RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-05-19	He Who Has Begun A Good Work In You (Ph.1:6)
		Php 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 Paul's letter to the Philippians is filled with thankfulness and joyful prayer because of their partnership in sharing the gospel (Ph.1:1-3). Ten years earlier Paul founded this church, so it holds a special affection in Paul's heart. On Paul's second missionary journey he encountered Lydia and other women meeting by the riverside for prayer. As Paul preached, Lydia and her household were saved and baptized, and the Philippian church was born (Ac.16:11-15). Later, the Christians in Philippi conducted their house church in Lydia’s home. The church grew and became one of Paul's strongest supporters of his ministry (Ph.4:10-20). Paul desired to see them mature in spiritual understanding in the light of Christ's return (Ph.1:9-11) At the time of our salvation, God began His work in us. We are made alive by regeneration and considered to be a “new creation” (2Co.5:17). Through the doctrine of sanctification, God begins a lifelong process where He completes His work of making us more like Christ. Php 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. Spiritual growth ought to continue in all believers until the day Jesus Christ returns (2Pe.3:18, “grow in grace and knowledge”; 1Th.5:23). 1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sanctification may be defined as, 'the Holy Spirit’s work of setting believers apart to be made holy or made like God.' Sanctification has three phrases. At the moment of salvation believers enter positional sanctification. We stand 'holy' before God because of the finished work of Christ. In phrase two believers experience progressive sanctification. God begins to work in us at the moment of salvation. God will continue to work on us until Christ returns. This progressive sanctification begins a daily process of spiritual renewal (Cl.3:10). It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce the character of God in holiness (1Pe.1:2; 1Co.6:11; 2Th.2:13). From the moment God begins His good work in us until the day of its completion, the Holy Spirit is renovating our character. However, we are to yield ourselves in the effort (Ro.6:13, 19; 12:1). God began a good work in us at salvation and then called us to live out the progressing development of being made into His image. The Christian walk is a pathway of ongoing growth. The journey brings us ever closer to God until His work in us is perfect and complete on Christ returns (“the day of Jesus Christ”). When we see Christ at His return the second phase is completed, and the third phase begins known as glorification. God is the Master Craftsman who never gives up on us (Ep.2:10; 2Co.1:21–22). The Lord’s salvation, His glorious redemption of His people, will reach its crowning culmination when Jesus Christ returns. Only then will God, who has begun a good work in you, put His finishing glorification touch on you. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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