THROUGH THE BIBLE - Genesis..

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. So let's open up our Bibles and we'll open our Bibles to 1st Timothy. That's the series that we're working through and we're in chapter 2.

So 1st Timothy chapter 2. And this evening we'll be concentrating our efforts on the rest of verse 9. We started verse 9 last week. We addressed verse 9, the first portion of verse 9 last week. By the grace of God, we'll continue verse 9 and verse 10 this week.

Now, as you can see before us that we have from around 9, from verse 9 through 15, it is the women of the church. It is the sisters of the church who are primarily in focus. But that doesn't leave us men off the hook because there are many biblical principles that apply equally to men and women in these passages. And of course, there are some that are specific to the role and the responsibility of the sisters in Christ in the Church of Jesus Christ. So may the Lord Open our hearts and our minds and may He bless us with the reading and the teaching of His Word this evening.

Our reading will be from verse 1. So 1 Timothy chapter 2 and we're reading from verse 1 and we'll read all the way to the end of the chapter and I'll come back and I'll read 9 and 10 again so we can get our minds back to focus where we'll be. First of all, then I urge the supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings, all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God, our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

For this, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am telling the truth. I am not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or quarrelling. Likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel.

with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold and pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. Rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet, she will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness and self-control. Amen. This is the word of the Lord. You've heard it said many times, I'm sure, that you should never judge a book by its cover.

It's an expression that doesn't really refer to books, but rather to people. The saying is simply advocating that one should never judge a person by outward appearances, you know, how a person looks and how a person dresses. Now people understand this analogy because most of us have read or at least we've seen or come across a book that has a cover or a title that just does not match what's on the inside. A book may have a hideous cover, but it's possible if you crack it open and begin to read it, you may be pleasantly surprised by the substance and the content within that is nothing like the cover. Because what's on the inside is not always a true reflection.

of what lies within. What's on the outside is not always a reflection of what lies within. Now this may be true when it comes to books, but the scripture teaches that when we're talking about people, that logic doesn't stack up. And I'm not saying that we should go around loosely making judgments based on people, based on their appearances. That's certainly not what I'm saying.

But my intention is to say that how we present ourselves externally What we say, what we do, and how we dress is never disconnected from what lies within, especially when we're talking about matters of modesty. The Apostle Paul is alluding to this reality in the text before us. It's a biblical principle that applies to men and women alike, although women are the primary focus of these verses. You see, if we profess to be in Christ, then we've been given a new heart and new desires. This internal reality must be reflected with an outward or our outward conduct.

The spiritual substance cannot remain within, but rather it pervades every part of our lives and impacts every decision we make, even influencing how we choose our clothing. This is the Spirit's work in the life of a believer. He constantly is transforming our lives to produce good fruit for the glory of God. Beloved, this is inevitable if you are in Christ. The beautiful words of our Lord in Matthew 7 confirm this.

He says, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. It's really simple. A righteous heart produces righteous deeds. This means that a book can be known, at least to some degree, by its cover.

Now the Apostle Paul, in the context of verses 9 and 10, is specifically addressing the sisters in the church and making practical application of what this principle looks like in the area of clothing, especially in the church. And we'll do well to know that these are not simple black and white instructions given by the Apostle. It's spiritual principles that are the driving force behind the words of Paul. So let's, by God's grace, unpack some of what Paul has to say for us this evening. If you remember last week, we focused our efforts on what Paul calls respectable apparel.

That's the first part of verse 9. Respectable apparel. We examined the first noun he uses. Last week, we examined modesty and what that looks like for our sisters. Firstly, we observed the meaning of the word and took note of how Paul uses the word modesty.

A good synonym to bring its sense is the word that we said last week was used by the King James Version of the Bible, and it's a big word. It's shamefacedness. It's a word we don't use today, but it brings out the sense. See, it denotes the sense of immodesty, that if someone was to be immodest, it brings out a humiliation. It makes someone embarrassed.

It brings a sense of shame. And since shame is a result of sin according to Genesis, we looked at that last week, and covering up one's nakedness is good and upright in a fallen world, we looked at that last week also, then to be immodest. is to bring shame and disgrace upon oneself. But there's another principle as well, and that is that it's also a disgrace for a woman to be dressed in a way that provokes a man to sin. Lust of the eyes is a serious concern for all men.

Now, it's the sole responsibility, and I have to make this clear, it's the sole responsibility of Christian men to keep their hearts and their eyes pure. We said that last week. And if he sins in this way, that sin is on him alone. No one else is to blame. That responsibility and the responsibility of pure living cannot be abdicated to someone else.

