In James 1:21, James identifies that believers must receive God’s word in order to be affected by it.

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”

The word “receive” is translated from the Koine Greek word δέξασθε (“dex-as-theh”) which more literally means, “you all are commanded to participate in the action and be affected by the action in a point in time to receive what is being offered or given.”  Receiving God’s word is a command given to believers who must make the decision to become obedient to God’s command and do what He instructed.  Believers participate in receiving God’s word with God by choosing to receive what He has provided for them in it.  When the believer participates in receiving what God has provided in His Word, then he is affected by it.  This requires that he receive the word in a position of humility which makes himself lower than God.  All of which takes place after the believer deals with his moral failure (v.21 “filthiness”) and human good (v.21 “all that remains of wickedness”).  

Dealing with sin and unrighteousness allows the believer’s relationship with God to be restored by God so that the believer once more operates as a partner with God in the spiritual life (cf. Gal. 5:16-23; 1 Jn. 1:5-10).  Only after the believer deals with his sin can he legitimately receive the word of God within him.

The word “implanted” is translated from the Koine Greek word ἔμφυτον (“em-phoo-ton”) which more literally means, “placed within for the purpose of germination, based on initiation.”  It describes God’s Word as being given to the believer for the purpose of developing from a seed into a plant that produces a complete product.  This has dual results for the believer: it delivers him from the external pressure of his circumstances and it grows him spiritually.  It is the word of God received and relied upon which grows the believer because the word of God has the necessary energy to accomplish its purpose according to Hebrews 4:12.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edge sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The word “active” is translated from the Koine Greek word ἐνεργὴς (“en-er-gaes”) which more literally means, “possessing the necessary energy to carry out a process to its completion in order to produce a product, based on initiation.”  God’s word contains within itself the necessary energy it needs to germinate in the believer and carry to completion the process of growing the believer spiritually.  This is based on God’s initiation, having sent His word in order that the believer’s thought process could be renovated by it.

If believers do not deal with their sin, whether human bad (immorality) or human good (self-righteousness), then they will not be in the proper position of humility in which they are able to participate in receiving God’s word.  If the believer never receives God’s word, it is never able to accomplish its purpose in the believer of growing him spiritually.  Therefore, the believer’s spiritual growth is contingent upon his participation in receiving the word of God and letting it carry to completion the purpose for which God sent it.  God’s word has the necessary energy it needs to do its job, if the believer will merely receive it and let it complete its process in him.

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.

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.