Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

5 October 2025

Reading From Philippians 1

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

—Philippians 1:3-11

     This is the scriptural context for the much loved truth, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  I glean so much encouragement and hope from this passage.  Paul’s heart is on display as he tells us of the joy he has in remembering the church in Philippi and that he prays for them.  He then speaks of their partnership in the Gospel.  This partnership is an important spiritual concept and its application is vital for maintaining balance in our relationship with Christ.  Yes, I cannot add anything to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, but in order for its power to be activated in my life, I must make the decision to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, both God’s powerful holiness and the free moral agency He sovereignly blessed me with is necessary for the Christian life. 

     God will not force anyone into relationship with Him and once we have established that connection with Him by grace through faith, He will not force us to maintain balanced, healthy relationship.  All of His thoughts toward us are holy and He has always been 100% faithful to His side of covenants made with humanity.  Therefore, if the relationship between God and an individual is unhealthy or imbalanced, it never is the fault of God, but rather the lack of yielding to the movement and will of the Spirit.  Even as we do good deeds and endeavor to cultivate a vibrant spiritual life, it must be God at work within us and through us to be of eternal value.  In Him we live and move and have our being. 

     As we walk with Jesus, He shapes us through our experiences on Earth to become more like Him from glory to glory.  He has promised that He will never leave us, nor forsake us.  This alone is so remarkably comforting, that even “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Even as we make mistakes and commit sins, He still will never leave us nor forsake us.