Part 06

Philippians 2 vs 12-18 b

Introduction

The tension between being saved by grace and works. Eg. Trust Fund child. You have this inheritance and you don’t have to work a day in your life. There’s no effort required on your part, because Jesus has paid it all.  Eg. Galatians & Ephesians that talk about grace and emphasizes that it isn’t about works.

We’re looking at a passage that helps us to understand this whole issue of God’s work and our responsibility. You’ll know that we’re in this series ‘a church with vitality’. It’s a series where we’re looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He’s writing to a church with vitality, and instructing them how to continue to have that vitality. And part of that is this whole issue of our work and God’s work. Four points:

God works in us

13. For it is God who WORKS IN YOU to will and to act according to His good pleasure. He’s just said in verse 12, Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (13) FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU.

This is the privilege of every Christian. We have God working in us. We’re not just left to our own devices to work out our salvation. We work out our salvation because we’ve got God working in us to will and to act according to His good pleasure.

This isn’t the first time he’s telling the Philippians that God is working in them. Remember chapter 1 vs 6. Paul says: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. So he’s already spoken to them about his confidence in them as partners in the gospel, because of the work that God is doing in their lives. The work that he has done, and the work that he will keep doing.

If you’re a Christian you have God working in you. And He will carry that work on to completion. He’s not going to abandon you. He’s not going to look at your life and say, “this is just too much hard work” and then abandon you. No! He will carry it on to completion. Until the day of of Christ Jesus. Until the day that Jesus comes again.

The sovereign God who works all things according to his purpose. Romans 8, in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose. That sovereign God, who sustains the universe. That same sovereign God is at work in you. He is at work in your life. Remember that next time you are having a struggle. - a particular sin, - a particular person – remember the sovereign God is at work in your life. And if they know Jesus, the sovereign God is at work in their life too - a particular health issue the sovereign God is at work in your life.

This is a mindset which will give you such peace. When I’m going through a hard time, I cling to this. That whatever it is that I’m going through, firstly that God is in control, and secondly that in this situation, God is at work in me. This struggle, this issue, this temptation, God is working in me through this. It’s part of His process in my life. And He will carry it through to completion.  

We work for God

Vs 12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (13) for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Paul is asking the Philippians here to continue to obey, as they have been doing. And this continued obedience involves them working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Paul is talking here about a healthy fear of God. He’s talking about putting God in his rightful place. In the Old Testament, any contact with God by a mediator, like a priest or a prophet or Moses. It involved awe, it involved a healthy fear of God.

We know that today we’re able to approach God through Jesus. We don’t have to go through all the ritual that they had to go through in the Old Testament. But God is still God. We fear Him, and approach Him with awe. We still approach with a healthy respect and fear. He is God. The Greek word here for salvation meaning more than just a once off event, but meaning ongoing preservation. When it comes to our salvation, we continue to work it out with fear and trembling.

We work out our salvation, always remembering that a Holy God, who hates sin, and should send us to Hell because of it, has saved us from that. A Holy God who hates sin, has loved us so much that he did something about that sin. A holy, loving God, sent His only son to die on a cross so that we could be saved. Let’s obey Him. Let’s live for him. Let’s work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

When Paul says we must work out our salvation, He is putting this awe and respect in a positive way. He is saying a very similar thing in the negative in verse 14. Where he says: Do everything without complaining or arguing, . . . . . Some other translations say muttering or grumbling or questioning. In other words continue to obey God. stop grumbling about it. Stop complaining about it. If God requires your obedience, you do it. Don’t be like the Israelites in the dessert. When God asked them to obey, they complained. God even provided for them, but they still complained. It shows doubt. It shows lack of awe and lack of fear for a Holy God.

Vs 13 also tells us to work for our salvation. Just look at what it says: for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

So it’s obvious, as we looked at earlier that this verse tells us that God works in us. But the second bit of the verse is a bit ambiguous. Because it says that God works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. But the temptation is to look at this passage and see that God is the one who wills and acts according to His purpose. Now we know from other verses that God does will and act according to His purpose. But that’s not what this passage is saying.

