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Philippians 1:6 …being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (NKJV)

It’s unfortunate that one of the most fantastic Scriptures on the security we have in Jesus Christ is most often used as a motivational message. I’ve heard this verse used:

  • By prosperity preachers regarding God completing His “financial blessing”;
  • By divine health teachers for completing your physical healing;
  • By motivational speakers cultivating your hope for “God’s best life”; and
  • In therapeutic sermons encouraging people that God will give you that whole, healthy, comfortable life you long for (the “good work” God is doing in your life).

Without arguing the problems with all those types of messages, my point here is that they depreciate a magnificent verse that speaks to the most important eternal issue we face: our eternal and complete redemption.

“Redemption” is both physical and spiritual. It not only concerns our salvation from the penalty of eternal death for our sin (spiritual redemption) but also involves our physical bodies (glorification: our new, perfect, sinless bodies) and the total re-creation of the heavens and earth (physical redemption of the sin-cursed creation).

Philippians 1:6 affirms and declares our total redemption, physically and spiritually; it’s a done deal. It’s done because God cannot fail. It’s complete because God will see it through to the end. It’s guaranteed because the Holy Spirit has put His seal on it. It is a declaration of the security of our salvation because of its definitive nature: “He who has begun a good work will complete it…”

We have two indicators that this verse specifically addresses salvation and redemption:

  1.  “has begun” –  the Greek verb is used only twice in Scripture (here and Gal 3:3); in both cases it refers to salvation.  When God saves someones, it is God who is faithful to complete it.  Praise God our salvation is not dependent on our efforts or abilities… or none of us could ever secure our own eternal salvation.
  2. “day of Jesus Christ” –  unlike the “Day of the Lord” which refers to the day Christ will exact His final, divine judgment, the “day of Jesus Christ” refers to the day when all salvation and redemption will be complete. All that Christ died for will be finally and eternally done.

When you view this verse as the treasure it is, the confirmation and declaration of your security in Christ, and God’s faithfulness to complete His “good work” (salvation) in you, then the application of it to our daily problems becomes truly rich:

  • Financial problems are temporary and need not rob us of contentment because our eternal salvation is secure;
  • Health issues and suffering do not steal our joy because we know God is faithful to complete our total redemption;
  • We don’t have to long for “God’s best life” because we are already receiving God’s best: our final and eternal perfection; and
  • We understand that the curse of sin will always keep us short of that perfect, comfortable, whole life until that day when God will make all things perfect and whole for all eternity.

Be confident that God, who saved you, will be faithful to complete your total redemption, physically and spiritually, until the “day of Jesus Christ” when it will all be DONE.

Remember, “religion” is what you DO.  Christianity is what is DONE… and what God has begun to do, will be DONE. Rejoice in that today!