A Confidence in God’s Purpose

I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 1:6

Paul revealed in his letter to the Philippians that a key for maintaining outrageous joy despite your circumstances is a confidence in God’s purpose. He said, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). God has a purpose for your life, and He is using every circumstance to accomplish His purpose for you. What is God doing in your life?

First of all, God is doing a work in our lives called justification. Justification is an act of God that occurs the moment we call Christ our Savior, by which God declares us not guilty. God justifies us the moment we confess that we have sinned and that we need Jesus as our Savior. The moment we do that, in the great courtroom of heaven, the gavel comes down and God declares us not guilty.

The second work of God in our lives is glorification. This is something God will do to us in the future. Glorification is a work of God that will happen at the rapture, when in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, God will take these old, worn-out, sinful bodies and will transform them into brand-new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).

The third work God does in our lives is manifestation. Manifestation is God showing Himself to other people through us. People see God manifesting Himself through our actions, and they are attracted to God. That’s why Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they might see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

A fourth work God does in our lives is sanctification. Sanctification is the process by which God shapes us into the image of Jesus Christ. In Romans 8:28-29, Paul told us God’s will for our lives: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” God has predestined you for one purpose, and that is to mold you into the image of His Son.

Remember this: God is always doing a good thing in your life, not only through every happy experience but through every difficult experience. He’s shaping you to look like Jesus Christ in your attitudes, your affections, and your actions. It gave Paul joy to know that even in prison, God was still working out His purpose. That’s another way Paul was able to have outrageous joy despite difficult circumstances.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Outrageous Joy” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2007.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.