Well, good evening. If you would turn with me, please, to Philippians chapter one. Philippians chapter one, we had a number of months ago began working our way through this letter of Paul to the church at Philippi. We had looked last time at Paul's prayer for the church, and within that prayer, there's a verse that I'd like to come back to. It's a verse that I'll read. Philippians 1, verse 6. 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. Please join me now as we ask God's help as we consider this verse. Our dear Heavenly Father, we bow and we ask and plead for your help. Lord, we know that it is only by your strength, only by your might, that we are able to do anything. How much more do we need your help and your strength as we come to your word to open it up, to apply it and to hear it in our lives, Lord. We pray, Father, that by your Spirit, you might come and help us. We pray that that which is said this night might be pleasing to you, it might be helpful to your people, and in all these things, that you might be glorified. And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. So I know that there are many verses in the Bible that, as God's people, we turn to for encouragement, for help in times where we might be doubting, we might be uncertain, we might be struggling, battling with remaining sin. We might have fears. We might have a weariness of our heart and soul as we're battling with trials and persecution and temptations that we face. And these verses, that as we read them, God uses them to increase our assurance, to increase our confidence, reminding us that it is God who is at work in our lives. It is God who has saved us. It is God who will keep us, even to the end. Well, one of those verses that's been an encouragement to me, and I'm sure that it's been an encouragement to many people here, is Philippians chapter one, verse six. As Paul writes this letter to the church of Philippi in Philippians 1.6, he begins with these words that in our ESV translation are given to us as, I am sure of this. In other translations, his words are translated this way. I am convinced, I am persuaded, being confident. Paul then goes on to express his confidence. His confidence that all of the saints, all of those who are in Christ Jesus, all in whom God has begun a good work, that every one of the saints will make it to the end. That God will bring to completion the work that he has begun. So what was it that persuaded Paul to make this statement? What was it that made Paul so sure, so absolutely sure, so confident that these things would come to pass? Well, as we look at verse six, we see that Paul's confidence, it's not based on the individual themselves. Paul's confidence, it's not based on what they have done. Paul's confidence, it's not even based on the church. Paul's confidence is based on God. So tonight, I trust that what is gonna be said will be an encouragement to all of God's people here, as we are reminded that we are renewed, this understanding in us, that our confidence is in God, a God who began, a God who continues, and a God who completes. And so this will serve as our outline for the message this evening. First we'll look at God began the good work. Then we will look at God continues the good work. And then we will also look at God completes the good work. So first then, God began the good work. In Philippians 1 we read, and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you. God began a good work. The work of salvation in the life of a sinner. It all starts with God. God is the initiator. His action began before the foundation of the world. We're told of that in Ephesians 1, verse 4. He says, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. Before the earth was formed, before man was created, God had a plan. He had a plan to save a people for Himself. And He chose some. some to be saved. The starting point, the starting point of our salvation, it traces its origin back all the way to this initial act of God, when God chose us. And for those whom he chose in eternity past, those whom he predestined, God calls them. It's described as the effectual call. In the effectual call of God, there is a transformation of the nature of the sinner. The mind is enlightened. The heart of stone is removed and replaced with the heart of flesh. The will is renewed. As one man writes regarding the effectual call, in the effectual call, the effective summons to Christ occurs at the same time in conjunction with an inward transformation, sometimes described as the new birth, as regeneration. And it's impossible to distinguish between the effectual call of God and the new birth. They are both the same thing, only seen from different viewpoints. It is God who is the one who effectually calls the sinner. It is also God who acts to regenerate them by sending his spirit to bring the dead sinner to life. We know this from Ephesians chapter two. We were dead, we were told, but God, God made us alive. And at that moment, there is a radical change, a radical change that takes place in us. We become a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. The old nature, the nature that was spiritually dead to the things of God, dead in our trespasses and sins, it's replaced with a new nature that is spiritually alive to the things of God, no longer enslaved to sin. The old mind that was once darkened and deceived, unable to understand the truths that are in God's word, it's replaced with a new mind that is enlightened, now able to understand the truths that are in God's word. And that old heart, that heart that was once hard and cold like a stone, it's replaced with a new heart, a heart of flesh. that's sensitive to and embracing the love of God and of Christ. And the old will, that which was once self-absorbed, seeking to please self, is replaced with a new will that seeks to obey God and to serve him. God chose us. God called us. God gave us life. And when God gives life to the sinner, that which immediately follows for those who are now having that are brought to