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.
The Greek verb translated
has begun is used only here and in Galatians 3:3, both times in
reference to salvation itself. The work that the Apostle Paul is
talking about then is the work of salvation. What it says is
that when God begins a work of salvation in a person He finishes
it; He perfects it. There is a wonderful statement by the
Apostle Paul, he said, now is your salvation nearer than when
you believed. That might seem on the surface a little bit
unique. What does it mean your salvation is nearer now than when
you believed? Didn’t you receive your salvation when you
believed? Well in a sense you did, but understand this,
salvation does have three parts. There is justification; that
occurs when you repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ and at
that point you are justified. Then the second phase begins which
is sanctification; you are being continually separated from sin,
that’s an aspect of salvation. The third one is glorification;
that occurs when we leave this world and enter into Heaven and
we lose the residual fallen flesh and the new creation is freed
from any fleshly influences, from any sinful impulses, from any
reality of sin to enter into the full perfection and absolute
holiness of eternal life. Those are the three phases of
salvation. Here’s the point of this verse. When God begins that
process at justification He takes it through sanctification and
brings it to glorification. That is why Jesus said, “All that
the Father gives to me will come to me.” John 6. “And whoever
comes to me I won’t turn away but I will raise him up at
the last day.” That’s the day of Jesus Christ. When God begins
the work He finishes it. That’s why the Apostle Paul says we can
be confident of this very thing. As a Christian you have been
justified. You are being sanctified, progressively set apart
from sin by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word, and
you will one day be glorified at which point you will be made
like Jesus Christ. What an amazing thought that is. As much as
glorified humanity can be like incarnate deity we will be
like Jesus Christ. Rejoice not only in your past justification,
your present sanctification, but your future glorification.
