GOD WILL FINISH WHAT HE STARTED

Text

Philippians 1:6 NASB95

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.

Introduction:

A. Is there anybody here that knows anything about unfinished business

B. Context of the Text

The Apostle Paul is writing this letter to the church at Philippi presumably while imprisoned in Rome. Paul’s purpose for writing this body of believers at Philippi could be said to be multi-dimensional, but one reason stands out above all others and that is to say thank you for their financial assistance during his imprisonment. When the Philippian believers heard about Paul’s imprisonment at Rome, they sent Epaphroditus, who may have been their pastor, to minister to him. Epaphroditus personally comforted Paul, expressing to him the affection of the saints in Philippi. And he brought Paul a financial contribution from them so that his confinement would be more comfortable (4:18). Three times before—twice when Paul was at Thessalonica, and once when he was at Corinth (Phil. 4:15–16; cf. 2 Cor. 11:9)—the saints ministered to his needs. The Book of Philippians might be called a thank-you note to saints in Philippi for their generous gifts.While Epaphroditus was in Rome, he became so ill he almost died (Phil. 2:27). After he recovered, he took Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christians.[1]

In the content of that letter, Paul takes the opportunity to encourage these believers in the Lord. He wanted them to know that they could rest assured that they were involved in something that had eternal impact. He says to them “I am confident of this thing, that He who has begun a good work in them, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus”. The word confident here is a verb in the sense of a state of being. Paul was saying that I am convinced, that is persuaded or sure of the truthfulness or validity of something.

[1]Lightner, R. P. (1985). Philippians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 646–647). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

His Person

The first reason that we can be confident that God will finish what he started is because of His Person. The text says ‘I am confident of this very thing that “He who” has begun a good work. “He” is a reference to God; Paul could have confidence because he knew something about the Character of God. When you know something about the character of God you can always be confident. No doubt, the Apostle was familiar with the words of the Psalmist in 138:8: The LORD will accomplish what concerns me your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of your hands.

Brothers and Sisters, I need to make this point clear here: It is a fatal mistake to put confidence in anything and anybody but Him. In April 1988 the evening news reported on a photographer who was a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the group as they fell and opened their parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn't until he reached for the absent ripcord that he realized he was free falling without a parachute. Until that point, the jump probably seemed exciting and fun. But tragically, he had acted with thoughtless haste and deadly foolishness. Nothing could save him, for his faith was in a parachute never buckled on. Faith in anything but an all-sufficient God can be just as tragic spiritually. Only with faith in Jesus Christ dare we step into the dangerous excitement of life.

We can be confident because we know that:

He is sovereign, Holy, absolute truth, righteous, just, love, merciful, Ever-present, All knowing, All Powerful, Eternal, and Faithful.

His Plan

Secondly, we can be confident that God will finish what He started because of His Plan. Look at the text, Paul says that God began a good work in you. The word began in the text is the Greek word enarchomai (e-narc-ho-mai) and is used in the sense of to begin (start) – to take the first step or steps in carrying out an action. God began the work at Philippi. It was God who gave Paul the vision of the man of Macedonia in Acts 16 that caused him to travel to Philippi. It was the Holy Spirit that caused Paul to cast a spirit of divination out of slave girl and to be cast into prison. It was God who sent an earthquake at midnight in response to a praise and prayer service that resulted in the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his family.

God did it - He Started it; its His Plan!

Where you are in Christ today is not the result of anything you had orchestrated on our own. From the time that God drew up the plans of salvation, even before the foundations of the world, He knew that We would be involved in this good work. What I am trying to show is that you are doing a good work. Good here is in the sense of moral excellence – Work is defined in the sense of a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of persons or things. I’m confident today Brethren because you are here at such a time as this to declare that Jesus Christ is the only thing right in this wrong world.

His Power