spiritual life, they respond in repentance and faith. They turn from their sin and they turn to Christ. They turn to Christ in faith, trusting in Christ. And to all who repent and come to Christ by faith, they are justified. It's a gift from God. It's a free gift. It's given to us by His grace. It's a gift that's received through faith, faith in Christ. We are justified not by the works of the law. We are justified by faith, faith in the person and the works of Christ. And think of it, at that moment, when the sinner is justified, all sins, past, present, and future, they're all forgiven. The debt is paid. The penalty that's due for our sin, it's eliminated. As it were, blotted out from the record books. And in exchange for our sin, we receive a righteousness. It's the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to our account. And now, in the courtroom of heaven, the sinner has been justified. Justification is a declaration. We are declared righteous. And to declare righteous, it's the opposite of condemnation. Borrowing from C.H. Spurgeon who was commenting, actually I was reading this about a comment on a psalm, but he said this. He said, and I think this is important to keep in mind, we know that in light of the past, the future is not doubtful. The same almighty God who sits upon the throne of judgment is the same almighty God who has declared us justified. And therefore, Therefore, we can have unhesitating confidence. Confidence that there is now and forevermore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And may we never forget this. And although Satan, and although the world, and even our own consciences may accuse us of sin, sometimes falsely, and sometimes justly, But we can have confidence, for we can say with Paul, who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ is the one who died. More than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. We have an advocate, one who pleads before the throne. Jesus Christ, the one who died, who was raised from the dead and is at the right hand of God. Jesus, who paid the penalty for our sin. Jesus, who closed us with his righteousness. It is Jesus, who even now is interceding for his people. So we have confidence. We have confidence in Jesus. So we see God began that good work. God is the one who took the action to bring about our salvation, a truth that should bring God's people a great confidence. But then secondly, let us see that Paul is confident that God who began a good work is a God who continues the good work. He says, I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. God brings it, his good work in a believer. He brings it, he continues it from its starting point to its completion. This work of God in a believer, it's a process, a process that's called sanctification. And that process of sanctification, it has a starting point. It starts when God sets apart the believer. positionally. God separates the believer from the sin and the world. This act of God setting apart a believer is sometimes called definitive sanctification. Definitive sanctification takes place at the time when God regenerates the sinner and in response the sinner repents and believes in Christ and the sinner is justified. It's described in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 10 as this, and by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Note that it is the past tense that is used here. We have been sanctified. It's a past, completed, one-time event. that takes place through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. This is the starting point, the starting point of the process of sanctification. And once God has started this process, his work of sanctification, he continues it. This process of sanctification, it progresses throughout the lifetime of a believer. So you might ask, well, how does God do this work, this work of progressive sanctification? Well, one way is that the believer, he's sanctified by the word. John 17, 17 says, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. It's by God's word, his commandments, his precepts, his principles, It's by his word that God gives us direction for how do we live our lives. It's the standard. It's the blueprint for a holy life. And by the word of God, God transforms both our minds and our wills. And as we are being transformed, there's a change in our mind, our thinking, our understanding. Our minds are being renewed. to see things through the lens of scripture, as opposed to looking through the lens of this world. It enables us to discern, to know the will of God. And there's also a change in our will, so that our will begins to align with the will of God, so that we have a desire to live a life in a way that is good and acceptable and perfect in the sight of God, to live a holy life. We're sanctified by God's word, his word which is truth. It's the source of all truth in contrast to the lies and the deceit of the world and of Satan. Well, in addition to the word, God sanctifies the believer by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working in the life of a believer. The Spirit is at work gradually throughout our lifetime. For we are being led by the Spirit of God, we are being taught by the Spirit of God, we are being helped by the Spirit of God, even in our own weaknesses. And that work of sanctification by the Spirit, it has two sides. There is the cleansing of the soul from sin and freedom from its power. At times we think of this as the putting off the putting to death the deeds of the flesh. But there's also the other side of it. There is the development of what one man described as the implanted spiritual life and infused habits of grace. More simply thought of as putting on, putting on righteousness. These two sides of the work of the spirit can be thought of in terms that I found from John Gill. He said there's the negative aspect of the work And there's a positive aspect of the work of the Spirit. So the negative aspect of the work, God by the Spirit, he is training us, he is teaching us, he is working