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And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

We now come to a very encouraging and uplifting verse. Many have made this their “life-verse” because they have personally been recipients of this promise. Paul has a very sure certainty that the One he is being confident in will not start something that he will not finish.^[1] The Greek word (ἐπιτελέω epiteleō) carries the meaning of something being accomplished perfectly.^[2] Paul was completely confident that God would finish what he had started in the Philippians, accomplishing it perfectly upon the soon return of Jesus Christ.^[3] We can take from this verse assurance that whatever God has promised, whatever he has started, whatever he has set in motion, he will see it through to completion, in our lives, and in this world. Christians today feel similarly encouraged. True to God’s assurance, he has moved his people to “offer themselves freely” in many different ways in his service. Paul will write, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to act, on behalf of his good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13.

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And I am sure. Paul is using some powerful language here. The Greek verb (πείθω peithō) means to be fully and firmly convinced, to be persuaded or sure of the truthfulness or validity of something. (Mt 27:20; Ac 12:20; Heb. 13:18) Luke 16:31 reads, “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” Acts 17:4 reads, “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.” Persuade, persuaded, or persuading was used 16 times in the Acts of the Apostles. Here, it means that Paul was completely convinced that what he said was absolutely true. The apostle Paul had no doubt in what he was saying.

That he who began a good work in you. The “good work” (ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ergon agathon) referred to here is godly devotion. When we are persuaded (πείθω peithō) to believe, we are set on the path of salvation. Each day thereafter, we need to grow spiritually, becoming more like Christ. This is called sanctification. Sanctification means to be in accord with Jesus Christ, having the mind of Christ, who abandons his holiness and righteousness, even for a moment, never changing. Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 16:29) The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not empty … Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to fear, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am.” (1 Cor. 15:58; 16:10) Paul say later herein, “because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his soul to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” (Phil. 2:30) Therefore, the work of God, the work of the Lord, or the work of Christ are the same. Paul tells us here that the good work was begun by God, not anything that the Philippians brothers or sisters did beyond accepting Christ.

John 1:12-13 reads, “On the other hand, as many as received him, he gave authority to them to become children of God, to the ones believing in his name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” There is but one way to respond to God’s invitation to us. The right way is to believe the gospel and accept Jesus as our Savior (receiving the new birth), even if another had to work hard and tirelessly to do the good work of persuading us. The wrong way to accept God is by looking to earthly things, like our birth, ourselves, our family, or of the will of man. If we believe, no matter how much good work went into our being persuaded; then, we receive. It is because this good work began with God that Paul can be so sure (πείθω peithō). Had it been by any imperfect man, the trustworthiness would be dropped exponentially. There would be no certainty. And the same holds true that if our perseverance were dependent upon us, we could not be sure.

Will bring it to completion. The Greek word (ἐπιτελέω epiteleō) means that God would carry out the good work forward to completion that he had begun. He would complete, finish, attain his goal (Ro 15:28; 2Co 7:1; 8:6, 11; Gal 3:3; Php 1:6; Heb 9:6) He was not going to leave any part of it unfinished. Unlike man, who begins many things he then abandons to move onto other things, God completes everything he begins. God carries it to completion!

Until the day of Jesus Christ. God does not forsake anything that he embarks on. Isaiah 45:18 says, “For thus says Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens the true God, the One who formed the earth its Maker who firmly established it; who did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited!: ‘I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.’” Satan contributing to Adam’s rebellion did not undermine God’s plans for man or the earth. There is no evidence in Scripture that God has forsaken what he began from revulsion, disappointment, or a decline of interest over Satan, Adam, and Eve rebelling, abandoning him. The good work that he began started when he expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, saving souls! When Christ came, the good work began in intensity. (John 10:27-29; Heb. 6:17–20; Rom. 8:29-30) The good work that began after Jesus ascended in 33 C.E. was the proclaiming, teaching God’s Word, and making of disciples. (Matt 24:14; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the inhabited earth[4] as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and look, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” Acts 1:7-8, “He [Jesus] said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in both Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” The saving of souls should continue until the day of Christ Jesus, that is, until Christ returns with his angels at Armageddon to destroy the wicked and bring in a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. – John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15.

[1] See further 1 Samuel 3:12 and 1 Corinthians 1:8

[2] W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1996). P. 8.

[3] Paul in his writings has made it clear that he anticipated the return of Christ in his lifetime. Every believer should make this a part of his belief and lifestyle. We can be confident because of the promises in God’s Word that Christ is coming again, and every day brings us one day closer to His return.

[4] Or in the whole world