His work - and ours

Philippians 1:6 says "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" ESV

I read this the other day and it struck me.  I've read this verse or heard it countless times, but it grabbed me by the hair the other day.  I read it over and over.  This verse says a lot.

1. "He who began" – God began this work in us.  I don't want to get all Calvinistic on everybody that's not where I'm going with this.  The point is God is at work in us, and it is a work that He has chosen to do.  We said yes at some point, no doubt, but it was begun with God.  "While we were still sinners", Paul says, "Christ died for us."  This is God's work.  We loved Him because He first loved us.  God is the initiator of our salvation.  He is the one reaching down.  He is the one searching us out.  He is the one who began the good work in us.  The Bible says that before the foundation of the world God looked forward to us and it was THEN that He began "working all things for good".  He has had each of us that has said yes to Christ in His sights since long before we were ever born.  God set His love and His favor upon us in that day and it lives to this. Waking up everyday we can say, "God has set His love and favor upon me".  That gives us incredible power over sin.  that gives us incredible confidence that no matter what happens today, God's love for me is behind it somewhere, somehow. 
2. "will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" - If God began it then God will complete it.  This encourages me in two ways.
   a. "He's still workin' on me" that childhood song is so true.  I am not what I will one day be.  I am still flawed, still imperfect, still immature, and God knows that!  He understands my weakness.  He understands my failure.  He wants to use these weaknesses and failures to make me stronger and grow me up.  He is AT WORK and will continue to labor upon me until the day I see Jesus face to face.  Isaiah 62 is one of my favorite chapters.  The Lord emphatically states over his children Israel, and over my heart as I am grafted into that tree, " For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch." God is passionately commited to my inheritance of righteousness.  He will not stop until it goes forth as brightness and as a burning torch.
   b.  This work WILL BE brought to full and total COMPLETION!!!! Some day I will be holy.  Some day I will be righteous!  Some day I will fulfill my eternal purpose of showing forth the GLORY of my Lord and savior that the universe my worship Him all the more ardently for the mighty work he has wrought in me!  This is who I am meant to be!  A carrier of His glory!  Is there any higher calling?  My stuggles with sin will come to an end.  My misunderstandings will fade away.  All my inconsistancies, hypocricy, and immaturity will blossom into the full flower of the eternal bride Christ chose before the foundation of the world to stand by His side in perfect partnership forever.  My destiny is assured!  My place in forever is on the throne with Jesus.  Not because of anything I did, only because of all He is doing in me and will continue to do until the glorious competion day not so very far away!!

HALLELUJAH! - so what part do we play in this grand design?  What is our work?  Simple!  Keep saying yes!  When you are discouraged or angry turn to Him and say yes.  When you are hurting and confused turn to Him and say yes.  When you are triumphant and joyful, turn to Him and say yes.  The Christian life is one HUGE YES to Jesus over and over and over.  Jesus said the work of God was to believe in the one He sent.  Let's do that work and say YES.

Amen