Philippians 1:3-11

1. When I was a child, I couldn't fully understand why or how people could give thanks to each other. Looking at my own life, there didn't seem to be anything special, and it felt like disasters were all around me. At church, I saw two types of people: some thanked God for achieving their desires, while others complained to God because they didn't get what they wanted. In my understanding, people thanked God based on their circumstances and situation. However, I couldn't fully agree with this attitude, because if we only thank God based on what happens to us, we might not be able to thank Him continuously. We could also fail to achieve God's purpose in our lives. Yet, the Bible continually teaches us to thank God in every situation and at every moment. Today, for the sixth sermon in our series on God's redemptive work and our response, we will discuss what our thanksgiving to God should look like, how we can offer it, and why it serves as our response to His redeeming work.

Philippians 1:3–7 NASB 2020

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

Philippians 1:8–11 NASB 2020

For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

2. The passage we're going to look at today is the Book of Philippians. This letter is special among New Testament letters because the word "joy" shows up over twelve times. It's almost like Paul's own "song of joy." The Apostle Paul wrote it around AD 60-62 when he was in prison in Rome. He sent it to the church in Philippi, Macedonia. Think about that for a moment: a letter full of joy, written from a prison! How is that possible? This is the big question Philippians asks us. The main idea of Philippians is simple, but it can really change us: it's about the joy we find in Christ, no matter what's happening around us. Paul clearly states that we can discover real joy and peace when we're connected to Christ, even when we're going through tough times. Our happiness isn't controlled by what's going on outside; instead, the person we have a relationship with is the true source of our joy.

3. Philippians also gives us several important ideas that we should understand and keep in our lives:

1. Joy and rejoicing despite difficult circumstances.

2. Partnership in the gospel and mutual support within the community.

3. Suffering for Christ as a privilege and a means of spiritual growth.

4. Humility and servanthood, following Christ's example.

5. Beautiful unity among believers within the church.

4. This is the outline of the chapter 1. 

I.  Opening Greetings (1:1-2)

II. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:3-11)

III. Paul's Situation and the Spread of the Gospel (1:12-18)

IV. Paul's View on Life and Death (1:19-26)

V.  Encouragement to Live Worthily (1:27-30)

5. Let us read Philippians 1:6

Philippians 1:6 NIV

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

6. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he wasn't just expressing a hope or simple religious optimism. The word "confident" he used means more than that—it signifies absolute certainty, being "persuaded beyond all doubt." Paul was firmly convinced that God would definitely complete what He had begun. This strong belief didn't come from the situation the Philippian church was in. They were dealing with poverty, persecution, and internal problems. Instead, Paul's certainty came from God's character and the fact that He never changes. This is the foundation of our faith: God's work of salvation doesn't rely on us keeping it going, but on His promise to finish it. 

7. In this verse, when we see "good work," it means everything God does to save and change us throughout our lives. It's not just about becoming a believer at first. It's about the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ every day. God didn't save us to leave us alone spiritually; He saved us to finish the incredible plan He had for us from the very beginning. Paul makes this promise clear by giving it a specific deadline: "until the day of Christ Jesus." This isn't a process that might or might not finish. There's a definite end point—when Christ returns or when we go to be with Him. This gives us both comfort and a sense of urgency: comfort because our salvation is secure, and urgency to work with God as He makes us more holy in our daily lives. The meaning of this for our faith is huge. Our salvation started long ago when God chose us. It was completed when Christ died for us on the cross, was given to us when we believed, and will be fully realized when we see Him face to face. Every part of this journey of salvation is planned and carried out by the same faithful God who will never fail.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NLT

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

8. This certainty should completely change how we look at our spiritual difficulties and failures. When we make mistakes, when we feel far from God, or when our faith seems weak, we can remember that our salvation doesn't depend on how tightly we hold onto God, but on how tightly He holds onto us. The same hands that created the universe are the hands that keep us safe. This doesn't mean we can live carelessly. Instead, it gives us a reason for confident obedience. Knowing that God will finish His work in us encourages us to cooperate with His grace that makes us holy. We do this not because we're afraid of losing our salvation, but because we're grateful for the salvation we can never lose. The certainty of God's plan for salvation isn't just something to believe; it's a reality to live by. When we truly understand that God is absolutely committed to finishing what He started, we can face each day with confidence, knowing our final future is secure in His faithful hands.