in us to renounce, to deny, to abstain from what Gil described as two things. First, ungodliness. We're to put away ungodliness and irreligion. We're to put away all unbelief, neglect, or failure to esteem God. The Spirit teaches us to renounce, to abhor those times when we are not loving, when we are not fearing, when we are not trusting in God, when we are not obeying Him as we should. The Spirit teaches us to detest whenever we neglect God's ordinances, slight His worship, or profane His name or His day. But also Gil says that we are to abstain from worldly passions. We're to put away all worldly lusts, all corrupt desires and affections. The Spirit teaches us to deny and abstain from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We're to put off all sensuality and all filthiness. We're to abstain from all covetous ambition, where we seek and value the praise of man more than the praise of God. So that's the negative aspect. But then there's also a positive aspect of the work of the Spirit. God is at work in his people by the Spirit to train them to live a life that exemplifies three things. The first is self-control. we should live soberly with respect to ourselves. The Spirit trains us to live in self-control, control of our appetites, control of our passions, keeping the limits of moderation, avoiding all inordinate excess. But also the Spirit teaches us to live a life that is upright, to live righteously among men, dealing with all in accordance with God's word, injuring none, but rather doing good to others according to our ability and their need. But then thirdly, we are to live in a godly way, in a godly manner, to live in obedience to God's word, seeking to do the will of God, to live godly in every aspect of our life, both in public and in private. and to live to the glory of God, whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we're to do all to the glory of God. So we see that we are sanctified by the Word and by the Spirit, a work of God, a process that continues through this present age as we live our lives. And though at times we might lose our focus, we might become distracted by the things of the world, we may be tempted and even fall into sin, and though at times we even grow weary, seemingly not having the strength to continue, do not fear, we will not be lost. For we have a heavenly Father who is watching over us. who is guiding us, who is directing us, who is warning and correcting us, who is encouraging and helping us as he sustains us as we walk through this world of sin. While I was trying to think of an illustration for this, I have to admit that most illustrations fall short, but I'm going to share this with you. It's a little long, but please bear with it, and I hope that it helps. Think of it as a father who takes a small child on a walk through the woods. The father brings his child to the path. And after explaining they need to walk along this path to reach their destination, he lets his child down and allows them to begin walking along the path. As the child walks along, the father is watching over him. And there may be sections of the path that are very easy for the child to walk along. But yet, there may be other sections of the path that are not so easy, that are more difficult. Perhaps there might be a hill, perhaps there might be rough terrain, maybe rocks, maybe tree roots that cross the path. The child might begin to struggle to progress. The child might even stumble. They might even at some point fall. There's also sections of this path where there are things that might come along that distract the child. Any of you who have a small child may know that that's pretty easy. Perhaps a little butterfly. Maybe it's a frog, a bug, a flower. The child may begin to chase after that distraction. Possibly risking straying off the path. Or maybe they're going to become so fixated on that distraction, they're just going to sit down and stop. But whenever the child is in need, the father is present. It may be a word of encouragement to urge the child to continue to move forward to the destination. It may be a word of correction to caution or warn the child. Stay on the path. Avoid that distraction. Beware of this danger. It may even be a hand that reaches down to steady that child as he's walking along to guide him back onto that path. And if the child falls and he cries out for help, the father is there. And with his two strong hands, he will pick up that child off the ground. He will give him words of comfort. He will give him words of advice. And if need be, he will carry that child along for a while in his loving arms. But in every moment of that journey along the path, the father is there, wisely watching over his child, ready to take whatever actions are needed to help ensure that the child continues along the path, ultimately to make it to his destination. As the child walks along, he has confidence in his father, knowing his father is always there to help. And we too can have confidence in God. Our Heavenly Father, as we know that God is watching over us, and God is at work in our lives, as he guides us, as he directs us, as he warns and corrects us, as he encourages and helps us, by his word, by his spirit, God keeps us along the path, the path that leads to eternal life. But yet there is one further aspect, one further means, I should say, that God uses in our sanctification. God uses trials and suffering. And while oftentimes it's difficult for us to understand, but we know that these trials that we experience, they have a purpose. Even those trials that are grievous, even those trials that are so painful, God uses trials. To refine us, even as a refiner who tests gold by fire, to remove any draws or any imperfections. God uses trials to test our faith so that our faith in Christ, our faith in Christ alone, that faith is strengthened. God uses trials, even our sufferings, to produce in us steadfastness, endurance, long-suffering. Trials used by God to cause us to grow, to grow in our Christian character and our holiness. God