Philippians 1:1-6

Philippians 1:6, “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.”

I believe that it is absolutely necessary for us to be completely and totally yielded to Christ in order to be confident that Jesus Christ will perform that which He has promised.

Sometimes it seems as though God has forsaken you; then suddenly you realize that God has started something in you and will continue it until the end. As a matter of fact, there will not be anything lacking on His part to support you. You can be fully and firmly persuaded, or convinced, that God will always do His part.

Most Christians want God to do in their lives what will make them look good in their own and others’ eyes, but we must remember that we are not our own because we are bought with the precious blood of Christ. We say, “I’ll serve you, God, but what will I get out of it?”

Sometimes pastors get some pretty strange answers to questions such as, “Why are you going to marry this man?” “Well, he has a nice car, house, and a good position.” No, you marry him because it is the will of God and that you cannot live without him. I can assure you that the marriage will not last if these are not your reasons. We must serve Christ for the same reason, that we just can’t live without complete intimacy with Him.

There are three things we must settle before we can begin to understand what it is to be totally confident in Christ:

  • Understand your position in Christ. You are a priest, saint, and king.
  • Understand the promises of God. They are for you and me.
  • Understand that prayer is the key. Billy Sunday said, “Get right with God; do it now.” How can I get right with God?
    • Be confident that God is God.
    • Be confident that what God has begun He will finish.

There has to be something to consume us. Paul was consumed with the Gospel of the Grace of God. What has hold of you as you are reading this?

Philippians is a very practical book. It gets right down to where we live because, in verse one, saints in Christ means those who are saved and in Christ.

Paul had great feelings for the Philippians, as they had for him, which is the way it ought to be in all churches of Jesus Christ. The pastor and the people must be thankful for one another. Paul is literally saying, “All my remembrance of you causes me to thank God for you.”

If he had said nothing else about the church, this would have been sufficient to reveal how special it was to him. He did not say this to the Galatians or the Corinthians.

The little word joy appears nineteen times in Philippians. Nevertheless, I do not believe it ought to be called The Joy Epistle, because Jesus Christ is mentioned over forty times. So, the focal point of Philippians is Christ, and He must be ours also. Most churches try to produce joy and enthusiasm in the church by programs, pleasure, and parties. They appeal to the external by saying, “Come visit our church; you will enjoy it.”

Joy should not depend upon outward circumstances but upon the inward condition of the individual heart. It depends on our proper attitude toward life. If we complain and whine about our lot in life, we will not have joy. Only when we are in the center of the will of God— regardless of circumstances—will there be joy in our lives.

In verse five, there is an important word, fellowship. Most Christians have no idea what this means. The Greek word is koinonia, and it means three things that we share in Christ.

  • Spiritual Communication
  • Sympathetic Cooperation
  • Sweet Communion

In verse six, “Being confident” or “Since I am confident” shows that Paul knew what he was talking about. To perform means to carry through. Paul knew that God would consummate what He started.

Look back in your life and see how God always worked things out to the finish. He will not let you down when you are going through a trial. He will continue to uphold you until the end and will always bring you through the difficult times. He is still in that business today, and He always keeps His promises.

How can we be confident in our lives?

1 John 2:28, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”

God will care for you until the end of the world, and yes, in the midst of your trouble. How? 1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

You may be lost and not know which way to turn, but the Bible says in Psalm 56:4, “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”

Have no confidence in man, but have confidence in Christ, because:

THE CERTAINTIES OF LIFE MAY OVERWHELM US

These certainties may include trials, trouble, and sometimes even insurmountable problems. Christ is the answer because “It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

Job said in 23:10, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Christ knows our way, and He cares for us.

THE CHALLENGES IN LIFE MAY DEVASTATE US

Thank God for the fact that He is able to meet every challenge, and He is still working in and for us. He is not drained, discouraged, or disheartened.

Can Christians really live a confident life in Christ? Look at it this way: salvation has always been by faith in Christ, prayer has always required diligence, and burdens have always been a part of life. I believe it would be fair to say that most of the challenges and opportunities we faced in the past will be much the same in the future, but be assured that God’s presence will always be with you.

HE WILL COMPLETE EVERYTHING HE HAS STARTED

The church belongs to Him, and we are only His caretakers, stewards, and servants. For over two thousand years, many believers have sacrificed to build the church, and we must be faithful to complete it.

We can be confident that God will perform His work in our lives while realizing that no matter how successful or how deep our walk with God, these things are certain for every Christian seeking to be confident in Christ.

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Hans Nikoley, GSBC Staff

Bro. Nikoley emigrated from Germany to the United States with his family at age 13. He served full time in the Nevada Air National Guard for six years. At age 32, He was saved, and in 1977, he graduated from Bible College. He pastored for over 31 years, 27 of them at Pomerado Road Baptist Church in Poway, California. Bro. Nikoley has served at Golden State Baptist College in the Bible Department and also as the Student Employment Director since 2007. He and his wife Mary have two children and have been married for 58 years.