title of the message this morning
is God's Good Work. I took that title from verse
6, which is the main text of this message, Philippians 1 and
verse 6, which the Apostle Paul, as he's writing to the believers
in Philippi, focuses their attention on being confident, but not in
themselves, being confident in the Lord God. And that's the
goal of every true gospel preacher. Now there's nothing wrong with
examining ourselves. The goal of self-examination
is not that we can find confidence in ourselves. The goal of self-examination
is to know whether or not I really have confidence in Christ? Am
I really looking to Christ? I've often said, if you wanna
deal honestly and biblically with the issue of assurance of
salvation, there's some things we need to know. We need to know,
number one, and this is to people who profess faith in Jesus Christ,
who claim to be Christian. Number one, we need to know that
the Christ that we look to believe in, have confidence in, is that
Christ, is he the Christ of the Bible? Because there are counterfeits. Paul spoke of that in 2 Corinthians
11 when he talked about how false preachers had come in and diverted
some of them away from the simplicity that's in Christ to looking to
another Jesus. That's the way he put it. And
that word another there is another of a different kind, a false
Christ. And the Lord himself, when he instructed his disciples
concerning the end times, he said, in the end, they'll come
preaching a false Christ, false Jesuses, false saviors. And so what I want to know is
if I profess to believe in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the
one I believe in, is he the Christ of the Bible? Is He what God
alone describes and identifies and distinguishes in this book?
Who He is, God manifest in the flesh, what He did on the cross
made the salvation of His people sure and certain. And that's
what the subject of this verse here, being confident of this
very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will
perform it, He'll finish it, He'll complete it until the day
of Jesus Christ, to the day of His return. Now that's confidence. That's godly confidence. So I
want to know that the Christ I believe in is the true Christ,
not a counterfeit. And then secondly, I want to
know this, do I really trust Him? Or am I looking elsewhere
for salvation, for assurance? Am I looking to my feelings?
That's why I love that hymn on the back. He says here, Christ
work alone. It's not what I feel or do. Not
what I feel or do can give me peace with God. Not all my prayers
or sighs or tears can bear my awful load. Listen, I think about this all
the time. I want to be a praying person. I want to be a man of prayer.
I want you to be people of prayer. But your prayers will not save
you. Your prayers will not make you
righteous in God's sight. Understand that. It's Christ
to whom you pray who saves you and gives you the assurance of
salvation. That's what this is about. You know, this epistle
to the Philippians, it's one of Paul's prison epistles, Randy
mentioned that, because Paul said, in my bonds, in my chains,
Paul was in prison. At this time, he was in what
they call a house under house arrest. And he had to stay under
arrest. He was in Rome under house arrest. And the reason that they confined
Paul was because they didn't like his message. They didn't
like what he had to say, the gospel. But God in his good providence
enabled Paul to talk to people. People could come and visit him.
They could come and go. And he was able to write letters,
the letters to the Philippians and other letters where he wrote
from prison. And one of the things that he's
going to say in Philippians is don't be discouraged because
I'm in prison. Be encouraged because here's
the work of God. My being in prison has actually
worked out to the furtherance of the gospel. He says the gospel is going forth
even more by brethren and fellow preachers thinking of him in
prison. So in other words, when unbelievers
try to stop the spread of the gospel, God has turned that into
a furtherance of the gospel. So be encouraged, Paul said.
Now that'd be tough, wouldn't it? You're in prison, you're
confined, you can't leave, but still you look at it in that
positive way, but that's the way God works. So it's one of
his prison epistles written in Rome. This epistle, well, is
about 30 years after Christ's ascension. That's the time span. 10 years after Paul first preached
in Philippi. You remember when Paul went to
Philippi, you can read about this in Acts chapter 16. He met
a woman named Lydia and preached to her. And the Lord opened her
heart to the preaching of the gospel. It was also in Philippi
where he was put in prison. Remember that episode of the
Philippian jailer? That's where the Philippian jailer
and his family heard the gospel and they were converted. Then
a few years later, this church was established. Look here in
verse 1, Paul and Timotheus, that's Timothy. Timothy was Paul's
young apprentice, you might say. The servants of Jesus Christ
were here to serve Christ. to all the saints in Christ Jesus. What is a saint? Understand that.
You know what a saint is? It's not somebody that's got
a halo over their head. And they're not sprouting wings.
They're not super-Christians. They're just old sinners saved
by grace. If you're a believer in Christ,
you're a saint. That means you've been sanctified.