is continuing His good work with this goal in mind, that one day He will make us perfect and complete. Again, one more illustration, if you will allow me. This is one that I've heard many times, I'm sure you've heard it before, but I think it's a very good one with sanctification. The process of sanctification is like a great master sculptor who comes to a block of stone and begins to work. And as he works, he chips away and fashions that block of stone, and he continues to work steadily, at times slowly, but always with a plan, a plan that he is working toward. as he transforms that block of stone into the image of the model, with this goal in mind, to create a beautiful sculpture. And as we apply this to God's continued work in the process of sanctification, keep in mind that it is God, he is the one that's the master sculptor, and we are but the block of stone. And as a sculptor uses a chisel and a hammer And with each strike of the chisel against the stone, he has a purpose, a purpose to create a final beautiful sculpture. We can have confidence that God is sovereignly at work in our lives, continuing to work, to chip away at the stone, our sins, providentially using all things to mold us and shape us, to transform us from a sinful man into the image of Christ, to that perfect model. The pattern, The model is Christ. God is continuing his work to create us, to transform us, to be like Christ, to conform us to the image of Christ. What does it mean to say that God is making us more Christ-like? Well, one man explained it this way. Simply put, it means that he is making us more holy. He is working in us to cause us to live holy lives, to be holy in thought, word, and deed, to be obedient to the law of God, obeying his commands, to be submissive to the will of God, not my will, but thy will, to deny self, putting others before yourself, loving others, even our enemies, and to extinguish any remnants of pride, humbly serving others. but just a word of caution regarding this illustration, because all illustrations break down, right? Be careful not to draw the wrong conclusion, thinking that, well, if I'm a block of stone, then, you know, I'm just passive here. Thinking that I can just let go and let God, and he'll accomplish his work. Thinking that all I have to do is just sit back and I have no responsibility at all in this. This is the wrong application of God's work of sanctification on our lives. Even though it is God who is at work, this should never cause a Christian to stop working. We should never coast. For in God's word, God calls us to likewise work, using action verbs. He's calling us to persevere. Just a few examples, action verbs, think of it. We are called to strive, to strive against sin. We are called to flee, to flee temptation. We are called to resist, to resist the devil. We are called to fight, we are called to fight the good fight of faith. We are called to pray, to pray at all times. We are called to devote, to devote ourselves to good works and to not grow weary when doing good. And we're called to even take this radical action. to mortify, to put to death the deeds of the flesh. And as we persevere, we know that it is God who enables us to persevere by preserving us. So we have seen Paul's confidence in God, God who began a good work, the work of salvation, God who continues the good work, the work of sanctification. And now that brings us to our third point, God completes. God will complete the good work. Philippians 1.6, Paul is confident that God will bring to completion the work that he has started in the life of a believer. A statement of confidence, God will bring it to completion. Not God might bring it to completion. Not God maybe bring it to completion. Not God, well, perhaps He'll bring it to completion. No, it is will. It's a word of certainty. God who began the good work, God is the one that continues the work, and He is the one that will finish the work. He will not leave it partly completed. God will bring it to completion, to perfection. And I'd just like to touch on briefly three reasons why we can be confident that God will complete his work. First, we have confidence in God because it's a God who is faithful. In 1 Thessalonians 5, 23 through 24 we read, Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it. Hearing this letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul's praying for God to sanctify his people completely. Acknowledging it's God who is the source. He is the one that will bring to completion the work of sanctification. Then Paul goes on to express his confidence at the end of this verse. He says that he will surely do it. Well, how? In the verse it says, he who calls you is faithful. God is faithful. Paul's trusting in the faithfulness of God to complete his work. His confidence is in the faithfulness of a never-changing God. God who's faithful to sanctify us completely. But then secondly, we have confidence in God because God is a God who is able. God is able by his great power, the power of God, a power which we are guarded by, a power by which we are kept secure. The power of God is greater than all. Jesus promises people, he said, that no one, not even the evil one, is able to snatch you out of the Father's hand. And thirdly, we have confidence in God, God who is loving. God's love for us. It's a love that began in eternity past when God chose us. It's a love that manifested itself when God intervened and gave us life. It's a love that was exhibited when God justifies us as God did not spare his own son, but God sent his own son to die for us. And it's a love that continues throughout our lives as God continues the good work and ultimately brings his work to completion. The love of God, it's a never-failing, everlasting love, a love that we can never be separated from, as we're told in Romans 8, verse 38. For nothing, no nothing, nothing in this life, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Our confidence, Our confidence is not because of our own faithfulness, because at times we can