![Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41u9kx4miUL.jpg)
Knowing Christ
Philippians 3:10 (NKJV)
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”
God’s Completed Work
Philippians 1:3-6 (NKJV)
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
A Good Work Completed
A Good Work Completed
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.
Philippians 1:6
God never fails to finish what He starts. Two days ago, we considered the good work which He began, ‘before the world began.’ Yesterday we considered the work which He is doing, by His Holy Spirit, to conform His people to the image of Christ. Today, let us consider, please, the ultimate completion of that ‘good work.’ Recall to mind, ‘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. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.’ Notice, please, how these verses end, ‘them he also glorified.’ Here is the glorious fact: God will not be finished with His Sanctifying Work in His People until all of His Blood-bought saints are perfectly transformed into the Image of Christ. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.’ God will infallibly complete His sanctifying work and ‘all the ransomed Church of God’ shall, indeed, ‘be saved to sin no more.’ This is of great encouragement to us in our daily walk. How hard would you fight if you knew that you could not lose? How hard would you work if you knew that the building would not fail to be completed? How hard would you strive if you knew that you were destined to win the race? Herein lies every good reason for us to draw near to Christ. Herein lies every good reason for us to lay hold of all the means of grace afforded to us. Herein lies the greatest of motivation for us to be both happy and holy. Having begun this good work in us, God will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. We cannot ultimately fail, because Jesus never fails.
Our Gracious, Wonder-working God,
we praise Your Holy Name and give You honor, glory and praise;
that You will complete Your glorious work in us,
and that You will renew us in the Image of the Living Christ.
Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
A Good Work Performed
A Good Work Performed
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.
Philippians 1:6
Having considered the beginnings of the work of which Paul is speaking in our text, let us go on to consider these words, ‘will perform it.’ Beyond controversy, the Lord has begun a ‘good work’ in the people whom He has redeemed. He has granted us repentance unto life, given us faith to believe, effectually called us to Christ, and indwelt us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is now performing that ‘good work.’ He is ‘renewing us in the whole person after the Image of God.’ He is enabling us ‘more and more to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness.’ This is that work of ‘free grace’ which marks the life of the redeemed. This is what brings us to hide the word of God in our hearts that we ‘might not sin against Him.’ All of the means of Grace we use; the reading of the word of God; the attendance at the house of God; the association with the people of God; the participation in the ordinances of God, are all with the design, as God has given them to us, to be the things whereby the Holy Spirit takes the things of Christ and shows them unto us. They, along with a host of other things He does in our lives, are to the intent and purpose of conforming us to the Image of Christ. The grand truth of this is that He is doing the work. He will draw our minds and hands and hearts into the process, but ultimately it is, ‘the work of God’s free grace.’ This encourages us as to the success of it. What a great privilege we have to experience this ongoing work which God is performing in our lives.
Our Great and Wonder-working God,
we glorify You and rejoice daily in the ongoing sanctifying work
which You are performing in our lives.
Evermore continue this glorious work.
Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
A Good Work Begun
A Good Work Begun
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.
Philippians 1:6
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians from a prison cell, is very warm towards them. In the midst of his introductory salutation, he makes a statement which is well worth our contemplation for the next several days. He says, ‘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.’ Let us, consider these few words, please, ‘he which has begun a good work in You.’ Considering what we know about theology, we may well consider this to be a statement regarding the ongoing work of sanctification. Having said that, we have to go backward past the beginnings of sanctification before we can begin to speak directly of it. When, in fact, did God begin this ‘good work?’ We cannot leave out election. If there is to be a good work ‘in us,’ there must be a choosing of us. This He did ‘in’ Christ ‘before the foundation of the world.’ Our being holy and without blame before him in love,’ is the direct result of His Election of us. Nor can we exclude predestination. This ‘good work’ must include our being ‘predestinated…unto the adoption of children.’ Beyond that, if we are to speak of this ‘good work’ which God has begun we must also speak of the effectual call of the Holy Spirit whereby He brings us to Christ. ‘Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called.’ We must also include justification, because ‘Whom he called, them he also justified.’ God’s work to make us Christs’ and Christ-like is a ‘good work,’ which He began long before we ever entered this scene of time. What a comfort to us to have such a God and to be in such a Christ. How wonderful to see our sanctification as being but one link in the chain of God’s overarching providential plan.
Our Almighty God and Our Loving Heavenly Father,
we are grateful today that You see the end from the beginning.
We praise You that everything respecting us falls with in Your Providential Plan.
Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning