Philippians 1:6 - The Grace of Perseverance and Glorification

Philippians 1:6
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.

Message: The Grace of Perseverance and Glorification

Time: Paul likely wrote this epistle at the end of his Roman imprisonment, around 61 or 62 AD. Paul wrote to express his appreciation and affection for the Philippian believers. Paul ministered at Philipi during his second missionary journey, spending about three months in the city and, later visited Philippi briefly on his third missionary journey.

What the Lord is Saying:

The question sometimes arises - "Can I lose my salvation?" This can be asked while still believing in the necessity of salvation by grace. But for someone to ask it, it assumes that the one asking believes that man has the position of being able to distance himself from God, to the point of rejection, after God has saved him.

The issue here then tends to be what precipitates salvation and so far I have studied that man is incapable of becoming righteous on his own. Sin darkens our lives and we are all on the same course of live - sinful living, distance from God. Now one may think that persons are different, some closer to Mother Theresa and others nearer Stalin or Hitler; but the issue is not where one resides on the person righteousness line, but rather the issue is can a person ever on his own make himself righteous before God.

But, we've studied these compelling verses:

• Justification - Titus 3:7 - He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy. We are heirs to salvation; we have received not from what we have done, but from what He has done. 
• Regeneration - Ephesians 2:1-9 - In this passage Paul describes the condition of man in multiple ways as being dead in our sins and that we are made alive in Christ. The shift from man's condition to seated in the heavenly places is entirely God. Our good deeds will never make us worthy of salvation. It is completely a God thing. 
• Reprobation - Romans 9:16 - So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. As the Lord speaks in Exodus 33:19 - I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. If it depended on man, then man would get the glory. It is one or the other. It cannot be a two-way thing where man does a little, God does the rest.
• Predestination - 1 Corinthians 15:22 - In Christ all shall me made alive. This is the pinnacle statement, I believe, of the identification of eternal life for all who are in Christ. In Christ all... In Jesus man now has complete fellowship with God.

Over and over, the message is the same, we are saved by grace.

Thus, today in answering the question of being able to lose salvation would mean that all of the preceding verses which speak of God saving us was a mistake or could be a mistake. The Roman Catholics believe in grace, but they also believe in a cooperation between God and man in salvation. Thus, the final decision of salvation is upon a person. But, I believe the scripture is clear that man is incapable of choosing and all the work of being made free rests on God.

Yet, we are still called to preach the gospel. We are called to share faith. We are called to make disciples. We are called to not listen to the god of this world - Satan and to receive the message of Jesus. And like I looked at yesterday, we are very strongly compelled to work out our salvation even though it is God doing the work.

Promise: God keeps in salvation all those who He saves. He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. He will finish what He started no matter how it may look on that journey.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for saving me. I will never understand and help me to not try. But instead I give you praise and glory and honor. Keep me active in preaching because you have called me to preach. Thank you for the truth of Your Word and its compelling words. I praise You. I give you Glory.


Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of April is about salvation by grace alone. March was about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January is about the doctrine of God.