MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS-
“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”
Phil.1:6
The Apostle Paul wrote like no other. All throughout his books in the New Testament he kept an underlying theme. God is at work within us and will never stop throughout our lives. So many of us get caught up our “our own efforts” and begin to negate the work of God that happens in redemption. The word “cooperate” means to “act jointly; work toward the same end”. Yield – surrender – abide is your Merry Monday word for today!
Gill said, “it is wrought by the Spirit of God, and has its seat in the spirit of man; it is called the inward man, which is renewed day by day. The apostle was confident both for himself and others, that God who has, and wherever he has begun the good work of grace, will “perform”, finish it, or bring it to an end, as the word here used signifies: as from the nature of the work itself, which is called living water, because it always continues, a well of it, because of its abundance, and is said to spring up to eternal life; because it is inseparably connected with it, where there is grace, there will be glory; grace is the beginning of glory, and glory the perfection of grace; this work of grace is an incorruptible seed, and which remains in the saints, and can never be lost; it is a principle of life, the root of which is hid in Christ, and that itself is maintained by him, and can never be destroyed by men or devils: who is a rock, and his work is perfect sooner or later; who is faithful, and will never forsake the work of his hands, and has power to accomplish it; and who has promised his people, that they shall grow stronger and stronger, that they shall not depart from him, and he will never leave them”.
What a encouraging word my friend! The Trinity has been about their business the moment you received Christ as your Savior. They are endeavoring to finish the work of sanctification in you making you a victorious Christian. This isn’t about us striving and doing feats of purity to win his approval or gain eternity points! It becomes so easy to lose sight of our inheritance with the saints when we begin to strive with others and grow discouraged in the way our lives have turned out. He will finish the work he started in you! He will accomplish this work to the very end. The best thing you can do is to cooperate and listen to his voice!