The Work Goes On - Part 1 of 2

Hey Baptist Bible Hour listeners. The Baptist Bible Hour podcast has now been divided into two separate podcast feeds, one for the Sunday edition and one for the daily edition.

Search Baptist Bible Hour on your favorite podcast platform and sign up for both programs today. This is Lasea Bradley Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Now my hope and love beside, ever let my glory be.

Only, only, only He. Once again beside the cross, all my gain I count but loss. Earthly pleasures fade away, clouds they are that bind my day. It's when shadows let me see, Jesus crucified for me. Blessed Savior, thine am I, thine to live and thine to die. God on earth, our preacher power, ne'er shall hide my Savior more, ever shall my glory be.

Only, only, only Thee. I'm glad to have you with us for the broadcast today. I certainly would appreciate your prayers that the Lord will supply our needs, that we can continue on all of these stations.

I'd like to hear from you. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. And I certainly want to encourage you to visit our website at BaptistBibleHour.org. As we've said many times, that's the new home of our publication, The Baptist Witness. And the new edition is now up and ready for you to read. We hope that you will tell others about this website where you can hear this broadcast or our daily program and read The Baptist Witness and other articles and see many things there that we hope will be a blessing to you. It's also possible to make a donation at our website. That is BaptistBibleHour.org. We live in a troubled time in many ways.

There are many issues that are out there being tossed about. And it can be very unsettling that, oh, how much we need in these times to be diligent in our study of God's Word, to recognize its absolute authority. And the thing we've tried to do through all the years on these broadcasts is just preach the Word of God. And I know that you appreciate that. That's the reason why you've tuned in today.

Maybe you're a first-time listener. And we're certainly thankful to have you here. And again, I say we would love to hear from you. The mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Praise thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not, As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. Praise thy faithfulness, praise thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Praise thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness, To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Praise thy faithfulness, praise thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Praise thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, My only presence to cheer and to guide, Strength for today and rifle for tomorrow, Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside. Praise thy faithfulness, praise thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Praise thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the truth of Thy faithfulness. To know that when Thou has begun a good work in one, You will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. We know that You are faithful in keeping every covenant, remembering every promise, and it is because of our confidence in Thee that we today can have joy and peace and hope. Bless this message to the hearts of all that listen today. May Thy name be honored. For we pray it in Jesus' name.

Amen. We live in a fallen world in which there is much sadness. Financial burdens, sickness, broken relationships, numerous disappointments and trials, the scenes of destruction coming from Ukraine, where multitudes have died and thousands are driven from their homes.

In these times young people are made to wonder what the future is going to look like for them when they consider that war could spread. No doubt you could quickly make a list of the burdens, doubts and fears which drag you down. Yet, with all the sadness around us, and sometimes in us, Christians are called on to rejoice. The word joy in its various forms is used more than twelve times in the four chapters of the book of Philippians.

So obviously there is much to be said about joy in exploring this subject. But today we will focus our attention on one verse which should give us great joy. Philippians chapter 1 verse 6. Being confident of this one thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Keeping that truth in our minds and hearts should give us ongoing joy. He speaks of a work that God has begun.

A work that man could not possibly begin. No hint anywhere in scripture that man could initiate his own salvation. Romans chapter 3 verse 11 says, There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

There is none. Now, somebody might want to contradict that and say, well, there are people all over the world that seek various kinds of gods. Well, this is talking about the true and living God.

Yes, people seek after God that they can fashion after their own thoughts, desires and inclinations. But the true God of heaven, who is sovereign, who is holy, man in his nature does not seek after God. This is clearly declared here in God's Word.

Man in his natural state has no interest in the things of God. John chapter 5 verse 40. Jesus says, And ye will not come to me that ye might have life. John 6.44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. These are the words of Jesus.

So for somebody to hold the idea that man can elevate himself by his own free will is absolutely contradictory to what Jesus himself taught. Beginning this work requires giving life, and only God can do that. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 says, You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sin. I actually had somebody want to discuss with me one time, well, how dead is the sinner?

Well, there's only one degree of death. If there's death, there's no life, and the one that's dead certainly cannot resurrect himself. So the work is all of God. He planned it.

He executes it. Romans chapter 8 verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, whom he called, them he also justified, whom he justified, them he also glorified. And then we look at verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. So justification is a part of this great work that God has begun. And he says none can effectively lay anything to the charge of God's elect. The reason being it is God that justifies. So this is no vain attempt to carry out his purpose.

Starting a work and being hindered and some obstacle arrives and not being able to finish it. You see the whole scope here in this portion of scripture. Well, he has begun this work, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. That's the truth I want you to take home with you today.

You keep that in your mind and heart and no matter what comes, you've got something to give you comfort and joy. So had he not undertaken this work, none would ever be saved. There's been left demand to make the first step. I used to hear it said in revival meetings, if you'll take the first step, then God will meet you halfway. Well, the problem with taking the first step is the sinner's dead.

So he can't go anywhere and is not interested in going anywhere. This is a work that God himself has undertaken. Without it, none would be saved. Colossians chapter 2 verse 13, And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

Isn't that a wonderful thought? You may have struggled at times with a sense of guilt, shedding tears, wishing over and over again you could retrace your steps and do differently. And no matter how you try, you can't get rid of your guilt and trespasses. But by Jesus Christ, he hath forgiven us all our trespasses.

