I love that line, glorious day,
he took my sin away. And that indeed is the glorious
day. And there's another glorious
day. In Philippians chapter 1, verse
6, we read of the day of Jesus Christ. Would you turn with me
there to Philippians 1? Paul says in verse three, I thank
my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer
of mine for you all making request with joy for your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now being confident
of this very thing. That he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it or perfect it or complete it until
the day of Jesus Christ. I've entitled this message the
day of Jesus Christ. Now that is the day that is coming
as a thief in the night. It's the eternal day that lasts
forever. The second advent of our Lord
Jesus Christ, his return. It's called the day of judgment.
It's called the day of redemption. It's called in the scriptures,
the day of the Lord. I like this, that day. Many, our Lord shall say unto
me in that day." Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.12, I know whom I
believed and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which
I've committed unto him against that day. Now, this is the day
that all things are moving toward. It is the consummation of God's
eternal purpose. God has a plan. God has a purpose. God has decreed all events and
all things, and everything is moving toward that particular
day. On that day, at the name of Jesus,
every knee is going to bow. Isn't that a wonderful thing
about that? Every knee is going to bow at his name. Things in
heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth, and every
tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. What a day that will be. When my savior I shall see, I
shall see him face to face, the one who saved me by his grace. Everything is moving toward that
day. The creation itself was created
for that day and the creation longs for that day. You know,
the fall of our first father, Adam. And this fallen world that
we're living in shows the need for that day. You know, we're
living in a fallen world, a world that is doomed, a world that
is damned because of sin. This is a sin cursed world that
we're living in. Political. And social legislation
will not make it better. Financial prosperity will not
make it better. It is all to be burned one day. Everything you see and know is
going to be burned. And our aim, now listen to me
carefully in preaching the gospel, I'm thankful for my life and
so on, but our aim as a church, as a people, is not to make this
world a better place. It's really not. It's not going
to be a better place. We're in it. Man's in it. We're
like Abraham. We're looking for a city whose
builder and maker is God. We're strangers and we're pilgrims
here waiting for that day. Looking for the day of Jesus
Christ. Our life is but a vapor. We realize
that. I love the way James says that.
He says, what is your life? It's even a vapor that appears
for a little while and passes away. And then there will be
the eternal day where there is no night, no need of the sun,
no nighttime. The lamb is the light thereof.
No more tears. No more pain, no more sorrow,
but paradise. That's the day we're looking
for. The scripture describes that
day as when the lion shall lay down with the lamb. Isn't that
a beautiful thought? No wars, no conflict, nothing
but peace. Nothing but joy, nothing but
unity. The day of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a day and how we anticipate
his return. But it will not be that for everybody. For many, it will be the beginning
of eternal misery. You know, one of the many things
that the unbeliever will find out at that time is that there
is a place of eternal torment, a place called hell, called in
scriptures, the pit, outer darkness, the lake of fire, the place of
torment, a place of no hope, a place of no peace. a place
of no joy, a place of the wrath and the fury of a holy and an
offended God. Now, how can I know which place
I'll be? Isn't that the most important
question there is? You know, our Lord said, what
would it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose
his soul? And what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul? Truly, truly, there is one thing
needful." Do you believe that? There's only one thing needful. Now, when Paul was speaking to
these people, he believed that they would be rejoicing in the
day of Jesus Christ. Let's see what he said about
this. He said in verse 3 to the Philippians. I thank my God upon
every remembrance of you. Now, some have said that the
church at Philippi, in some respects, was the best of the churches
of the New Testament. And I wouldn't dispute that. I tell you what,
it seems a lot better than the church of Galatia. It seems a
lot better than the church of Corinth. I mean, they had such
an attitude and a blessed attitude. And one of the key words in the
book of Philippians is joy. And what joy these people gave
the Apostle Paul. Now, I know if that is true,
It's by the grace of God that they were that. You know that. If it's who makes you to differ
from another. This was a very special church. Look what he says in verse four.