It's on him. But there's more to the matter. See, Jesus said that everyone who looks upon a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery. Where? In his heart.

The seventh commandment is violated even if the physical deed is not done. So we have to say that if a woman knowingly dresses in a way that seduces a man to lust in his heart, not only is he guilty of sin, but she is also. And they will both be giving an account to the Lord. Now, we said the other week that this happens all too often in the secular world that we live in, but it should never happen in the church. And as I said before, sisters ought to be concerned, not only because of the way they dress, to be modest and God-honoring, but also they need to be sure to dress or be concerned to dress in a way to avoid their brothers in Christ falling in sin.

To be dressed in a way not to be a stumbling block to others. See, this is a violation of love. Love seeks the well-being of others, and love in the church has the very purpose for believers to edify one another towards holiness and towards Christ-likeness. So, if that means that your wardrobe sisters need to be altered for the sake of your brothers, then you should gladly do it. We touched on some basics last week as to what it is and what is not universally deemed as modest dress.

And it's important that we don't become legalistic in the matter because it is very possible that someone's preferences are interpreted as matters of modesty when in fact they're not. So we have to be careful. This is why we cannot put a blanket statement and list exactly what is modest clothing and what is not modest clothing. Because if we did that, we would be most likely violating Christian liberties. And to be honest, the details of modest dress does actually change from even culture to culture or country to country.

But what I attempted to do last week was to paint a picture of what is noticeably sin-provoking and sensual clothing. Clothing that is visibly seductive. Of course, it goes without saying, seductive clothing must be avoided by our sisters in Christ at all costs. Now there are grey areas, and they are left to the conscience and to the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work in the heart and in the mind of a true believer. After all, Christianity is not an imposition of do's and don'ts, but rather, our actions in all of life ought to be an expression of our true desires.

Desires that come from a Spirit-abiding heart. That is what we'll see Paul is trying to communicate, I believe, in this passage. Brothers and sisters, simply to perform activities not rooted in the true spiritual substance of the heart is to be like a Pharisee. And Jesus time and time again had many words to speak to the Pharisees. He condemned them and he condemned especially their legalism and their hypocrisy.

Now as we move on to the rest of verse 9, Paul writes that sisters ought to wear respectable clothing with modesty, we looked at that last week, and self-control. and self-control. Now, I don't know about you, but Paul's word selection seemed to me at first, at least a little bit unusual. I think modesty is self-explanatory in the context, especially when we're speaking about clothing. But why would Paul write, respectable attire is the result of self-control?

The word self-control has the sense of moderation, soundness of mind, and some translations write sobriety, meaning sober-minded. You see, to be sober is not to be given too much wine. That's a definition. And, of course, being given over to much wine results in drunkenness. Now, I don't think it's Paul's intention, in this passage anyway, to instruct the sisters in Christ to abstain from alcohol.

There are other ways in the Greek to clearly communicate that point, if that was Paul's instruction. And, of course, it's not in this context. But what I do believe Paul is doing and what he's saying is that our sisters ought to act in a way opposite to one who has given over to alcohol. And I'll explain what I mean. That is to say that if someone gets drunk, the effects are that that person, hear this, is no longer in control of his or her mental faculties, their mind.

The mind is not sober, it's not clear, and therefore the person doesn't have the ability to think straight. The thoughts are blurred and obstructed by the alcohol in the blood. And this is the opposite of what Paul, I believe, and Christ himself desires for the sisters in the church. The mind is critical. The mind is critical for the believer's discernment and understanding, especially for a sister when discerning all the right conduct in the church, and that includes when choosing the appropriate attire or clothing.

And that's where I believe Paul is taking us in this passage and why he uses the term that means sober-minded. It's because this type of discernment is beyond human ability. and knowledge. You've got to hear that. This type of discernment that Paul is calling to is beyond human ability, and it's beyond human knowledge.

You see, Paul appeals to the mind of the believer, even a new believer, because he knows that the mind of the Christian has gone through an incredible spiritual process. It's been awakened to the things of God, and it's become a priceless asset. to the Christian, but it must be used clearly. To be sober-minded is not to park your mind and be influenced by external forces or sources, but to trust the Holy Spirit's work not only in your heart, but also in your understanding, in your mind. You see, Paul is not teaching the letter, but the principle.

Beloved, the mind of every Christian has been subjective or subjected to the divine work of God. Christians do not make informed decisions based on feelings and emotions, but sober minds that have been transformed by the Spirit of God. and minds that are also continually being transformed by the Word of Christ. Romans 12, 1 and 2 says, I appeal to you, therefore, Paul is speaking, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Now hear this.