That's where the word comes from. Set apart. set apart by God before
the foundation of the world. Think about that. God knew your
name before this world was ever created. How do you know that? Well, the Bible says that every
believer's name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life. It's where your name was. I mean
your specific name, my specific name. You were set apart then. God chose you. Gave you to Christ. Conditioned all of your salvation
on Him. And then you were sanctified
in Christ on the cross. If you're a believer, He died
for you. He was buried and rose again
for you. Set apart redemptively. Bought you. Paid for you. All
your sins were imputed to Him and He died for those sins and
satisfied justice and His righteousness that God had already imputed
to you was worked out on that cross and then sanctified by the Spirit
in the new birth. When God brought you under the
preaching of the gospel and just like He did Lydia, He opened
Lydia's heart, He opened your heart. He gave you a new heart
and brought you to believe in Him. to submit to Christ as the
Lord your righteousness, to plead His blood alone, to sing songs
like this from the heart, knowing what you're singing. That's a
saint, that's one who's been sanctified. So he's saints in
Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons.
Now a bishop is an overseer, like a pastor or an elder. teaching the Word, leading people
in the Word of God. It's not some guy who wears funny
robes and hats. Now, you may find one who does
that, but that's not what a bishop is. It's just like a pastor,
an elder, an overseer, leading the people of God in the Word
of God, preaching Christ. And a deacon is one who serves
in another capacity with the physical needs of the church.
So this was an established church by now. came out of Lydia and
out of the Philippian jailer. Think about it. Paul usually,
he opens his epistles with this salutation, verse two, grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's where grace comes from.
What is grace? It's that unconditional blessing
of salvation with all of its benefits that come to us because
of what Christ in the glory of his person and the power of his
finished work accomplished on our behalf. In other words, we
didn't earn this, and we don't deserve it. What we have is a
free gift. But somebody had to pay for it.
And you didn't, and I didn't. Christ did. And that peace that
exists between God and sinners is founded on the blood of Christ's
cross. That's what peace is. Peace between
reconciled, God's reconciled to me and I to God on that same
ground, the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
so he says in verse three, I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you. Isn't that something? That anytime
Paul remembered them, he thanked God. Verse four, always in every prayer
of mine for you all making requests with joy, praying for them, for
your fellowship in the gospel and as Brother Randy said, that
is where our fellowship is. Listen, our fellowship that binds
us together, like a spiritual glue you might say, is the gospel. It's nothing else. You know,
we all have our different likes and preferences and all that
and things like that, but It's the gospel that keeps us together.
And thank God it is. Because every other fellowship
is going to be broken eventually, isn't it? Even your fellowship with your
earthly family. Think about it. It's going to
end when you die. I know that's a sad thing to
think about, but it's true. But this gospel fellowship will
go on forever and ever and ever and ever. It's never broken. And so he says, for your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now. Now here's where
the basis of it all is. Being confident, being assured
of this very thing. And listen to what he says here
now, don't let this get by you. That he which hath begun a good
work Now that tells you right there he's not talking about
something we began or started because it's a good work. If it's something we began or
started it wouldn't be a good work. He that began, hath begun
a good work in you will perform it. He will finish it. He will
perfect it. He'll bring it to its final culmination
in glory. he'll do this, not just part
of the way, but until the day of Jesus Christ, until Christ
comes again. What God started, which is always
good, God will finish. And let me tell you something,
if it's not that way, then we're doomed. If God said, well, now I'll start
this thing off, but now you've got to finish it. And that's
what a lot of people say who claim to be Christian. And they're
wrong. They're false Christians. They
don't believe the gospel. But they believe God says, well,
now I'll get this thing started, but you have to finish it. No,
sir. That's not the way it is. That's
not the way the grace of God in salvation goes down. God started
it, God did it, God keeps it, God will finish it. And it's
a good work. Think about it, confidence in
God who does all things well. Salvation is of the Lord, salvation
is God's good work. Let me give you these particulars
about that. First of all, consider God's good work before the world
ever began. Now this tells you right now,
it's not conditioned on us. It's not something we start or
cooperate with. God's good work, in a sense,
started before this world ever began. God chose us. God gave
us to Christ. Made Him our surety. The covenant
of grace. Christ is the surety of the covenant.
