“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1: 6 CSB)
- God wants our plans to success and to give us the desires of our hearts, but they have to be in line with His plan for our lives (What Kind of Plans Does God Have for Us?).
- God most definitely is in control of our plans (What Kind of Plans Does God Have for Us?).
- We have to have patience, endurance, and persistence – we have to be committed to God’s plans for our lives (What Kind of Plans Does God Have for Us?).
- We have to trust God.
- If our hearts are involved in our plans, and Jesus lives in our hearts (Eph. 3: 17), hopefully our plans are furthering God’s kingdom, and not our own worldly wishes.
- That is why things happen out of left field. We focus on our worldly wishes, not His kingdom plan.
- Patience, endurance, and perseverance are the key words to Hebrews 10: 36. It requires commitment. We know God is committed to us. We have to be committed to Him (What Kind of Plans Does God Have for Us?).
- Let’s work backwards. God’s got this. He will work it all out (Prov. 16: 4) (What Kind of Plans Does God Have for Us?).
- We have to plan — and then live the lives to which God calls us (What Kind of Plans Does God Have for Us?).
- God is able to do everything with ease. Nothing is easy or hard for God. That takes it out of whether God can do it. It firmly puts it into it is God’s choice on what to do (Attributes of God: Omnipotent and Powerful).
- The things that God allows happen to us — even the bad things — are going to have a good purpose. That purpose is going to be His purpose, not our own (Attributes of God: Omnipotent and Powerful).
- When we think of something being difficult, we think that there would be a possibility that God would not complete His purpose. We know that isn’t going to happen (Attributes of God: Omnipotent and Powerful).
- We’ve described sanctification several ways. Navigating the Sanctification Road. Working out our salvation. Growing from milk babies to steak adults. It is all the same thing. We start where we are when we ABCD and grow to be men and women after God’s own heart (Who Can Learn God’s Truth?).
- Sanctification is a road — it is a process. It has a beginning and an end. The whole point is getting to the end. But the end is purity. No, we don’t start out very pure. So, it is about changing ourselves (Who Can Learn God’s Truth?).
- We might look at ourselves and think God has a lot of work to do on us. Don’t worry.
- It will happen if we submit to God (Who Can Learn God’s Truth?).
- God is faithful to us when we are faithful to Him (Who Can Learn God’s Truth?).
- Remember, good isn’t the worldview definition of good. Good, in the biblical sense, is the workings of God within His people. It is the workings in us to expand His kingdom.
- Think of it this way. The good work ultimately means we are transformed so that we can serve God. We are transformed to fulfill our purpose in God’s kingdom (Who Can Learn God’s Truth?).
- Paul was convinced that God was working with us to instill His goodness within us. We were made new creatures, to more resemble Him (II Cor. 5: 17) (Goodness as a Virtue).
- We exhibit God’s goodness when we imitate God and show His love to others. God is the author of all things good. He possesses the wisdom along with the goodness to cause this work not only to begin but also to be completed (Goodness as a Virtue).
- We also exhibit God’s goodness when we imitate Christ. When we react in ways that Jesus would react, we are showing others His character (Goodness as a Virtue).
- When we show our trust and obedience in God, we are also exhibiting God’s goodness. We are changed by trusting and obeying Him — changed to be more like Him, including exhibiting the goodness (Goodness as a Virtue).
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