Do not, do not, Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed, how? By the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God. what is good and acceptable and perfect. The appeal is to the mind. A renewed mind is a mind that is able to discern the will of God, Paul tells us.

It's the renewed mind through the illuminating light of God's Holy Spirit that determines how one ought to live in Christ. Beloved, while we were still sinners, our minds were completely corrupted by the world and the system that the world promotes. Paul would never have said these words to an unbeliever, appeal to your mind. He would be saying appeal to the corruption of the world. But he does say it to believers, those who are truly in Christ, because an unbeliever knows nothing other than sin and immorality.

He never seeks after God's righteousness, nor has he the mental ability to discern what is right and wrong. But in Christ, that's all changed. Our minds have been renewed in Christ. the righteous statutes and decrees of God which once we hated have now been planted in our hearts and in our minds. Listen to the author of Hebrews and how he puts it when he refers to Jeremiah 31.

Let's open our Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10 verses 15 through 17. Hebrews chapter 10 verses 15 through 17. Hebrews 10, 15 through 17. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness for after saying, this is what the Holy Spirit is saying, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts, hear this, and write them on their minds.

Then he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. He says, I will put my law, laws on their hearts and write them on their mind. This is the Holy Spirit's work in regeneration in the life of every Christian, no exceptions, every Christian. The Holy Spirit gifts us with minds and understanding to discern not only the will of God, but also what is consistent with His law. It's not possible to perceive these things if we neglect our minds and resort to external means of making decisions, like non-Christian friends, like the media, like the culture as it seems to have been the case in the church in Ephesus, the church that the Apostle Paul is writing to.

Knowing these things, we need to protect our minds from such corruptions. We have, as Christians, brothers and sisters, we have the responsibility to actively be vigilant, to be aware, to be awake with what we allow our minds to think about, what we consume with our eyes, with our ears. Listen to Paul again in Colossians 3 verses 2 and 3. Listen to what he says. He says, set your minds on things that are above, not things that are on the earth.

For you have died and your life is hidden with God. Set your minds on things of above. Then down to verse 16, it's still on the same topic. Paul writes, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. The only way to set your minds on the things from above is to consume and meditate on the Word of Christ, the living, abiding Word of God.

This is the means the Spirit uses to sanctify our minds. You remember John 17, 17? The words of our Lord when He, in the high priestly prayer that's recorded for us, Jesus says, sanctify them in truth. And you know the rest. Your Word is truth.

He washes and He sanctifies His people through the Word. The Word of Jesus Christ. It's not possible that a Christian can continue to live a life without having their mind and their understanding sanctified, progressively sanctified by the Spirit of God. The sanctifying, the sanctification drives us to think like Christ. This is the Spirit's concern that all the redeemed in Jesus grow to be like Jesus.

It's Christ-likeness that the Spirit is concerned about. Beloved, the result of his divine work is extraordinary. So much so that Paul says, hear what Paul says, he says, we have the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ. Sisters, the sober mind that Paul calls all sisters in Christ to in verse nine is a mind made holy.

It's a mind that loves the law of God. It's a mind that thoroughly is informed and transformed by Scripture. It's a mind that desires the things of God and has little concern for anything else. It's a mind that acknowledges the words of our Savior in Matthew 6 when He says, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, nor about what you put on. It is not life more than food and the body more than clothing.

It's a mind that has its priorities straight and seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It's that mind. It's a mind that knows that God is our provider and He will provide for our every need. It's a sober mind that has grown in discernment and acknowledges the inability of the flesh. It's a mind that brings you to your knees in prayer.

Why? Because you know that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Sisters, the flesh may tempt you in certain things in this world. And in the context of our passage, that temptation may come in the way of how you dress. It may be a temptation to dress like the world, to look like the world looks, or to do as the world does.

But our spiritual minds know better than that. So we pray and we trust the Lord because our God has given us the ability by the power of His Holy Spirit through regeneration and through the sanctifying Word to know that if we set the mind on the flesh, it's death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life and is peace. Romans 8.6 The Christian women in Ephesus may have been tempted also to dress as the pagans in Ephesus dressed.

Because the culture of the day was dictating what dress and what attire they were to dress in. Paul hints at this in verse 9. It was common to have the extravagant outfits, to have the elaborate hairstyles and expensive ornaments and lavish jewelry covering the whole body. The braided hair with gold pins and pearls and costly attires Paul speaks of was practiced widely in the Hellenistic culture, especially in a place like Ephesus. This is a city that was no good.