Our sins were laid upon Him. You say, well, we hadn't even
been born yet. Oh yeah, that's right. But God knew what was
going to happen because it's His good work. Made Christ our
surety and conditioned all of our salvation upon Him. That's
a good work. Let me read you this. This is
2 Timothy 1. Verse eight, be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor me his prisoner. This
is Paul writing to Timothy and he's writing from prison again.
But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God. Now listen to this, who have
saved us and called us within holy calling, not according to
our works, not conditioned on us, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. That's a daggone good work. Before the foundation of the
world. I just finished preaching through
Ephesians. And what a description of God's
good work before the foundation of the world we have there. Ephesians
1 verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ according as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according
to the good pleasure of his will. That's a good work. And it's all to the praise of
the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. That's a good work. Right across the page from there,
Ephesians 2.8, listen to this. For by grace are you saved through
faith that none of yourselves is the gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. And here's what he says in verse
10. Here's the good work, for we are his workmanship. You know, the good work is a
sinner saved by grace through Christ. Created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, not because of. The good works that we do
are God's operation and work through us, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. That's a good work. Here's another one, number two.
God's good work in providence. Do you believe in God's providence? Well, what does that mean? Well,
do you believe that God's in control? I know people say that
all the time now. But do you really believe God's
in control? Do you believe that God is governing this universe? Do you believe that there's any
speck that is outside of God's control and will? Or do you think of God as what
I call the cosmic chess player? He makes his move, you make your
counter move, he makes his counter move, and we'll see who wins
in the end. Are you like some who think of
God as just hoping that things will turn out if he can just
get enough sinners to cooperate and decide for him and pray? God's good work in providence,
let me tell you a verse that It tells us that, that people
quote all the time and they don't really know what it means. It's
Romans 8, 28. And you know what? To make sure that you understand
this, look at the context of that. Romans 8, 28. We know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. That's God's
good work in providence. And how does that work out? Verse
29, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. God's good work in providence
is fulfilled in Christ and the salvation of his people. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Whom he called,
he justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What a good word. Now that's
God's good work in providence from beginning to end. He who
began the good work will finish it. I know that God, in Ephesians
1.11 it says, God is always working all things after the counsel
of His own will. And I, you know, always when
I think about that, I think about Joseph. You remember Joseph?
How his brothers sold him into slavery How by the providence
of God, the good providence of God, Joseph was elevated to second
in command in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, and through that
God preserved the Hebrew people. And you remember in Genesis chapter
50 verse 20, after Joseph's brethren who had done him wrong came back
and were faced Joseph was facing them, and they were afraid that
they were going to be killed, which they deserved to be, because
of what they did. Remember what Joseph said in
verse 20? He says, you meant it for evil.
God meant it for good. What? You mean Joseph being sold
into slavery? Being thrown in prison? Being
falsely accused? That's God's good work? You bet
it is. And old Joseph recognized it.
We can think about our own lives and what we've been through in
many ways. But every bit of it was for God
to finish his good work, bringing us under the preaching of the
gospel and bringing us to a saving knowledge of Christ and his righteousness
as our hope of salvation. Here's the next thing, thirdly,
God's good work in redemption. Over there in Ephesians chapter
one, it talks about how we're accepted in the beloved. Well, what does that mean? Who
is the beloved there? Well, that's Christ. And how
are we accepted in the beloved? We're accepted on the basis of
what the beloved did in our place. Well, what did he do? Well, in
verse seven it says, in works verse six says we're accepted
in the beloved verse seven of Ephesians one in whom we have
redemption through his blood that's his death the forgiveness
of sins through his death through his blood according to the riches
of his grace whereon he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence Look at Galatians chapter four. Think about this. This is God's
good work in redemption. When Christ went to the cross,
he went there to do a perfect work. And when he got ready to
die, as the Bible says, give up the ghost. You remember what
he said? John 19 and verse 30, I believe. is finished. That good work was
accomplished. What God started, He completed.
And it says it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. Christ on the
cross is God's good work for His people. Look here in Galatians 4 and
verse 4. When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth
His Son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them
that were under the law that we might receive the adoption
of sons." That's God's good work. He didn't send his son to make
salvation a possibility if we would finish it. He didn't send
his son to make it possible if we would do our part. Because
if that were the case, it wouldn't be finished, it wouldn't be a
perfect work, and it wouldn't be God's good work. Oh, think about it. Peter stood
there at Pentecost, preaching the gospel. And he said this
in Acts 2.22, ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth,
a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also
know, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and for
knowledge of God, you've taken by wicked hands, have crucified
and slain. And just like Joseph said, it
could be said of us, you meant it for evil, God meant it for
good. Psalm 111 and verse 9, God sent redemption unto his
people. He hath commanded his covenant
forever. Holy and reverent is his name.