So consequently, man can't boast. Salvation is not something that he initiated, something that he carries on, something that he contributes to. First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glories, let him glory in the Lord. No man can stand back in pride and say, well, I did my part, or look what I did, or I was not quite as corrupt as the next fellow. No, if you're going to glory, you can only glory in the Lord. So it is a work that God has begun.

And secondly, it is identified as a good work. It is according to God's goodness, according to the goodness of the Father. First of all, James chapter 1 verse 17 says, Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. So every good gift, every perfect gift comes from the Father, and the Father is one who remains the same. No variableness, no changing, no shadow of turning, so we can count on it.

Whatever he has started, he will finish. It's according to the goodness of the Father, according to the goodness of the Son. Titus 2.13 says, Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Now get this, who gave himself for us, according to his goodness, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. In one of the hymns you sung a while ago, there was reference made to what Jesus gave, how he gave himself to the death of the cross, which involves something that we can't fully comprehend. It's bad enough to think about the physical pain, to think about the nails in his hands, the crown of thorns on his brow, and to hang there in that miserable state with the physical suffering. But the big thing was that all the sins of all of God's elect from all ages would be put upon him, and God's wrath would be poured out upon him in sufficient measure to pay the sin debt for them all.

That's beyond our comprehension. We can't imagine the suffering, the agony that was his at the cross. So he gave himself, according to his goodness, to redeem us, to redeem us to pay a price to buy back, to get something that you're securing it, so Jesus Christ secured those for whom he died. And the purpose was to purify unto himself a peculiar people, a people of possession, to be zealous of good works. So the work that God started, the work that he initiated is a good work, and one of the outcomes is that these who are redeemed are redeemed that they might be a people zealous of good works. Not only the goodness of the Father and the goodness of the Son, but the goodness of the Spirit.

Romans chapter 8, verse 26. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. Isn't that good to know when you're struggling? I need help, you say. Well, there is help. Help for us from our Father in heaven, from our intercessor Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit. He helps our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought. Sometimes struggle in prayer, hardly so much to pray for, and I don't know how to work this exactly.

I need help. He maketh intercession for us. Yes, for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. How wonderful to know then that we are blessed with this good work in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all participate. There are many, many good things involved in this good work. It's a work that brings the dead to life. It is a work that brings men out of bondage and sets them free, bringing them into liberty. It is a work that God performs to bring us from despair to hope. Ephesians 2 12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope.

Think about that. Having no hope. One of the things that enables us to keep going when we have our dark days, our times of doubt and fear, is that we've still got hope. Because if you believe in the God of hope, you can never say I'm hopeless. But before this work of redemption occurred, it says you were without hope and without God in the world.

Think about that. You're consoled when you face trouble, challenge, temptation, difficulties, knowing I can call on God. The very God who is the creator of heaven and earth sits on the throne of glory. I can talk to him.

He will listen to me. Ah, yes, but apart from the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, he says at that time ye were without hope, without God in the world. How desolate, how hopeless our existence would be if we were without God. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. The solution to our problem, when we were without God and without hope, was that the blood of Jesus Christ be shed on our behalf.

And that's exactly what transpired. And the work goes on. God initiated the work. God has accomplished something that he designed to do before the foundation of the work.

The work goes on. Now it's true that when a person is born again, comes to faith in Christ, that they are saved. But this is not something in the distant past.

You record it in the family Bible and put it on the bookshelf and give a little thought to it. No, there is something that continues to happen. You can't say, well, I had this experience years ago and nothing flows from that. No, this good work that God began involves bringing you to good works. Ephesians 2.10 says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Had a man say to me, well, if I believe that doctrine of the eternal security of the believer, I just live as I please. I said, well, let me tell you, when you're born again, you can live as you please, but your pleaser's changed. Because if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. The idea that teaching the doctrine of predestination, the doctrine of election, the salvation by grace leaves the door open for people to live after the flesh is totally contrary to what the scripture teaches. This great work that God begun, he carries on. So this work by God leads us to good works then in our life. Paul, who wrote this verse, Philippians chapter 1 verse 6, that God hath begun a work in you and he will perform unto the day of Jesus Christ, writes in the same chapter, For to me to live is Christ.

So there was no thought in the mind of the apostle Paul that grace gives a license to sin. As far as my life is concerned, Paul says, I look back and I count those things in my former life as of no value whatever as waste to be cast out. But for me to live is Christ. Hebrews 10 24 says, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

It is expected then the result of this good work that God has initiated will produce good works in his people. My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine. For Thee, all the follies of sin I resign, My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou.

If ever I love Thee, my Jesus is now. Well it's a comforting truth to keep in mind the work goes on. The one who has begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. And one of the evidences of that work, as we just talked about, is that there is good works then manifest. Not the cause of salvation, but the evidence that one has it. Oh, if you have times of discouragement and feel cast down, keep this thought in mind.

The work goes on. You may feel like giving up, but God doesn't give up. He who will perform this work, He will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ. And now until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. My Jesus is now. I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary Street.

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on my brow. If ever I love Thee, my Jesus is now. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. In mansions of glory and endless delight, I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright. I'll sing with the glittering crown of my brow. If ever I love Thee, my Jesus is now.