It was not a good influence for the ladies or the men. For starters, it was estimated that there was an excess of several hundred prostitutes working the city. And these prostitutes were dressed shamelessly and they were dressed to impress and attract. Their clothing, from what I can read or what I have read, is similar in description to even what Paul is commanding against in this passage. Certainly the Christian sisters were to not resemble the ladies of the night.

But furthermore, the city itself was ingrained in a culture that put a tremendous value on looking the part. The latest fashionable furnishings and self-aggrandizements to look good. It's basically the women were dressed in a way to say, look at me. Look at me. Women would adorn themselves and embellish themselves to showcase their beauty and their wealth in a time where some commentators have suggested feminism in that city, in that time, in the first century, reached the heights equal to even of our day and age.

So one could not exactly say that the native women, the unregenerated women, the women who are not in Christ, were a good influence on the sisters because they were a very bad influence. But it is those in Christ who should be the influence on others, not the way around. So Paul is writing in this background, and contrary to what some have proposed in saying that Paul is banning completely braided hair for all generations, I believe the context suggests that that's not at all what Paul is doing. But rather, his language is more concerned that women use their sober minds their sanctified minds to carefully assess what they wear and how they adorn themselves in this environment and especially in public worship. The fact that he appeals to the sanctified minds means that Paul believed that those who are truly in Christ are able, with biblical encouragement, to discern, to know, beyond a doubt, what is good and right and proper.

They were well aware that the very nature of the church intimates that Christians no longer live for self, but for Christ and for his people. In Christ the brethren ought to consider one another more significant than themselves. This means as believers we need to be fully aware of how our actions, that is what we say and what we do and how we dress, affects our own hearts, yes, but also how it affects our brothers and sisters in Christ. Just like we heard a couple of weeks ago, men ought to prepare their hearts in holiness for public worship, women too are to be intentional how they present themselves in public worship also. Therefore, with a renewed mind that seeks to honor God, the sisters in Christ are to make their wardrobe selections, asking questions such as, who am I dressed to please?

God or man? Is what I'm about to wear God honoring? Is it modest? Am I trying to imitate the world, look like the world or the culture? Is what I'm about to wear honouring of God?

Am I paying too much? Does it look expensive? Will it be a stumbling block to my sisters in Christ who may not be able to afford this type of clothing? Is it too attractive? Is it too extravagant?

Is this dress suggestive? There's many more things that women can ask themselves sisters in Christ ought to be thinking about and concerned with when they make their wardrobe selections. But at the heart of this all is that they should have a concern for holiness and a concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ. And that comes from a heart that truly treasures God and treasures and cherishes the brothers and sisters. And it should come for no other reason.

Beloved, it's important to understand that a woman's beauty is prized and upheld in the scripture. The scripture is not against women's beauty. God is the one who created beauty and he created our sisters beautiful. There's no denying that. And sisters, you are not called to neglect your beauty or unnecessarily conceal your beauty if it's not a matter of modesty.

But if it is a matter of modesty, then you need to conceal it because that goes against God's word and against God's will. See, what Paul's trying to get at is this. that there is an outward beauty, but for the true Christ reformed sister in Christ, those who have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, those who have had their mind renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the renewing and the washing of the Word of Jesus Christ, these sisters in Christ will know that their satisfaction can never be fulfilled in whatever the world gives, in nothing flesh or physical, even their beauty, whatever they wear. That longing can only be fulfilled in God alone. He alone can satisfy the true desire of your heart.

Sisters with sanctified minds have also got the discernment to know and recognize that they have the ability to showcase their beauty in one of two ways. Either physically by setting their mind on the flesh, with attention grabbing clothing and extravagant hairstyles possibly and other physical attractions on the one hand, Or you can put on display your inner imperishable beauty. Put on with good works, put on your beauty and put that on display with good works and spiritual fruit. And that's where Paul is leading us. You tell me, you tell me which of the two that a Christ-minded sister who has self-control and who has had her mind transformed should focus on.

Peter is perfectly in agreement with Paul when he writes in 1 Peter 3, 1-6. The instruction is given or directed towards wives, but much of what he said is also applicable to even our single sisters in the Lord. So let's turn with me. Turn with me to 1 Peter 3, we'll read from 1-6. 1 Peter 3 1-6 Likewise, wives, be subject to your husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by conduct of their wives, speaking about unchristian husbands.

2 When they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of hair and putting on gold and jewelry or clothing you wear. Language is very similar to Paul's in 1 Timothy. But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves by submitting to their own husbands as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord.

And you are her children if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. You see the similarity between the language of Peter and the language of Paul? that he's saying here, that there is a particular type of beauty, and he says, that is very precious in the sight of God. And that beauty is the inner beauty. It's the beauty that the Spirit of God has worked in the inner self.

