“…he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, CSB)
When Paul says God will “carry it on to completion,” he is pointing to God’s unshakable faithfulness. The same God who began your salvation will see it through to the very end. God does not abandon His projects. He doesn’t leave believers half-built or half-saved. What He starts, He finishes. The verb Paul uses here means to bring something fully to its end—completely finished, nothing missing.
Completion points to our final holiness and wholeness in Christ. It is the day when God presents us pure and blameless, just as Paul prays in Philippians 1:10 and 2:16. That day is called “the day of Christ Jesus.” Scripture elsewhere speaks about “the day of the Lord,” a time of judgment on evil. But for the Christian, Paul’s phrase “the day of Christ” emphasizes the joyful side: the day when salvation reaches its goal, when faith becomes sight, when weakness is swallowed up by glory. God’s ongoing work in us is always moving toward that day.
Paul is not writing with wishful thinking. He says with confidence, “I am sure of this.” His assurance rests on God’s character, not on human strength. Consider the Corinthians as an example. They were deeply flawed, divided, immature, and mired in sin, yet Paul could still write, “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9, CSB). If even the Corinthians could be assured of God’s sustaining grace, then we can as well.
This promise is repeated throughout Scripture.
Romans 5:10 reminds us that if God reconciled us through the death of His Son while we were still enemies, how much more will He save us now that we are His children through Christ’s life.
Hebrews 7:25 assures us that Jesus is able to save completely because He always lives to intercede for us.
Jude 24 celebrates the God who is able to protect us from stumbling and to present us in His presence with great joy.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 sums it up with striking simplicity: “He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.”
But how does God keep us? He does not carry us to completion in vague or mystical ways. He works through means He Himself has given us. He seals us with His Spirit as a down payment of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). He shapes us through His Word, which teaches, rebukes, and equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He invites us into prayer and assures us of Christ’s intercession at God’s right hand (Hebrews 7:25; 4:16). He places us in the church, where we confess, encourage, warn, and bear one another’s burdens (Hebrews 3:12–13; Galatians 6:1-2). And He even uses discipline and trials, refining us so that we may share His holiness (Hebrews 12:10-11; James 1:2-4). God’s keeping does not bypass these things; He keeps us through them.
This means our assurance does not cancel obedience. God’s promise produces perseverance. We repent when we sin, seek help through His Word and prayer, stay connected to the body, and keep in step with the Spirit. These are not ways we earn salvation but ways we cooperate with the God who is already at work in us. Philippians 2:12-13 says it best: we work out what God works in.
Of course, we will stumble along the way. That does not mean God has stopped working. First John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive and cleanse us. Our failures are real, but God’s faithfulness is greater. The risen Christ still lives, and He still intercedes.
That is why Philippians 1:6 matters today. If God finishes the work, then you can face this day with hope. You can fight sin without despair. You can endure trials with purpose. And you can encourage others with confidence. Your future is not tied to your worst day but to God’s faithful hand.
Take This With You
God began a good work in you. He will not set you down. He will carry you all the way to the day of Christ. Trust Him. Use the means He has given. And keep going.
