Bringing It to Completion

Day 272: Philippians 1:1-26

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 1:6 ESV

An inability to finish has to be one of our most significant flaws as humans. We start a book, only to never make it past the second chapter. We get into a home project, only to run out of steam when it requires getting on a ladder. We resolve to read our Bibles and pray daily, then a week goes by, and we realize we haven't read a single word or prayed a single prayer.

God isn't just a starter; he's also a finisher. Yet the way he finishes is a little different from the way we usually think of checking something off of our list. He sees what he is doing in us as a process. The Bible calls this sanctification (see 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

C.H. Spurgeon, writing about this verse, put it this way: "Granted an immutable God, we may be sure that grace will complete what grace begins."

God is committed to our growth, and He will never grow tired of that work.

As we close, it is also worth noting that Paul isn't checking out as God carries this out to completion. As God continues to do the work, Paul is fervently on his knees for these Christians in Philippi. What a great reminder for us that God wants to include us in the work He is doing in the lives of others.