Philippians 1:6 - The "Good Work" God is Doing

Today, we are talkingabout the good work that God is doing. We areconfident, and we can have full assurance that God, who began the work in us,will complete it until Jesus Christ comes. We can live a confident, joyful lifedespite our circumstances because it is God who began that good work. We areconfident of that very thing. Iwant us to think about that phrase, “a good work”. What is that work?First, I could not help but think about the “good work” of creation in Genesis1. For each of the six days, God made something, and God was pleased with whatHe had made and said it was good. Then in verse 31, “God saw everything thatHe had made, and indeed it was very good. The evening and the morning were thesixth day”.  Thennotice in Genesis 2:1-3, at least three times we read the word “work.” “Thusthe heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. “Andon the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He restedon the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessedthe seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His workwhich God had created and made.” Colossians1:16-17 tells us that, “For by Him all things were created that are inheaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones ordominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him andfor Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Thisis the work of creation that God began, and God is sustaining that creationthrough Jesus Christ! Thereis also the good work of salvation. The good work of salvation is firstseen in the Old Testament when God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15 thatthe seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Actually, the good workof salvation began in eternity past. We are told in Revelation 13:8: “Allwho dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written inthe Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”.  This“good work” of salvation was being completed when Jesus came. Hesaid in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of the Father and to finishHis work.” Then in John 17:4, just before He goes to the cross, Jesus says,“I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Then on thecross, in John 19:30, Jesus said, “It is finished.” On the cross, Hefinished that work. What is the good work of God? The good work of God is thework of salvation.  Thegood work of God is also the work of transformation and sanctification.In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 we read: “Now may the God of peace Himselfsanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preservedblameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you,who also will do it.” Going back to Philippians 2:13, the apostle Paulwrites to the church at Philippi, “For it is God who works in you both towill and to do of His good pleasure.” This means everything in yourlife—your circumstances, your trials, your victories, your struggles—is a partof that “good work”. It is God Who is working in you and throughyou, even in the hard times. Sometimeswe think that God is only working when life is going well. But sometimes Goddoes His deepest work through times of difficulty. That is when we claim Romans8:28: “For we know that all things work together for good to those who loveGod.” God is shaping our character. He is strengthening our faith. He isteaching us to trust Him. My friend, there is nothing wasted in your life ifyou belong to Jesus Christ. It is all a part of the “good work”that God is doing in you today. And because of it, we can “be confident”! Asyou think about this “good work” that God is doing in you and for you today,I trust that you will be encouraged! Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!