Philippians 1:6 is one of those favorite verses most of us as followers of Christ learned back in our spiritually formative years. Of course, as with many of our memory verses, we probably made the mistake of memorizing it out of context. It’s a great verse all by itself but, oh, so much better when taken in stride with verse 7. Just in case you’re in need of a reminder or you’re too comfortable to go get your Bible let me quote the verses for you here and please note the sections I highlighted.
“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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel."
Taken alone, verse 6 is a wonderful statement of confidence that God will complete the work of spiritual transformation He began in us when we initially trusted in Christ. Taken with verse 7, we see that this spiritual progress is a work of grace. Thus, our spiritual progress or growth, if you will, is a work of grace. That is, it is not accomplished by our works or solid consistent performance but rather by God’s wondrous and free grace. Just as our physical growth as a child had nothing to do with us other than enjoying the food--our spiritual growth, that is our ongoing and future conformity to the image of Christ, is not dependent upon us either. “For it is God Who is at work in you [us], both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). And His good pleasure is our sanctification.
This means that our Bible reading, memorization, prayers, ministry, and other spiritual disciplines aren't a self-help or self-serve means of producing spiritual growth. Rather, they are the means by which God Himself increases our spiritual understanding and enjoyment of Him, His Character, and His Love for us which, He subsequently uses to produce spiritual growth and maturity in us. The ramifications of these truths are staggering for those of us who, all the while embracing a works-free salvation, are struggling with a works-based sanctification mindset. Just as our salvation is by grace so is our sanctification. In other words our holiness is by grace not works.
Does this mean that we have no part to play in our ongoing sanctification which again is nothing less than our becoming conformed to the image of Christ? No, we have a huge part to play—just not the part we most likely have been trying to play and feeling very frustrating about because we’re not playing it so well. We are not responsible to create our spiritual growth. We are responsible, however, to be involved in those activities that God uses to grow us. Things like reading God's Word a lot, memorizing Scripture, thinking about what God is saying in the Bible, being involved in a solid church that teaches the Word, fellowshipping with other believers, talking to God--a lot, obeying the Lord, diligently fighting our own sin, and talking to nonbelievers about Jesus are the kinds of activities that God uses to grow us in Christ (sanctification).
God is the One Who is at work in us who are partakers of His grace. Thus, not only is our sanctification guaranteed it is guaranteed on the basis of God’s work and performance not ours. This is essential to understand. Just as we are saved by a grace-based righteousness (Christ’s) we are sanctified by and for a grace-based righteousness as well. God will never become our debtor and thus to lose sight of our sanctification as well as our salvation both being the result of God’s grace rather than our works gives way to the false, terribly destructive, and discouraging view that God loves us because we obey Him. The truth of the matter is that because God loves us we desire to obey Him. Thus, our obedience, our holiness, our sanctification, and our spiritual transformation are all the result of God’s love for us and His grace toward us not vice versa.
God will indeed finish the work He began in us and He will finish it well not because of our obedience or performance but because of His grace in spite of our lack of obedience and lackluster spiritual performance. We grow by grace or we don’t grow at all and grow we will because of His grace!