Psalm 121:7–8 NASB 2020

The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time and forever.

Psalm 138:8 NASB 2020

The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting; Do not abandon the works of Your hands.

9. When Paul says "from the first day until now," he's pointing out that salvation isn't just something that happened once in the past. It started in the past, but it's an ongoing process that continues right now. This is God's active history that keeps happening in our lives. The Bible talks about salvation in three parts: Positional sanctification happens immediately when we join with Christ; progressive sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ; and ultimate sanctification will be finished when we see the Lord. Paul's phrase "from the first day until now" specifically refers to this progressive sanctification. This gives us great comfort. The fact that we aren't perfect yet doesn't mean our salvation is uncertain. Instead, it's proof that God is still working in us. The Holy Spirit lives inside us and constantly works to make us more like Christ. As Philippians 1:6 tells us, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." This verse supports the fundamental truth of a believer's eternal security. God brought about an amazing change in the Philippians when He first saved them, and Paul has no doubt that the God who started that work would not abandon them now.

Philippians 1:6 AMP

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

10. This truth has some really important practical consequences for how we live as Christians. First, we can have hope for growth. Because God keeps working on the good things He started in us, any progress we make—even if we're just a little more like Christ today than yesterday—shows that God's grace is active in our lives.

2 Peter 3:18 ESV

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

11. Second, we understand the importance of community. God's work of saving and transforming us isn't something we experience by ourselves. God's plan is for us to encourage each other within the church, grow together, and share the gospel together.

Hebrews 10:24–25 NASB 2020

and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

12. Communal salvation is a key theme in my theological thinking, and it's very much connected to my own life story. When I was a child, my family wasn't Christian, so I didn't know how to become a believer or how to start a church. Then, a Sunday School teacher led me to a church. There, I met a friend who invited me to play at his house. His mom always gave me a meal and prayed for me. I felt like his family was my own. The churches also taught me how to live my life and how to follow Jesus Christ. Through this community of believers, God has been teaching me and guiding me on His path. This is why I became a pastor—to serve the church. The term "koinonia" isn't about just a casual friendship. It's about churches working together as partners to build God's community. Through this community, we can share God's good news and do good works.

Hebrews 10:24–25 MSG

Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

13. We also need to understand our present responsibility. Just because our salvation began in the past doesn't mean we have nothing to do right now. Actually, because God is actively working in us, we are called to cooperate with that work. Sometimes, people mistakenly think that this responsibility means our own efforts can earn or complete our salvation. That's not the correct understanding. The reason we even have a responsibility from God is precisely because He already saved us and showed us His incredible grace through Jesus Christ. Therefore, any work we do is a consequence of God's salvation and His grace in Christ, not a cause of it. As Paul writes in Philippians 2:12-13, we should "work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." This verse highlights that our effort is a response to God's prior work in us.

14. So, today's passage clearly shows us how we can respond to God's saving work in our lives. Our participation in sharing the gospel isn't a duty we're forced into, but a natural reaction to what God has done for us. Think about what Paul said about the Philippian church: "I thank my God every time I remember you... because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" (Philippians 1:3-5). Just like them, those of us who have experienced God's saving story in our own lives will naturally want to be a part of that ongoing story. It's similar to the early church believers described in Acts 2:42, 47: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Their involvement in spreading the gospel wasn't something they had to be pushed into; it was a spontaneous expression of their thankfulness for the grace of salvation they had received.

15. True involvement in sharing the gospel needs to grow past individual efforts and become a communal mission consciousness. The church isn't just a group of separate people; it's a "community at the center of cosmic history." This means the church reveals God's saving plan to the world as a missional community. Our awareness of mission goes beyond simply giving more money to missions or sending out more missionaries. It means we become "a community with the true story about the whole world, living and existing as a community that believes that story." In essence, the church itself, by its very existence and how it lives, becomes a living testament to God's redemptive work.

16. Practicing Koinonia: Deep Partnership in Mission: Participating in sharing the gospel isn't just about individual dedication; it's about "koinonia" (κοινωνία)—a deep fellowship and partnership through a shared, communal mission.

