because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ,

by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.