He says, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request
with joy and what joy these people gave Paul, you know, they were
the only ones who really supported him. Look in Philippians four
verse 15. He said, now you Philippians
know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed
from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving
and receiving, but you only. So you see, he had a very special
relationship with these people. The other churches didn't. care
about supporting him in his missionary journeys, but the church at Philippi
did. Look what he says about these
people in verse one of chapter four. He says, therefore, my
brethren dearly beloved and long for my joy and crown. So stand fast in the Lord, my
dearly beloved. So obviously this church, these
people were very special people to the apostle Paul. Now look
what he says back in Philippians one, He says in verses four and
five, always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests
with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now. You know, there's such a thing
as real fellowship, isn't there? Real fellowship in the gospel. The word is a sharing in common,
a communion, a union. There's such a thing as real
fellowship in the gospel. You see, we really got some things
in common. We've been saved by the same grace. We have the same Lord and Master.
We have the same first love. We have the same nature, partakers
of the divine nature. We all have the mind of Christ.
It's not like we think like Him, we have the mind of Christ, Paul
said. We have some things in common and truly the people of
God, this is my family. This is my family closer than
blood ties. This is the family of God. And
there's a true fellowship in the gospel. And they demonstrated
their fellowship in the gospel of Paul. Look what he says in
verse 7 of Philippians 1. Even as it's meat, it's appropriate
for me to think this 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." They stood with
Paul in the defense of the gospel against the enemies of the gospel.
They stood with Paul in the confirmation of the gospel. So there was some
real fellowship with these people. There was a real relationship
that Paul treasured. Now, this fellowship, it's real. It's real. The fellowship of
believers. Fellows in the same ship. This
fellowship, while it's real, it's the gift of God's grace,
it's something to be nurtured. It's something to be cared for. Endeavored to keep the unity
of the spirit. That takes some work, doesn't
it? In the bond of peace. Look in Philippians chapter two,
verse one. He says, if there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, and there is, if any comfort of love,
if any fellowship, of the Spirit, if any boughs and mercies fulfill
ye my joy, that ye be like-minded." You know, believers believe the
same thing. They have the same mind, the mind of Christ. Having
the same love, the Lord Jesus Christ, being of one accord,
of one mind, let nothing be done through strife or personal ambition
or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Now, do you
see the effort that is brought out in keeping this unity
and this fellowship? It's the gift of God's grace.
It's the work of God's grace. And we're to give effort in keeping
this. Now, verse six, Philippians 1. Now here's what Paul was confident
in, and this is why he had such good thoughts of this church
with regard to the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Now, Paul said, I'm confident
of this very thing. Now here's why. we believe in
what is called the perseverance of the saints. Right here. Here's
what I'm confident in. I'm not confident in you. I'm not confident in your ability
to do anything. But here's what I'm confident
in. I'm confident in this very thing that he which hath begun
a good work in you will complete it. That's why I believe I'm
going to persevere to the end. Because he that hath begun This
good work in me is going to complete it and he's going to perfect
it. Now, salvation begins with God. I love the way this sounds. He that hath begun a good work
in you. In the beginning, God. You know, the whole gospel is
in that statement. In the beginning, God. Everything begins with God. You think of every aspect of
salvation, it begins with the Lord. I'm elect. How come? Because He chose me as an act
of His own free and sovereign will. It's not found in me. It's
found in God. I'm redeemed. Why am I redeemed?
Because He redeemed me. He gave His Son. The Son gave
Himself. It begins with God. I'm regenerated. I've got a new birth. I've been
born again. I've been given a new nature. How come? Because God
birthed me. Because God gave me life. It's
not because I did anything. It's because God said live. And
I lived. Salvation begins with God. The
faith I have, the repentance I have, you know where it begins?
It begins with God giving it to me. Every aspect of salvation
begins with God. He that hath begun this good
work in you. And what a good work it is to
take a sinner and make that sinner perfectly conformed to the image
of Jesus Christ. Now is that a good work? What
a glorious work. I have some faint awareness of
my own personal sinfulness. It's always with me. I always
know something about it. One of these days, I'm going to be without sin. Perfectly conformed to the image
of Jesus Christ. Now that's a good work. He that
hath begun a good work. I'm going to persevere through
many dangers, through many toils, through many snares. I'm going
to persevere all the way to the end. That's the work of God.