be faithless. Our confidence, it's not because of our own strength and might, for at times we are weak and helpless. Our confidence is not because of our own love even for God, for our love at times can even become lukewarm, even cold. Our confidence is in God. God who is faithful, who has unfailing faithfulness. God who is able. God who has the power, preserving power. God who is loving, who loves us with an everlasting love. We can be certain that God will establish and perfect us. God will complete his work in us. Well, we might ask then, well, at what point is God gonna complete this work? When will it happen? Some might think it's gonna be completed at death. They may view death as that's the finish line. And while it is true at death our souls will be perfected, we will be brought into the presence of God without sin, no longer having to struggle and battle with remaining sin, never again to experience sorrow or pain or grief. and that will be a glorious day. Yet, there is a final step that must take place as God completes the good work in the believer. Look again at Philippians chapter one, verse six. Paul writes this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion, when? At the day of Jesus Christ. Note how this verse ends. It's at the day of Jesus Christ. That is when the completion of God's work will take place. And it's on that day, the day of Jesus, when Jesus returns at his second coming, it is then that the culmination of God's work will take place. On that day, the dead in Christ shall rise. Our bodies will be resurrected. The perishable will put on imperishable. The mortal will put on immortality. On that day, our bodies, our glorified, sinless bodies will be reunited with our glorified, sinless souls. And then God's work is completed. We look forward to that day. And as we do, we look forward with confidence. because we have a promise, a promise from Jesus found in John chapter 6, verses 39 and 40, a precious promise. Jesus says this, and this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise Him up on the last day. A promise to all, all who believe in the Son, all who believe in Jesus. A promise to all that this is God's will, that none shall be lost. A promise to all, to all of God's people, to all who are in Christ, that we will be raised from the dead to eternal life on that last day when Jesus returns and we will be glorified. So we pray, come quickly, Lord Jesus, come. Well, as we close, up until this point, I've been primarily speaking to God's people, those who are in Christ Jesus, those who have confidence in God. But to those of you that might be here or hearing my voice who have not yet turned to Christ in faith and repentance, you cannot say that you have confidence in God To you I ask, how can you not want to have this type of confidence? Because if you're honest with yourself, you've got to acknowledge that any of the things that you're currently putting your confidence in, you know that although they might last for a while, you know that one day they will all fail. Perhaps you're putting your confidence in your own self, my strength, my health, my wisdom, my knowledge. But you know that these things will eventually diminish. That's the reality of aging. Your body will decay. One day you will perish. There may be others who are looking to your wealth, your riches, your treasures. But I think all of us know and just have to admit, riches vanish. There's no guarantee that they will last. There's some that, they look to others. Perhaps, well, I'm going to look to the power of our country. I'm going to look to, I don't know, maybe let's say political leaders. I have confidence in them. Or how about the military? But we know that men die, leaders change, nations rise and fall. But to the, and there may even be some here who are looking to your own morality. your own good deeds, thinking that, well, my good deeds, my righteous acts, they will earn me acceptance before God. But you know, that's not true. For God says that in the eyes of God, even your righteous deeds are tainted by sin. So to you tonight, I urge to you, do not continue to look to yourself. Do not look to money. Do not look to others. Do not even look to your own righteousness as your source of confidence. I urge you tonight, look to God. God, who alone can accomplish the work that he begins. God, who alone can guarantee that it will be brought to completion. Look to God. He calls you to turn from yourself, from these other things. Turn to Jesus. Look to Jesus. Trust in Jesus. And when you believe in Jesus, you can then be confident. Confident in God, God who began, began the good work is the God who will continue and who will complete his good work in you. And then to God's people, do not forget our confidence is in God. From the start to the end, through each and every day, even during the trials and the storms of life, we can have confidence for he is faithful, he is able, he has promised, We will make it. Our confidence is in God. God who began a good work, he saved us. God who continues the good work, he is sanctifying us. God who will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ, he will glorify us. And so I leave you with these final words from Jude verses 24 and 25. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forevermore. Amen. Please join me now as we pray. Our dear Heavenly Father, we are amazed at your amazing grace to us. And we do give you thanks for your work in our lives, a work that you began, and a work that you are continuing. And it's a work that you have promised that you will complete. We pray, our Father, that we not become distracted, not become discouraged. Help us not to grow weary. Help us to press on as we continue along in this life that, as you lead us and guide us and direct us, we pray, Lord, that we continue to look to you as our confidence, knowing that we can trust in you, for you are faithful, you are able, and you love us. We pray, Lord, now that you would continue to go with us through this week, in Jesus' name, amen.