1:4–5 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,”

2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,”

Romans 8:29–30 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

Now there are many misconceptions that are drawn from this verse.

Some see foreknew as God simply looking into the future and foreseeing a believer’s faith.

But that is not what Paul says here.

Paul does not say God foreknew their faith; he says, “those whom He foreknew.”

The focus is on people, not merely on a future decision.

And in this context, foreknew means far more than bare awareness. It speaks of God setting His saving love upon His people beforehand.

This word is not about God merely knowing facts ahead of time, but about His personal, covenantal knowledge of His people.

In that sense, it is the idea of God foreloving those He has chosen.

If foreknew only meant simple foresight, then God would foreknow everyone equally, since He is omniscient. But here the ones He foreknew are the very ones He also predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

That is why the verse goes on to show an unbreakable chain: those whom He foreknew, He also predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

So Paul’s point is not that God passively observed who would choose Him, but that God sovereignly and lovingly set Himself upon His people and will certainly bring them all the way to glory.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”

Acts 13:48 “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

If God chose to save you before time began, what does that do to your pride?

Now, what are the greatest objections to God’s electing grace and how can we answer that objection?

That’s Unfair

Unfair would be if God treated innocent people unjustly. But no sinner deserves salvation. If God saves some, that is mercy. If He judges others, that is justice. No one gets injustice from God.

This destroys Free Will

It does not destroy human choice; it explains why anyone freely comes to Christ at all. Sinners still believe willingly, but they do so because God first changes the heart and grants life.

Then Faith Doesn’t Matter

Faith is the means by which we receive Christ. But faith is not the cause of God’s election; it is the result of His saving work.

This makes evangelism pointless

No. God ordains not only the end, but also the means. He saves His people through the preaching of the gospel. Election guarantees evangelism will bear fruit.

Alright, let’s come to the final question in our study of how God initiates salvation: What does God do to bring salvation about in time?

In other words, what does God actually do to cause salvation to happen?

Answer: God brings salvation about in time by calling through the gospel, regenerating by the Holy Spirit, and thereby bringing the sinner to repentance and faith in Christ.

Outward Call: Gospel Proclamation

God works through the gospel. Salvation happens through the truth of Christ being proclaimed.

James 1:18 “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

God uses the gospel message as the means by which He brings sinners to life.

But hearing the gospel externally is not enough, as we talked about man is spiritually dead

God must make the sinner come alive.

And this is the second thing God does to cause salvation to happen: Effectual Call or Regeneration

Regeneration is the instantaneous impartation of spiritual life to the spiritually dead.

Ephesians 2:4–5 says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.”

Colossians 2:13 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,”

Salvation begins with God giving life to the dead.

Now what does Jesus say must happen in order for someone to enter the kingdom of God in John 3?

John 3:3 He says, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

To be born again is to be regenerated and this cannot happen apart from God. You are born again by God.

John 1:13 says “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Titus 3:5 says He saved us “by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

And there’s more, but the point is this: God causes salvation to happen by first using an instrument to proclaim the gospel and then He effectually calls or regenerates that sinner by His grace — He makes them alive, opens blind eyes, removes the heart of stone, gives him a new heart, renews his mind, affections, and will, and by that work brings him to repentance and faith in Christ.

With that new heart, the sinner now sees his sin rightly and now desires Christ. He turns from sin and places his faith in the Savior.

Now, If God is the One who calls, regenerates, and brings sinners to faith, who gets all the glory in salvation?

God does.

So what we’ve seen:

What we have seen in Philippians 1:6 is that God initiates salvation.

Paul’s confidence is not in man, but in God—“He who began a good work in you.”

The reason Paul is certain God will bring the Philippians to the day of Christ is because the God who began the work is the God who will finish it.

Salvation did not begin with man’s will or effort, but with God’s grace.

That must be true because man is not spiritually neutral. By nature, he is corrupt, hostile to God, spiritually dead, and unable to initiate salvation.

Therefore, God must act first.

He purposed salvation in eternity past,

and in time He brings it about through the gospel and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, which causes the sinner to repent and believe on Christ.

So the great takeaway is this: God does not merely help save—God saves. He planned it, began it, applies it, and will complete it. Therefore, God alone gets all the glory in salvation.