He Finishes What He Begins

Read Philippians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

On February 11, 1990. The then-undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson lost by knockout to the 42:1 underdog Buster Douglas

There are many people in this world who rely on their skill, their prestige, and their ability to get them what they want and where they want to be. But as we just viewed this morning there is going to be a day that the Bible calls the Day of the Lord. Which 1st and 2nd Thessalonians describe as a day that will bring sudden, inescapable wrath and destruction that, 1 Thessalonians 5:4 tells us, will overtake you which means it will grab hold of you like a thief in the night. This will be the day, according to 2nd Thessalonians 1:7, that our Lord will appear from Heaven and will pour out judgment upon all who rejected the Gospel. But for those who believe it will be a day of deliverance, a day of justice, a day of relief, and one of worship.

How will you be on that day? Will you find yourself much like Mike Tyson who found himself flaunting his ability only to lose or will it be a marvelous day for you? For those of us who will rejoice to see that day, we will adore Him with relief and worship all because of what 1st Thessalonians 5:9-10 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us...”

But who must be sure to check ourselves here. Will we have any pride to hold in that day? Will we be able to claim that we were better or smarter than the others? Truly how will our hearts be on that day as the redeemed?

Here in Philippians, Paul writes to a people who would have no doubt been facing animosity from the culture, but what does the climate on the inside of the Church look like? According to Philippians 4:2 there is conflict in the Church. And so, what is a believer to do when there is animosity from the world and there is contentions in the Church? I’m sure he would be greatly distressed! But, as we look here at our verse for today, we will find great comfort that though the Church isn’t what it should be, one day it will be. The believers could look around and certainly know that there is no way that such a mess of a people could save themselves but as we look today we will find great peace that what God began, He will finish it.

First, Notice the Initiation of Grace

When I was in middle school I did landscaping for a man named Glenn. And in Glenn’s backyard was a beautiful dog but what was so interesting about this dog was that there was one hole he had dug ever since he was a puppy. Day after day that dog would go and dig in that same spot and I remember asking Mr. Glenn if he wanted me to fill in such a massive hole to which he told me, “He’s been working that hole so long I believe when he passes we will bury him in there.” And that’s exactly what they did.

Man’s Condition - “in you”

In Genesis, Adam had what may be called Federal Headship over the human race as our representative. And when he, in what I call his “innocent freewill”, made the conscience choice to rebel against God he damned all of the human race. Paul explains this is Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” This resulted in the spiritual death of all mankind and the binding of our freewill to only evil continually. This is what our Churches statement of faith calls “The Total Depravity of Man”. The result of such rebellion is described in Romans 3 in that mankind is bound in wickedness, blinded by sin, and in hatred filled rebellion against God. Paul sums it up most easily in Ephesians 2:1 where he says we were dead in trespasses and sins. Thus our conclusion is that men are no more capable of saving themselves than a man in a casket can give himself a new heart.

Total Depravity does not mean Utter Depravity

God’s Compassion - “He which hath begun a good work”

There is no doubt that Paul is referring to Lydia in Acts 16:14 where we read, “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

In Phil. 1:6 notice Paul’s use of “began”. This comes from the word “Enarchomai” which is only used one other time in the NT in Gal. 3. This word means “To commence, or to inaugurate”. What Paul is pointing to is that the day that you were saved was a day that was a decisive and deliberate act that was planned and perfectly executed.

Now think of it like this. In Acts 9 God saved and calls Paul, in Acts 16:9 God calls Paul to go to preach in Macedonia, which is where Philippi was. God lined it up where Paul would be preaching at that place on that day where Lydia would arrive to hear the Word taught which is when the Holy Spirit would open her heart to believe.

I use to wonder almost fearfully about the day I came to Christ. That if I had decided to stay home instead of going to that camp, or if my parents had decided to attend another church, or if someone hadn’t invited me to go to camp that day then perhaps I wouldn’t have been saved. But that’s not so. It was God who planned it all out. It was God that saved me.

What God is showing us here is much like how we see a watch versus how a watchmaker sees a watch. We merely glance at it to see where the hands are pointing but when you get on the inside you begin to witness of all of the moving parts.

As far as Lydia was concerned she just came to the river to pray and then heard the Gospel and made a good decision to believe and she was saved and that’s exactly how it was for all of us too! But now that we have come to faith we understand that our redemption was a miraculous work of God. How so? Well, we first saw God’s illuminating work in Acts 16:14 which means He revealed to her the truth, Philippians 1:29 goes on to reveal bits more as Paul says, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” Now we realize that not only did God show us the truth but He is the one who gave us belief! The term “given” comes from the word “charizomai”. Now that word “charizomai” comes from the word “charis” also known as grace.

So why did God save Lydia? Was it because of her wealth? After all she was a purple salesman so she most likely would’ve have been wealthy and God is smart! Surely He would’ve known that the first person He saved in Europe should be wealthy so the Church would benefit from her! But no, this is not the case, for how could the God who owns the Heavens and Earth need the wealth of a woman from Thyatira? So what did she have to offer? What was so attractive about her? Was it her intelligence, her race, her money? Now we really have to think about this question here because some of us aren’t wealthy, or intelligent, or prosperous in secular terms so we really need to understand this because if it’s our own attractiveness that brings grace then I’m in trouble.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Drive it home in application: So why does this matter? What does this mean?

