214 Philippians: He Who Began a Good Work

Have you ever started a good work and not finished it? Maybe it was a New Year’s resolution that started well, but quickly faded. Or a home project that began with good intentions but was never completed.

Well, let me give you some good news today. God has never done that. Whatever God starts, God completes. Our God is a Finisher.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, wrote: “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

Consider your life – where you came from, how far from God you once were. But look at where you are now – not perfect, but in process. Why? How? Because He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.

There’s an important theological concept that is reflected in Phil. 1:6. It’s called The Principle of First Mention: the first place and time a subject is mentioned in the Bible carries special significance.

Note these keywords: “began,” “good work,” and “completion.”

Now, turn to Genesis 1. As we read this account of the creation of the world, we have God beginning a work, and this work, He says, is good. Then in Gen. 2:1, we are told that this good work is completed.

So, we have a good work begun and completed, and the principle of first mention would tell us to pay special attention to that as we read Paul’s words in Phil. 1:6.

Paul is reminding us that this powerful God who brought the universe into being is the same God who began a good work in you.

When we say “Yes” to the God who created the universe, that same power is unleashed in us.

There are five-and-a-half billion people on the planet, and yet God has arrived at your life with work gloves, a tool belt, and a plan to transform your life. 

Let that soak in for a moment. God is at work in your life.  He may have just started his work, but it has begun. And He will bring His power to bear, but you have to decide whether you will cooperate with Him. 

God knows the impact you can make. So, He says, “I love you too much to allow you to stay comfortable or mediocre. I started a good work in you, and I am going to complete it.”

Will you let Him?

Text: Philippians 1:3-6

Originally recorded on June 15, 2008, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN