"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"
In the first part of verse six Paul expressed his confidence that God who had commenced a good work in them, the work of salvation, would consummate it all the way to the time when Jesus comes back again. Now we come to the last part of verse six.
until the day of Jesus Christ
The word "day" is used three ways in Scripture: a twenty-four hour day; less than a twenty-four hour day (when Jesus comes in a twinkling of an eye); more than a twenty-four hour period (Day of the Lord; millennium).
Grace is followed by "more grace." In grace God saved us from the penalty of sin; in grace God saves us from the power of sin; in grace God saves us from the presence of sin. The "good work" which was begun at the cross will continue in time and on into eternity. That is "more grace."
The expression "the day of Christ" occurs a half dozen times in the New Testament and three of those six occur in Philippians. It always refers to the time when Christ comes to catch the church away.
"…that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ" (1:10).
"…holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain" (2:16).
"…eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Co. 1:7,8).
"…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction oft he flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Co. 5:5).
"…(as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus" (II Co. 1:14).
This is the day of the consummation of our salvation, the first resurrection; all of which takes place at the same time. This is the next day in God’s prophetic program.
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Ro. 13:12).
This day is the same day of Ephesians 4:30, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." The "day of redemption" is the day of the redemption of our bodies. That is the day when our physical bodies will be redeemed. We will be saved physically then. That is the day we will receive everything the Savior purchased on the cross. Right now we have spiritual redemption. In that day I will no longer need glasses or dentures or artificial limbs. Our body will be fashioned like his glorified body (Phil. 3:21).
PRINCIPLE: God has given us grace in our salvation but he is not finished with giving us grace.
APPLICATION: There is "more grace" yet for the Christian both in time and eternity. Do you always look to your past salvation? Do you look to your current and future salvation? God has given us more than one kind of grace.
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