Living Testimony: Our Community's Different Life: Our involvement in gospel ministry means that our community clearly shows a different way of life that fits the true story we believe. At the same time, each person within that community distinctly shows this truth in their own life.

Dependence on the Spirit's Power: Beyond Human Wisdom: Finally, all gospel ministry must be done "depending on the Spirit and through the power of Christ's cross." This is crucial because if we try to do it "through human wisdom," "no power will be seen."

17. Therefore, we can give thanks to God when we focus not on our circumstances or situation, but on God's saving work in us and His certain way of grace, which is Jesus Christ. Also, when we follow the responsibility granted to us by His mercy, we can give thanks to God. So, let's live our lives under God's grace and the responsibility He has given us. We are His people.

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/38d9d856-b2f5-468a-8354-2e0a90460801/audio 

Quiz: Philippians 1:3-11 - Understanding God's Redemptive Work

Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

• According to the sermon, what was the speaker's initial struggle with understanding thanksgiving, and how did it differ from the biblical teaching?

• What makes the Book of Philippians unique among New Testament letters, and what central question does it pose?

• Explain what Paul meant by "confident" in Philippians 1:6, and what was the source of this confidence?

• In the context of Philippians 1:6, what does "good work" refer to, and what is its promised deadline?

• How does the sermon connect the certainty of God completing His work to the concept of a believer's eternal security?

• The phrase "from the first day until now" in Philippians 1:5 speaks to salvation as an ongoing process. Name and briefly describe the three parts of salvation mentioned.

• What is koinonia, and how is it related to the "communal salvation" highlighted in the sermon?

• How does the sermon clarify the "present responsibility" of believers in light of God's work, and what common misconception does it correct?

• Why is dependence on the Holy Spirit's power essential for gospel ministry, according to the sermon?

• Based on the conclusion of the sermon, what two main things allow us to give thanks to God continuously?

Quiz Answer Key

• The speaker struggled with understanding why people thanked God only based on their circumstances or desires, which seemed to prevent continuous thanksgiving and achieving God's purpose. In contrast, the Bible teaches continuous thanksgiving in every situation and at every moment, regardless of circumstances.

• The Book of Philippians is unique due to the word "joy" appearing over twelve times, earning it the title "Paul's own 'song of joy'." It poses the question of how Paul could write a letter full of joy from prison, highlighting that true joy comes from Christ regardless of external circumstances.

• "Confident" means "absolute certainty" or being "persuaded beyond all doubt." Paul's certainty did not come from the Philippian church's difficult situation (poverty, persecution, internal problems) but from God's unchanging character and faithfulness.

• "Good work" means everything God does to save and change believers throughout their lives, including the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. Its promised deadline is "until the day of Christ Jesus," signifying a definite end point when Christ returns or when believers go to be with Him.

• The sermon connects God completing His work to eternal security by stating that salvation doesn't depend on "how tightly we hold onto God," but on "how tightly He holds onto us." This means our salvation is secure because it rests on God's unwavering commitment to finish what He started.

• The three parts of salvation are: Positional sanctification, which happens immediately upon joining with Christ; progressive sanctification, the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ; and ultimate sanctification, which is finished when believers see the Lord.

• Koinonia (κοινωνία) is defined as a "deep fellowship and partnership" through a shared, communal mission. It is related to "communal salvation" because God's plan is for believers to encourage each other, grow together, and share the gospel within the church community, showing that salvation is not a solitary experience.

• The sermon clarifies that believers' "present responsibility" is to cooperate with God's active work in them, not to earn or complete their salvation. It corrects the misconception that human efforts can cause salvation, emphasizing that our work is a consequence of God's prior grace and salvation.

• Dependence on the Holy Spirit's power is essential for gospel ministry because if ministry is attempted "through human wisdom," "no power will be seen." True gospel ministry requires reliance on the Spirit and the "power of Christ's cross" to be effective.

• According to the conclusion, we can give thanks to God when we focus not on our circumstances but on God's saving work in us and His certain way of grace (Jesus Christ). Additionally, we can give thanks when we follow the responsibility granted to us by His mercy.