To the Philippians, St. Paul says, “I thank God at the remembrance of you...being persuaded of this very thing, that the One who began a good work in you will bring it to perfection until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Isn’t it wonderful: the good work that God has begun in us will be perfected, if not in this life, then in the next. My perfection in Christ (“perfection” in the New Testament means “maturity”), is not something that has to be finished before I die. God who started the work in me will complete it on/until/by the day of Christ Jesus (in the age to come). This fills me with hope because I am always aware of my failings, my immaturity, my sliding back into old and deadly patterns of thought and behavior. God is able to complete His work in me, and the time limit of my own biological life or my current circumstances is not a hinderance to Him.
But what amazes me most about this passage is that St. Paul goes on to give the reason why he is so sure that God will complete the work He has begun in the Philippians: “Because I have you in my heart.”
Because the Saint carried the Philippians in his heart, he was confident that God would complete His work in them, even if it takes the next age to do it. Certainly, it is a great thing to be carried in the heart of a saint. But perhaps the same principle applies to us who are less than saintly. Perhaps, if we will carry one another in our hearts, we too can become confident that God will complete His work in us.
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