Every aspect of salvation is His work. He that hath begun
a good work in you. Yes, salvation is what
God does for us. And what's the evidence He's
done something for us? He's done something in us. If He hasn't
done something in us, you can be sure that He's not done anything
for you. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Paul said, I live yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. God does something on the inside
a new heart, a new spirit, a new man, a new creation. Paul said in Galatians 1 15,
when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and
revealed his son in me, in me that I might preach him among
the heathen. Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Now, here's the very thing I'm
confident in, Paul says, that he that hath begun this good
work in you will perform it. He will complete it. He will
finish it. God never begins something that
he does not finish, complete, and perfect. Now, here's my question. How can I know if I can take
this to myself? How can I know if I'm somebody
who on that great day, that day, the day of the consummation of
all things, that day that everything's headed towards, everything here
is just vanity. You know that, don't you? Everything
here is just vanity. It's all going to be burned.
The good stuff, it's vanity. The bad stuff, it's vanity. It's
all temporary. There's just not much to it.
This is a cursed world. It's a fallen world. It's going
to all be over and then eternity will begin. Where am I going
to stand on that great day? Am I somebody that Paul would
say, I'm persuaded that He hath begun a good work in you. We'll
perform it. We'll complete it. We'll perfect
it until the day of Jesus Christ. Now would you turn to Psalm 138.
Psalm 138. I want to begin reading in verse
6. Though the Lord be high, yet
hath he respect unto the lowly. But the proud he knoweth afar
off. Though I walk in the midst of
trouble, thou wilt Revive me, what confidence! Thou shalt stretch
forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy
right hand shall save me." Now, look at this word of David. The
Lord will perfect, complete, perform, finish. The Lord will
perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth
forever. Forsake not the works of thine
own hands. Now, can I say that David said
it? The Lord said it. This is the words of the Lord
Jesus. That's the way you always look at every scripture in the
Psalms first. It's the words of Christ. They're
all Messianic Psalms. But David said this about himself. And look at the confidence he
uses. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. Thy mercy,
O Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of thine
own hands. Now, can I take that promise to myself? Well, first
question I would ask you, and I ask myself, the Lord will perfect
that which concerns me. What concerns you? What concerns you? Are you more
concerned about the things of God than things of this earth?
You can answer that question. Are you more concerned about
the things of Christ than the things of this temporal world?
I am. I am. I'm a whole lot more concerned
about being found in Christ than anything about this world. That's
what I'm concerned about. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That's what
I'm concerned about. I want to be found in Christ.
That's more important to me infinitely than anything in this world.
The Lord can take my health, the Lord can take my wealth,
the Lord can take everything. Whatever He does is right, but
this is what I must have. There's one thing needful, that's
to sit at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ and hear His Word. That's the one thing needful.
That's what concerns me. Now, notice what he said next.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. Thy mercy, O Lord,
endures forever. Is your salvation totally dependent
upon the mercy of God? As David's was. He said, this
is the reason the Lord will perfect that which concerns me. His mercy
endures forever. Oh, thank God for that. His mercy
never runs out. His mercy, His free mercy endures
forever. And here's the third test. He
said, forsake not the work of thy hands. Let me ask you a question.