Paul is saying here that God works in us so that we can will and act according to his good purpose. There’s a responsibility here for us to work. There’s a responsibility here for us to act. God works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Looking at ‘disciplines’ at Mens’s breakfast. As a general rule of life, disciplined people are people who work hard at something, who work at something and persevere. Eg. Steve Morse ‘you need to do everything it takes to get that extra chord, or find that extra note. If you take your salvation seriously, you need to persevere, you need to do everything it takes to work out your salvation. Work out how to overcome that sin. Work out how to best serve God. Work out how to share the gospel. Keep trying. When you fail and when you fall, get up again. Persevere. Work it out. Work it out with fear and trembling. Work it out remembering that God is at work in you.

It’s part of our Gospel Witness

Vs  14-16: Do everything without complaining or arguing, (15) so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour for nothing.

Remember he’s writing to the church in Philippi. He’s writing to a group of Christians. This working out of our salvation isn’t just something for your own personal benefit. This working out of your salvation doesn’t just benefit you personally. But it benefits the church community. And it helps your church community to be a light to the world and to the area around them. And Paul here is rehashing an Old Testament theme of God’s people being a light to the other nations around them.

So that you may become blameless and pure, you may remember that Paul in chapter 1 prays that the Philippians may be pure and blameless

This working out of your salvation. This taking on the responsibility to work, not to earn our salvation, but in order to work out our salvation. this is part of our witness. People will see you working out your salvation. People will see you being without fault in a crooked and depraved generation. You will shine like stars.

And here’s the key. This working out of our salvation needs to be accompanied by the gospel. We can’t just say I’m going to live my life and people will be saved by what they see. They need to hear the word of life.  That famous quote that is attributed to St Francis of Assisi “Share the gospel, and if necessary, use words”. Which all sounds very noble. But you have to use words.

All of this shining like stars in the universe, showing yourselves to be pure and blameless children of God in a crooked and depraved generation. Vs 15 and 16 in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

We have to use words. We have to share the gospel. We work out our salvation, so we can share this salvation with others. You hold out the word of life.

It’s reason to rejoice

Vs 16 - 18: as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (17) But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. (18) So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Remember Paul’s perspective, Paul’s gospel minded outlook. His whole attitude ‘for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain’. Because his perspective is eternal. And you see that eternal perspective here too. No matter what sacrifice I’m going through. If I’m being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith.

Part of the Old Testament sacrifices, and some of the other sacrifices in their culture would have involved drink offerings. So Paul is saying to them, even if I’m being offered like a drink offering. In other words, whatever sacrifice I am needing to make. Whatever suffering I am having to go through. It’s worth every minute. In fact I rejoice in it. In fact, he says to the Philippians, you should rejoice in it with me. Remember here’s a guy who is writing this letter from prison. And he’s been imprisoned because of the gospel. He’s been imprisoned for holding out the word of life.

But whatever sacrifice needed to be made it is worth it, because the gospel is going out. Whatever sacrifice is being made, it’s worth it because people are being saved. Because of this sacrifice. Because of this working out their salvation with fear and trembling. The gospel is being spread. The word of life. The good news about Jesus.

So we as Christians have work to do. Part of our responsibility is to work. We need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. But thankfully we have God working in us, but yet we still have the responsibility to work for Him. It’s part of our witness to the world, part of our witness to the community. But it’s reason to rejoice.

Home Group Questions

Read Philippians 2:12-18

1. What does it mean to work out your salvation with fear and trembling? (vs 12)
2. For what purpose is God working in us? (vs 13)
3. Why is it important for us work out our salvation in a way that we live good, godly lives? Vs14
4. What should always accompany our lives if we are to be witnesses? Vs 16
5. Spend some time praying for one another asking God to help us to work out our salvation, thanking Him that He is working in us.