Spiritual Growth-Engaging the Spirit for Growth
In Philippians 1:6, Paul identifies that God has begun a good work in believers that He continues to perfect until the rapture.
“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.”
The phrase “For I am confident” is translated from the Koine Greek word πεποιθὼς (“pe-poi-thohs”) which more literally means, “having performed the completed action in the past with results that continue on as a matter of principle to rely upon something as a result of becoming convinced of its merit or perceived benefit, based on his own initiation.” It identifies an evaluation of evidence has taken place resulting in something being deemed reliable to accomplish a specific task or provide a specific benefit.
Paul became convinced that God would continue what He started in the Philippian believers in such a way that the issue was settled for him completely. He became convinced of this with the result that he remained reliant upon it as true. He chose, based on his own initiation, to accept that God would continue what He started in the Philippian believers and the result of that acceptance was his continued reliance upon it as fact. This is true of all believers in the Church Age.
The word “began” is translated from the Koine Greek word ἐναρζάμενος (“en-arx-am-meh-nos”) which more literally means, “participating in the action as a matter of principle to make a beginning in something, based on His own initiation.” Here, the subject doing the work is God the Father. He is the One who initiated the action of making the beginning of a good work in the believer. But notice, that God the father participated in this action, He did not solely accomplish it on His own. God the Father participated with the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son’s righteousness is imputed to the believer, contributing to who the believer is as a new creation in Christ. The Holy Spirit generates spiritual life in the believer, contributing to who the believer is as a new creation in Christ. The Father provides His seed, contributing to who the believer is as a new creation in Christ. The entire God-head participated together to make the beginning of a good work in the believer. This is a principle that operates every time someone believes into Christ; God begins a good work which He will continue until He perfects it.
The word “perfect” is translated from the Koine Greek word ἐπιτελέσει (“ep-i-tel-es-ei”) which more literally means, “He really will perform the action in a point in time in the future to carry something out to its completion.” God is the One who does the work in the believer to bring to completion the good work which he began in him the moment the believer trusted Christ as his savior. In that moment, God created the believer as a spiritual infant and God will continue to mature the believer from infancy to spiritual adulthood until the work is complete. He does this through instruction for believers who are walking in fellowship and through discipline for believers walking out of fellowship.
In either case, regardless of the cooperation of the believer, God will continue to bring to completion the good work which He began in the believer all the way until “the day of Christ,” a reference to the rapture of the church. The good work began when God sanctified the believer in Christ, it continues while God sanctifies the believer’s mind and heart during his physical life, and it culminates when God removes the sinful nature from the believer for eternity. Thus, the believer’s spiritual development and maturity is God’s work to do, and He will continually do the work, whether through instruction or discipline.
“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.”
The phrase “For I am confident” is translated from the Koine Greek word πεποιθὼς (“pe-poi-thohs”) which more literally means, “having performed the completed action in the past with results that continue on as a matter of principle to rely upon something as a result of becoming convinced of its merit or perceived benefit, based on his own initiation.” It identifies an evaluation of evidence has taken place resulting in something being deemed reliable to accomplish a specific task or provide a specific benefit.
Paul became convinced that God would continue what He started in the Philippian believers in such a way that the issue was settled for him completely. He became convinced of this with the result that he remained reliant upon it as true. He chose, based on his own initiation, to accept that God would continue what He started in the Philippian believers and the result of that acceptance was his continued reliance upon it as fact. This is true of all believers in the Church Age.
The word “began” is translated from the Koine Greek word ἐναρζάμενος (“en-arx-am-meh-nos”) which more literally means, “participating in the action as a matter of principle to make a beginning in something, based on His own initiation.” Here, the subject doing the work is God the Father. He is the One who initiated the action of making the beginning of a good work in the believer. But notice, that God the father participated in this action, He did not solely accomplish it on His own. God the Father participated with the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son’s righteousness is imputed to the believer, contributing to who the believer is as a new creation in Christ. The Holy Spirit generates spiritual life in the believer, contributing to who the believer is as a new creation in Christ. The Father provides His seed, contributing to who the believer is as a new creation in Christ. The entire God-head participated together to make the beginning of a good work in the believer. This is a principle that operates every time someone believes into Christ; God begins a good work which He will continue until He perfects it.
The word “perfect” is translated from the Koine Greek word ἐπιτελέσει (“ep-i-tel-es-ei”) which more literally means, “He really will perform the action in a point in time in the future to carry something out to its completion.” God is the One who does the work in the believer to bring to completion the good work which he began in him the moment the believer trusted Christ as his savior. In that moment, God created the believer as a spiritual infant and God will continue to mature the believer from infancy to spiritual adulthood until the work is complete. He does this through instruction for believers who are walking in fellowship and through discipline for believers walking out of fellowship.
In either case, regardless of the cooperation of the believer, God will continue to bring to completion the good work which He began in the believer all the way until “the day of Christ,” a reference to the rapture of the church. The good work began when God sanctified the believer in Christ, it continues while God sanctifies the believer’s mind and heart during his physical life, and it culminates when God removes the sinful nature from the believer for eternity. Thus, the believer’s spiritual development and maturity is God’s work to do, and He will continually do the work, whether through instruction or discipline.
Posted in Spiritual Development & Maturity
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