Philippians - Joy In All Seasons
Week 21: The Joy of Transformation

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said that Philippians 1:6 may very well be described as the fundamental (or key) verse to all of Paul’s letter to the church in Phillipi. He said it’s one of those “magnificent, fundamental, profound statements which lead us into the very depths of Christian doctrine and Christian theology.” In this verse we have a window into the Biblical teaching of salvation; the whole doctrine of salvation kind of compressed into just one little verse.

What Paul (and by extension, God) was so confident about is that He (God), who began a good work in you, (He) will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. He begins it and He completes it. What is this work that He begins? It is our salvation. God begins His work in us. We are made alive in Christ—regenerated and made new.

PAID IN FULL – Tetelestai. Our salvation was made complete through Christ’s death on the cross. Salvation involves not only what Christ did for us, but also what Christ now does in us through the Holy Spirit. Redemption must not only be accomplished, it must also be applied. This is the remainder of the Philippians 1:6, “That He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”. It’s the application of redemption to our own hearts and to our own lives.

WILL COMPLETE IT – Complete what? The short answer is you, or better is your salvation. The Holy Spirit is continuing to work in you until “the day”. We call this completion, this process, Sanctification. This is an ongoing, lifelong, process where God takes the initiative in saving us – He finishes, perfects, and completes His work in us.

1. Positional sanctification. Believers stand (positionally) justified as though they already are made holy before God, even though they are not yet completely holy in practice.

2. Progressive Sanctification. While we already saved, it is also true to say that you are being saved (our word “sanctified”).

We are in the process of being rescued from sin and corruption and the consequences of sin in our own life.

3. Completed (or perfected) Sanctification: Some call it Glorification.

God’s saving work will be complete when Christ returns. What we are looking towards is the day of Jesus Christ.

Perfection for the Christian happens when Jesus comes again and our bodies are resurrected and transformed and made like the glorious body of Christ and we are fully and completely redeemed, completely healed, completely transformed in every aspect of our human personality.

Opening Questions:
• When you think about your spiritual growth, do you tend to focus more on how far you’ve come or how far you still have to go? Why?

Discussion Questions:
• Paul is “absolutely convinced” of what he’s saying. What gives Paul (and us) this confidence about God completing His work?

• What does it mean that God “began” a good work in us?

• The Greek word “epiteleō” means “putting the finishing touches on something.” How does this imagery help us understand what God is doing in our lives?

• Positional Sanctification: How does understanding that we are already “perfect in Christ” change how we view ourselves and our struggles with sin?

• Progressive Sanctification: How does the metaphor of being “unfinished works of art” or “unfinished poems that God is writing” encourage you in your daily walk?

• Completed Sanctification: Perfection happens at Christ’s return? How does this affect our expectations for this life?

Personal Application:
• How have you experienced “the beginning of a good work” in your life? How has God made you different from what you once were?

• In what areas do you see God currently working to transform you?

Group Focus:
• How can understanding the three phases of sanctification help us better share the Gospel with others?

• Who in your life needs to hear that salvation is God’s work from start to finish?

Prayer Focus:
• Thank God for beginning His good work in you and others, ask for trust in His ongoing work of transformation.