I hardly ever spent time thinking about what it would mean for me to have completed the work God called me to do in Adam's County, in the United States, in the World. What would that look like?
Would it look like 50% church attendance again? Or 75%? Certainly the same Paul, when he said at the end of his life "I have finished the work", didn't see those numbers. So what did he mean? That he had established some churches in each province? What?
So far my little brain has not found an answer to that question that I can be okay with. In fact, I can't even find one that I don't experience unbelief about. I guess so far in my life I saw myself plodding on, doing my best, hoping for a generally good result when I finish (in about 50 years, is what I had in mind by the way- to leave a few years for retirement before Heaven, in case Heaven is not as fun as I am having here... ha ha)
Pastor John MacArthur has really blessed me with his Bible teaching, and here are his comments on Phillipians 1:6 (the verse you quoted):
ReplyDelete"The Greek verb translated 'began' is used only here and in Galatians 3:3 - both times in reference to salvation itself. When God begins a work of salvation in a person, He finishes and perfects that work. Thus the verb 'will perfect' points to the eternal security of the Christian."
Just a thought!