Is your salvation the work of God's hands? Do you know it's
his work only? And you know, your works don't
have anything to do with it. You believe that your salvation is
the work of his hands. Well, yes, this promise is for
you. Now let's pick it apart. Verse eight, the Lord, Jehovah, God Almighty, the Lord
Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit, the eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent,
omniscient God, the God of glory will perfect that which concerns
me. Most especially, Jesus Christ the Lord will perfect that which
concerns me. You see, our salvation is a person. is salvation. David's confidence
was in the Lord. And notice he says, the Lord
will perfect that which concerns me. It was not only a confidence
with regard to the present, but to the future. The Lord will
perfect that which concerns me. I can trust him for what happens
in the next second. Whatever he does is right. Oh,
isn't it a blessing to be able to trust the Lord? It is when
you know what it is to fear and be fearful and unbelieving what
a blessing it is simply to rest, simply to trust Him. I'll trust
Him for the next second by God's grace and I know apart from God's
grace I'll be overcome with unbelief but by His grace I'm going to
trust Him for the next second and I'm going to trust Him for
that great day. Paul said, I know whom I believed and I'm persuaded
that He's able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against
that day. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me." Now, that's a large word. That's a big word, isn't
it? The Lord will perfect. The Lord will complete. The Lord
will finish. that which concerneth me." Just
like He said in Philippians 1.6, He that hath begun a good work
in you will complete it, will perform it, will finish it. The
Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. And you know why
I know that's going to happen? Because it's already happened.
Hebrews 10.14 says, by one offering, He hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. When Christ died on the cross,
you know what happened? A whole lot of things. God was
glorified. God's purpose was done. But I
was perfected. I was perfected. Really? Really.
Colossians 2.10 says, In him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead in a body, and you are complete. You are perfect. You have been perfected in him.
He said he'll perfect that which concerns me. Whatever it is,
it's taken care of. He'll perfect that which concerns
me. I want him to perfect that which
concerns you, but I like thinking about this. He'll perfect that
which concerneth me, whatever it might be. And here's why this
is so certain. David says, the Lord will perfect
that which concerneth me, and here's the reason. Thy mercy,
O Lord, endures forever. Now, you can only have two possible
grounds of salvation. in your thinking. Either mercy
or merit. It really is that simple. You
either believe God will bless you because you deserve it, because
you earn it, because of something in you, even because you asked
for it. That's merit. If God's blessing to you has
anything to do with anything in you and He gives it to you
because you did this or you asked that or you believe this, if
you think that's the reason behind it, you believe in merit. But
there's mercy. Mercy excludes merit. If God saves me, that means He
doesn't do it for my sake. He does it for Christ's sake.
He doesn't do it because of anything in me. He does it because of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy mercy endures forever. I love God's mercy. But God,
who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved
us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ. By grace are you saved." Mercy. Oh, I know this. I can say this with
such conviction. I'm saved by the sovereign mercy
of God. I know that so. I don't have
any question about it. The only reason I'm saved is
because of His mercy, sovereign mercy. He has mercy on whom He
will have mercy. And I know that's my salvation,
so I take this verse to myself. The Lord will perfect that which
concerns me, because His mercy endures forever. And then, if
you really believe that, it's not going to make you fatalistic.
It's not going to make you Just sit down and say, well, I'll
just wait till it happens. No, you're going to pray this
prayer. Forsake not the work of thine own hands. I mean, you
pray this prayer. Lord, if you forsake me, if you
take your hand off of me, if you leave me to myself, I know
I'll rot. I know I'll fall away. I need you to keep me. I need
you to preserve me. Forsake not the work of thine
own hands. Now, the Lord will perfect that
which concerns me. Here's why. His mercy endures
forever. And here's my response. Oh Lord,
forsake not the work of thine own hands. Now, the day of Jesus
Christ is coming. The day of judgment. And you, a believer, can actually
have boldness with regard to that day. Herein is our love
made perfect that we may have boldness on the day of judgment.
Now, I want you to think about that. Don't let that pass by.
Boldness, confidence, not afraid of anything when you stand before
God in judgment. Now, how in the world can that
be? 1 John 4, 17 says, because as He is, this is how we have
boldness on the day of judgment, as He is, so are we in this world. Now, the day of Jesus Christ
is coming, and I thought of several scriptures with regard to that.
Now, everything between now and then, now unto Him that is able
to keep you from falling. and to present you faultless
before his throne with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our
Savior be glory both now and forever. And until that day,
remember this, until that day, our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while
we look not on things which are seen, but things which are not
seen. For the things which are seen
are temporal, temporary, but the things which are not seen
are eternal. The Lord said, behold, I come
quickly. And what's our response? Even
so, come Lord Jesus. Let's pray.