Philippians 1:6 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.
Salvation is not necessarily a one-day event/happening. The scripture above speaks on three dimensions of salvation and it’s vital to understand each of these in order not to miss out on the day of Christ.
Began
carry it on
completion
These are the three dimensions or aspects of salvation I see in this scripture.
Statement number 1: We are saved.
First of all, Romans 10:9 says: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This salvation is the starting point and where God begins with us.
Ephesians 2: 8 also mentions how we have been saved through faith and not by works. The works talked about are works of the law. Works of the law are done by compulsion and out of fear of hell.
In this phase, the spirit is saved. We become a new creation because we have received a new spirit.
Statement number 2: We are being saved.
Secondly, Philippians 2:12b says Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Work out meaning: a)Have a good or specified result. b)Engage in vigorous physical exercise. These works are works of faith. Works of faith are done out of love, not compulsion. So as you mature in Christ, you are not depending on your own strength to live right but allowing God through the Holy Spirit to help you.
Salvation is a process. After accepting Jesus, there is work to be done to sustain our faith. Praying, fasting, studying the Word, giving, etc. are not easy to do. So this is where God is carrying on with what He began and needs our co-operation. Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
In this phase, the soul is being saved.
Statement number 3: We shall be saved.
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved. Ecclesiastes 7:8a The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
How we end is most important. It’s not enough to receive Jesus and do nothing. Endurance of all that came our way to take our focus off Christ is key to being victorious and saved.
The victory that overcomes the world is our faith according to 1 John 5:4 but we need to sustain the faith by going through the process of working out and then we’d receive the enablement to endure. In this phase, the body shall be saved as we would receive new bodies in eternity. This is where completion comes in.
Remember Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works….? Yes, we are saved not by our good deeds of following the law but by the good works done out of love for God and faith in Him.
In summary, good work begins in us when we accept Jesus, then it is carried on as we engage in works of faith by putting our faith into action and completed when Jesus comes to separate the goats from sheep.
The Word In Clarity 