Go! And Trust the God Who Finishes What He Starts - Philippians 1:6
Philippians 1:6 (NLT): “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Introduction: Trusting the Divine Craftsman
Church, have you ever started something and not finished it?
A project? A book? A gym membership? A diet?
We’ve all left things unfinished. But God is not like us.
He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. When He begins a work—He finishes it. And that is Good News!
Today’s message, “Go! And Trust the God Who Finishes What He Starts,” is a Gospel-centred declaration of the faithfulness of God. The God who saves is the God who sustains—and the God who will glorify. We will explore this promise together, anchored in Philippians 1:6.
Let’s read it again:
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” — Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
1. The Good Work God Begins — Salvation Is His Initiative
The Apostle Paul writes this from prison—a Roman jail cell—yet his confidence is not in circumstance but in God’s certainty. “I am certain,” he says.
The word translated as “began” is ??????µa? (enarxomai) — used only twice in the New Testament, here and in Galatians 3:3. It means a decisive starting point, initiated by another. This reminds us: Salvation is not man’s invention—it’s God’s intervention.
“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)
This is grace, friends. Before you could ever reach out to Him, He reached down to you. He began the work. He called. He saved.
A missionary in a remote tribe once shared how the Gospel changed an entire village when the chief understood that God came to him first. Tears flowed as the chief said, “I always thought I must climb to God. Now I see God climbed down to me.”
Max Lucado: “God never writes people off. He rewrites their stories.”
Amen! That’s grace! And grace began a good work in you the moment you trusted Christ.
Do you feel unworthy? Broken? Too far gone? Hear this: God began the work in you—not because of who you are, but because of who He is.
2. The Good Work God Continues — Sanctification Is a Process
Paul says God “will continue His work”—this is sanctification, the process of being made more like Christ.
The word for “continue” is ?p?te??? (epiteleo) — to bring to completion, to perform thoroughly. It’s not a passive watching. It’s active, divine, day-by-day shaping.
“And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
He is shaping us—chiselling, refining, correcting, maturing.
Think of Michelangelo sculpting David. Someone asked him how he created such beauty from a block of stone. He said, “I simply removed everything that wasn’t David.” That’s what God is doing with us—removing what doesn’t look like Jesus.
Tim Keller: “Sanctification is not about perfect performance, but about persistent pursuit.”
Keller reminds us: we’re not earning salvation—we’re responding to it. We pursue holiness not to gain God’s favour, but because we have His favour.
Christian, don’t despair if you’re still struggling. Sanctification is a lifelong journey. God’s not finished with you. He is still at work—in your thoughts, desires, habits, relationships. Trust the process. Trust the Potter.
3. The Good Work God Completes — Glorification Is the Promise
Paul says the work will be “finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
This refers to our glorification—when we will be made perfect, sinless, and complete in Christ at His return.
“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” — 1 John 3:2 (NLT)
We will be like Him. That is our hope. We are not just saved from sin—we are saved to glory.
The word te?e??? (teleioó) — to bring to maturity, to consummate, to finish. This is the finishing touch of salvation—the full unveiling of God’s masterpiece.
Charles Stanley: “The Christian life is not a race we run in our own strength—it’s a race we finish by His grace.”
I agree wholeheartedly. If it were up to us, we would all fall short. But the One who saved us will complete us.
Are you tired? Discouraged? Longing for heaven? Be encouraged. The end of the race is not failure—it’s glory. The finish line is Christ Himself.
The Gospel Presentation — The Work Began at the Cross:
Let’s step back and see the foundation of this “good work.”
The good work began with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day…” — 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NLT)
At the cross, Jesus bore our punishment. In the tomb, He took our death. In the resurrection, He won our life.
That’s where the good work began for you, friend—not when you cleaned yourself up—but when Jesus died for you while you were still a sinner (Romans 5:8).
Call to Action: Go! And Trust in Jesus Today
If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, this promise can be yours today. But you must respond.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:9 (NLT)
You must repent—turn from sin—and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
And if you are a believer, go and live with full confidence that God has not abandoned you. He is still at work.
You are a work in progress, but you are in the hands of a perfect Craftsman.
The Bridge Is Still Being Built
There’s a bridge in Italy known for being under construction for decades. But the engineers never stopped working. Why? Because the vision was clear, and the foundation was sound.
Christian, your life may feel like that unfinished bridge—but the foundation is Christ, and the vision is your transformation into His likeness.
God is not delayed. He is deliberate.
Invitation to Salvation:
If you’ve never made Jesus your Lord and Saviour, I invite you right now—don’t wait another day.
Say, “Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died and rose again for me. Forgive me. Save me. Be my Lord. Be my Saviour. Finish the work You began.”
And friend—if you pray that from the heart—He will. Because He finishes what He starts.
Benediction: A Word of Encouragement
May you go from here confident in the God who began the work in you…
Strengthened by the Spirit who continues that work…
And joyful in the hope of the day He will finish it.
Go! And trust the God who finishes what He starts!