First, let this drive you to praise for God did the work alone. If grace had not intervened we would all be headed to Hell, dead in our trespasses and sin.

Second, let this comfort you for God did the work alone. Do not allow yourself to be consumed with worries such as: “Did I mourn my sin enough?”, “Did I say the right thing?”, “Did I understand enough?”. I want to ask you, when you are doubting are you doubting what YOU did, or what He did? And as you live right now, what are you trusting in for your redemption?

Third, let this convict you to go tell the world for God does the work! Prov. 1:20-23 “Wisdom crieth without; She uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: In the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

Second, The Growth in Grace

Lately it has been impossible to listen to any form of news without hearing about vaccines. When I was young I remember my Mom taking me to receive my Chicken Pox vaccination. And after that vaccination I have not had to receive more treatments since then. I merely received the needed doses and I was done. This is, unfortunately, how many view salvation. They believe they are fine because they came to Church, received some spiritual “inoculation” and now they can do what they want because they don’t have any worries, but this is not Biblical salvation. It is true that if you have truly been saved you and I no longer need to be “resaved”, but the salvation of the believer is not a mere shot in the arm so we can run free in unrestrained rebellion, but it is better understood as a spiritual dialysis in that our souls, since being redeemed, must be flocking to our God as our daily strength-giver. There has never been a man who has said, “I believe I’ve eaten enough.” and never consumed another meal, yet we see false teachers today that seem to suggest if you take a nibble of the Bread of Life you’ll never need or want Him again. But this does not seem to be Paul’s insinuation in the text today. Here in v6 he is describing that you and I have a God who is “hands-on” in salvation, sanctification, and glorification.

When God saved you He justified you which immediately delivered you from the penalty of sin since Christ took your punishment on Calvary, but sanctification is the work of God in your life where you are delivered from the power of sin over you. You will never be perfect while here on this Earth, but God will bring you to growth in holiness. And as we view the phrase “will perfect it until” we must understand that Paul is referring to the gracious work of God called “progressive sanctification”. This is the work of God in our lives where He makes us more holy, or more Christ-like. Philippians 2:13 makes this work clear “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

This brings to reality the truth of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” The sickness, the ended friendships, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, the blessings, the marriage to your spouse, the birth of a child, you and I can look back and see and look forward and know that all things are being divinely used by God for my good and for His growth. He is making me more like Him! This is the work in our lives where we grow to hate sin, we grow to see the depth of our weakness and shortcoming and this is where we fall down in awe of the One who has saved us. This is where we crave Him, His friendship, His love, His comfort, His righteousness and His communion. This is the progressing work of God in the life of ALL believers.

You will never be sinless while here on this Earth, but through the work of God in us we will certainly obtain a desire to sin far less. Dear friend, as you evaluate your heart do you see the work of God in you to love Him and to hate sin?

Lastly, The Keeping of Grace

William Hendriksen said “God is not like men. Men conduct experiments, but God carries out a plan”

Psalm 89:33 says we are under a divine faithfulness that will never be removed.  John 3:16 says we have an eternal life that will never end, and we will never perish.  John 4:14 says we drink from a spring of water that will forever bubble up.  John 6:37 and 39 says we have taken a gift that can’t be lost.  John 10:28 says we are in the hand of the Good Shepherd, out of which hand we can never be snatched.  Romans 8:29 and 30 says we are bound by a chain that cannot be broken.  Romans 8:39, we are loved with a love from which we can never be separated.  Romans 11:29, we are the recipients of a calling which can never be revoked.  Second Timothy 2:19, we are built on a foundation which can never be destroyed.  First Peter 1:4 and 5, we have an inheritance that can never fade.

F.B. Meyer said, “We go into the artist’s studio, and find there unfinished pictures covering large canvas and suggesting great designs, but which have been left, either because the genius was not competent to complete the work, or because paralysis laid the hand low in death. But as we go into God’s great workshop, we find nothing that bears the mark of haste of insufficiency of power to finish, and we are sure that the work which His grace has begun, the arm of His strength will complete.”

Conclusion

Why would Paul endure such a hard life and die while being a man of such joy? Why would men like Adonirum Judson and William Carey dedicate their lives to the Gospel? Why would Brandon Cook leave all he’s known here in Cedar Grove to spread the Gospel in Italy? Why would Jim Elliot give himself to be murdered for the sake of the Gospel? It is because these are men who are living this day in light of that day! These are men who realized that they were truly saved by Grace and it radically transformed their lives.

Today I want you to take home these three truths and pray that God would make them real to us this week:

Lord, Let us rejoice for we truly have been saved by grace.

Lord, Let us run this race for your glory as we await that day.

Lord, Let us rest in your faithfulness in knowing that you will never leave us nor forsake us.

It was Jim Elliot, that famous missionary who was dramatically murdered by the Waodani Tribe who said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”