Redemption is God's good work. How good is God's good work of
redemption in and by Christ? Well, out of Christ's obedience
unto death as the surety, the substitute, and the redeemer
of His people comes all the forgiveness of our sins, comes the righteousness
that God has imputed to us by which we're justified. Think
about that. God will not impute sins to us. Why? Because of His good work
on that cross, putting away our sins. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
can condemn us? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather
He's risen again. Seated at the right hand of the
Father. Accomplishing God's good work. Interceding for us. That's how good it is. Out of
His death on that cross comes righteousness by which we live
and by which we'll die and go and be in glory. And then go back to Philippians
1, our text. Paul is specifically referring
to this part of it. Here's the fourth thing. God's
good work in the new birth. He's talking about their fellowship
in the gospel. God's brought us together in
the gospel by the power of the Spirit. We are all looking to
Christ, the author and finisher, of our faith, that good work.
He began it, he keeps it, and he'll bring it to its fruition.
That's what he does. And so he says in verse six,
being confident of this very thing, he which hath begun a
good work in you, the new birth, he gave us a new heart, a new
spirit, brought us under the preaching of the gospel, he will
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The new birth, the giving of
life to a dead sinner is the work of God. It's not of the
flesh, it's not of the works of the flesh, nor the will of
man, it's of God. Born of God, born from above. That's what it's all about. They
asked the Lord one time, they said, well, what can we do to
work the works of God? He said, this is the work of
God that you believe on him whom God has sent. That's God's good
work. Faith is not natural to us. Faith
is the gift of God. James 1, 17, every good and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there's no variability, neither shadow of turning. Of
his own will began he us with the word of truth. that we should
be kind of first fruits of His creature. In the new birth, He slays us,
He humbles us, and He raises us up to look to Christ. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3 and
9, that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some
men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance." That's all
of His people. He gives us the gift of faith,
the gift of repentance. That's God's good work. And He'll
finish it. And then this verse speaks of
God's good work in our preservation unto glory. That's another aspect
of it. Nothing can separate us from
the love of God in Christ. If God began it, God will complete
it. If you began it, it never got
started and it won't be completed. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. That's the work of God. And then
God's good work and the fruits of righteousness. Look here in
verse seven of Philippians one, even as it is made or appropriate
for me to think of you all, because I have you in my heart. In as
much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation
of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace, probably better
translated, partakers with me of grace. In other words, Paul's
saying we're all saved by his grace. We're the fruits of righteousness. That's what we are. Verse eight, God is my record,
how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
That speaks of compassion. That speaks of a bond of compassion
that exists between Christ and his people and within his people
towards each other. And so he says in verse nine,
this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge
and in all judgment. This tells us that love that
grows and brings us together in the confirmation of the gospel
is not just feeling or emotion, it's knowledge. that brings us
all to see the same way when it comes to salvation and a right
relationship with God. Now we may not see the same way
in a lot of things. We may have a lot of differences
and a lot of preferences, but we see the same way. We look
the same way. We judge the same way because
of the knowledge that Christ has given us. That's the fruits
of righteousness. Just like when we talk to unbelievers,
what do we want to tell them? You need a righteousness that
you cannot produce in order to be saved. Somebody says, well,
I believe if we just do the best we can, that's got to count for
something. We've got to tell them, every one of us, this is
our knowledge, we know better, and this is our judgment, this
is the fruit of righteousness, that will count for nothing. What are we telling people? You
need Christ. You need His blood to wash away
your sins. You need His righteousness imputed
to justify you. You need life from the dead.
In verse 10, he says that you may approve things that are excellent.
What are the things that are excellent? All spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus. That's excellent. that you may
be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. When
he says without offense, he's not talking about not offending
unbelievers because the gospel inherently is offensive to unbelievers. But we don't go about to offend,
we go about to tell them the things that are excellent, things
they need to hear. And then verse 11, being filled with the fruits
of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise,
the glory and praise of God. These fruits of righteousness, They come to us by Jesus Christ. You see that? And they glorify
God, not us. We glory in the cross, we glory
in Christ. We glory in His blood, in His
righteousness alone. Because He paid it all. God began
it, God keeps it, God will finish it. Let's turn to hymn number
125.