He doesn't deny the physical beauty, but that's fleeting. It's here today and it's gone tomorrow. Sisters in Christ ought to be concentrating on how they can display their godliness, their holiness for their Savior. And this is what it is to be God. This is what it is to be someone who is described as godly.

And this is what the result is. As Paul says, godliness results in good works. See, literally the word godliness means fear of God or reverence before God. It's you recognizing that you were bought with a price, and that price is the blood of Jesus Christ. You're washed clean from all unrighteousness, and now you're able to stand before Him, not trembling in fear, but reverently in gratefulness because of what He has done.

And when you've experienced this truth, your eyes are opened to see that the things of this world, everything that the world has, all the media, all the advertising, everything that promises the joy and excitement is just but temporary and cannot and will not satisfy your soul. Nothing in the world, nothing can satisfy the longings of your heart, my sisters in Christ, except for God in Christ Jesus himself. Because as the proverb tells us, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is inside. You see, this is wisdom, not the wisdom of the world and what the world promotes and advertising. That's what the Bible calls folly, foolishness.

But true wisdom is to know Christ. and in Christ to know and have a true intimate knowledge of God Himself. Beloved, if you have this, then you have tasted of His goodness. And if you've tasted of His goodness, you'll know there is nothing better than to live for Him. Sisters, if this is the desire of your heart, then we ought to all alike, sisters and brothers in Christ, we ought to all alike be pursuing the inner holiness and be devoting our lives completely to pleasing the Lord.

That means to be content with the role and the responsibility that the Lord has given us, men and women. The role that he's given us is different. Our responsibilities in the church are different. We're seeing that as we study this passage. And furthermore, next time we come together, we'll see that even more so.

But we are to be content. and joyful knowing that the role of the sister and the role of the brother complement each other in the Lord. This is what Peter calls, this is what Peter calls the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in God's sight very, very precious. To seek what the Lord wants from you, to seek how you can glorify Him and honor Him in all of life, rather than to be attracted by what the world throws at us. Because the value that the world puts on, or the things that the world puts value on, is fleeting.

It's here today and it's gone tomorrow. But the things that are of the Spirit, the inner beauty that Peter speaks about, the inner beauty that is very precious in God's eyes, it is eternal and it's worth all our attention. sisters to honour the Lord with modesty, with decorum and zeal for his holiness with your physical family. as well as your spiritual family, is worship acceptable to God. This is your inner beauty on display for His glory.

Don't let the world tell you otherwise. They have a massive confusion about what the role of women is, but we thank God that we don't take our cue from the world, but we take it from the Word of God, the infallible Word of God. And remember this, sisters, that living this way And doing these things are not only satisfying to your soul, but they are also very precious in God's sight. Now, husbands and dads, I turn my attention to you in the closing moments that we have. Although it is the women that are addressed in verses 9, even all the way through 15, you have a massive responsibility on your back also.

Next week we'll see that our study, or next time we get together, we'll see that our study Paul takes us to or speaks to the wives and tells them that they need to be submissive to their husbands. And although that submission is not preconditioned on having a husband worthy of respect, it's still incumbent upon us to be godly leaders of our households and men who take our responsibility with all seriousness for our wives and our daughters. The world promotes the very things that Paul has refuted in this passage this evening. The things that Paul is against is the very thing that the world is all for. And in particular, it's the extravagant living and the indecency of exposing the female body in a culture that espouses that the more attention that a woman or a girl attracts, the higher her self-worth ought to be.

That's a lie. That's a lie and we must men lead our families against such corruption of thoughts. As godly men we ought to desire what God desires and the very attribute that Peter describes in a godly woman as being very precious to God ought to be very precious to us also. And we must show our wives. and our daughters, that we believe this not only with the words that we say, but also with our conduct.

The pressures of the immoral society are real. Our wives ought to see Christ in us. This means we ought to encourage Christ-likeness and inner beauty over the temporary attractiveness of the physical body. Men, our wives must have the confidence that our eyes are reserved for them alone. They must rest and not feel like they need to imitate or compete with the so-called artificial beauty of the world.

Because they are to know that in the eyes of their husbands they are infinitely more precious inside and out. And in doing so, ultimately we will encourage them to find their identity in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We must, we must counter and oppose the world's thinking. That's our responsibility. And beloved, in the Church of Jesus Christ, we all, we all have a part to play.

But we thank God that we are not accomplishing these things alone. You see, we don't, in and of ourselves, have the wisdom or the strength. But He has given us a renewed mind and He is continually renewing our mind. So we thank Him and we live by His word. for his glory and we rest in the fact or in these words at least that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Amen.