01/15/2026
Welcome to Day 11 of 21 Days of Corporate Prayer and Fasting.
Our theme for 2026 is "The Cost, Call and Commitment of Following Jesus."
DAY 11 — January 15, 2026
Saved Instantly, Changed Daily
Scripture: Philippians 1:6
Justification is immediate; sanctification is ongoing.
Salvation is not earned, but transformation is pursued.
Devotional Thought: For many people who say they are Christians, the question from the world or those who are not Christian has always been, “do you practice what you preach”?
I imagine that the question comes from the frustration and disappointment of seeing many who profess publicly to be Christian, but secretly live lives that are opposite of what they say they believe.
Can Philippians 1:6 be true?
"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."
Is this work something that the believer does or something that the believer becomes?
It’s something the believer becomes.
It is the power of God in the believer’s life changing him or her as time goes on, and here’s the key, as the believer cooperates. The extent to which the believer cooperates is the extent to which his or her life is transformed.
The question indeed may be a legitimate one, but it has also become an excuse for some who use the actions of hypocrites (or even those who legitimately struggle with sinful practices) as a reason for not committing their own lives to God. It’s as if God should be blamed for their failures. But believers are forgiven, not perfect.
Why isn’t it understood that you can legitimately desire and want to live holy and legitimately struggle (we’re not talking about a hypocrite or a secret lifestyle here) with a habit, they can both be true at the same time.
Salvation may not be earned, but it does take effort and discipline on our part if our lives are going to be changed.
Therefore, believers can’t use “I’m not perfect” as an excuse to continue in their struggle and not feel any conviction or remorse over their sin either.
If there is no effort at spiritual disciplines to fix what’s wrong, and a lack of community to be held accountable, the time that it takes to change won’t be realized.
Christians may not be sinless, but we do sin less as our love for God and appetite for holiness grows stronger. Change takes time.
“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”
Does not mean that the Christian life is not without its “slips, trips, and falls”, but neither is it a life that is comfortable living in sin.
“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”
Means that God started the work with salvation (spiritual birth),continues the work through sanctification (spiritual growth) and ends it at glorification (the return of Christ).
The next time you hear the question, "do you practice what you preach?” it doesn’t have to be a ridicule, let it be a reminder that we are saved instantly, but changed daily.
Continue your growth journey with confidence knowing that He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion, you can become the person that God wants you to be by His power and your cooperation.
Reflection: Am I making any excuse that keeps me from spiritual growth and development?
Prayer: Dear God, finish the work You started in me.
Action: Identify one habit that has defeated you in the past, and decide how you can be an overcomer (the commitment to a spiritual discipline or to an accountability partner)
