He Finishes a Good Work -- Do Not Worry

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." (Philippians 1: 3-7)

We are called to one work -- to believe on Jesus Christ (John 6: 29), who God the Father sent to die for our sins, to give us His life, and to bring us into full reconciliation and fulfillment with Him.

Paul was confident that God had completed a good work in us, and that He would perform it in us until the day that Jesus returns.

This work was perfected for us at the Cross, where all of our sins were put away forever. Only when we forget that our sins are forgiven do we find people mired in their sins once again:

"9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1: 9-11)

Preachers today are stating that when we get to heaven, we will cry because we did not do the things that we could have done, or we missed out on making the difference or impacting people because we did not do enough.

Yet Peter writes that as we rest in the truth that God has purged us of our sins, then we are giving "diligence" to our call and election, and we can expect a great reception for us when we enter the "everlasting kingdom".

The writer of Hebrews reflects this same sentiment:

"9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4: 9-11)

Therefore, this life is not based on our striving in our own efforts to accomplish more for God, lest we come to heaven and receive a wasted or limited glorious reception, or worse we "cry" because we missed out.

In this life, God wants us to grow in grace:

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)

It's about Jesus -- knowing Him and receiving more of His grace in our lives.

He has Finished the work, He has prepared the work that He wants us to do (Ephesians 2: 10). Our job is to believe on Him and receive from Him all things:

"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)