Intro: There is a story about a little girl who proudly wore a shiny cross on a chain around her neck. One day she was approached by a man who said to her, "Little girl, don't you know that the cross Jesus died on wasn't beautiful like the one you're wearing? It was an ugly, wooden thing." To which the girl replied, "Yes, I know. But they told me in Sunday school that whatever Jesus touches He changes." From Howard Strickland's Sermon "Another Testimony”
This passage is dealing with sanctification. Sanctification is a big word that means moving toward maturity or being changed into the image of Jesus. Paul just used the obedience and humility as an example in the first 11 verses of chapter 2 to encourage us to grow in humility and obedience toward God.
If we want true Joy and true unity and togetherness we have already learned that it doesn’t come naturally. I told you last week Buck Owens used to sing a song called all I’ve got to do is act naturally. Honestly if you act naturally as a Christian you will fail and fall. Our old natural nature doesn’t tend toward the things of God but rebellion and our own desires. So what do we need if we are going to, “Work out our salvation in fear and trembling.”
We need to understand that growth in our relationship with Jesus doesn’t just happen. The Israelites are perfect examples of this. They had many leaders who walked with God but they continually wanted to go back to where they were comfortable rather than go on with God!
Listen to what Paul is saying in this passage from another letter, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB)
1 Timothy 4:7 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;” Christian disciplines are intended to develop us!!
Literally discipline means sound mind. That doesn’t carry the weight of the passage. If we have a saved and sound mind then our desires and decisions are different. Why? God has given us a Spirit of self-control. Someone has defined the word this way, “control of oneself in the face of panic or passion.”
After Paul shares the powerful example of Jesus Christ he now shares his powerful expectation for followers of Jesus Christ. It is the beauty of who Jesus is and the blessing of what He did that will energize our hearts to follow Him and grow and work out our own salvation.
I. I will discipline myself to do my part
A) Practical Christianity produces a strong body
“So then dear friends… work out your own salvation in fear and trembling.” The encouragement by Paul is to work out what God has worked in. Paul is speaking to the entire body of believers at Philippi. They were facing pressures and difficulties both from the outside and the inside. Paul was teaching them how to continue in fellowship together in spite of the fact that each individual had within them a corrupt nature that could surface – to the detriment of the whole church – if given the opportunity.
It is submission to the example of Jesus Christ’s obedience and the Authority of God’s word that restrains the corrupt nature that wars against God’s Spirit.
B) Practical Christianity transforms believers (work out your own salvation with fear and trembling)
1) This is your spiritual reality
a) It does not mean work for salvation
Paul’s crystal clear message in this passage is that God accepts you based on the precious blood of Jesus and change is possible in your life!
Read Ephesians 2:8-10 saved by grace for good works
Titus 3:5-8 saved by grace to do good and profitable works
Titus 2:14 saved from lawless deeds passionate for good works
b) It does mean work for completion
The term was work out was a mining term used in Paul’s day which meant to work with effort to achieve a goal. It is present imperative in the Greek which means Paul was lovingly encouraging us to make this our life goal.
It is our cooperation with the effective power of God that transforms our lives. It is clear from this passage that we are to pursue godliness because God is at work in us for the transformation of our lives!
2) This is your spiritual responsibility (just as you have always obeyed)
Hansen makes the point that...
“Obedience is defined not in legal terms but in relational terms as knowing Christ, being like him, and serving him....When the path of obedience to Christ becomes steep and dangerous, pleasure seekers look for an easier way. Religious tourists hunting for sensational entertainment, instantaneous enlightenment, and emotional excitement will jump on the newest rides and take quick shortcuts, but they will not be found with pilgrims on the long, hard road following in the footsteps of Christ, who was obedient to death—even death on a cross. Paul’s call to unflagging, Christ-like obedience will not be popular in a world that so highly values going fast and having fun and so quickly rejects enduring pain and submitting to authority. But the essential characteristic of the wise who build their community on Christ is their consistent obedience to Him.”
Christianity is not a bunch of ups and downs. Following Christ is instead a lifelong series of ins and outs. God places a truth in us that we are to work out, say forgiveness, say joy, kindness etc.
Paul wanted to make sure that the Philippians were not flippant about their spiritual growth. We are to approach it with “a proper response of respect and responsibility” The devil wishes to devour, divide and destroy. To resist his schemes, the world’s temptations and our struggles we must be disciplined. (Will you?)
II. I will discipline myself to depend on God (For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. Philippians 2:13)
God is ever active in us. For it is God working in you. Paul is calling us to pursue godliness because God is at work planting His power and principles in us.
Our discipline of working on growth is a response to God’s activity in our lives. If you are a born again believer God is working in you to change your desires, decisions and deeds. He is constantly working on His children to make the reflections of Himself.
FB Meyer helps us understand the tension between God’s enablement and the saint’s responsibility.
“He may be working in you to confess to that fellow Christian that you were unkind in your speech. Work it out. He may be working in you to give up that line of business about which you have been doubtful lately. Give it up. He may be working in you to be sweeter in your home, and gentler in your speech. Begin. He may be working in you to alter your relationships with some with whom you have dealings that are not as they should be. Alter them. This very day let God begin to speak, and work and will, and then work out what He works in. God will not work apart from you, but he wants to work through you. Let Him. Yield to Him. Let this be the day when you shall begin to live in the power of the mighty indwelling One.”
If I were to push this offering plate off the Lord’s table and pray the whole time, “Lord don’t let me push this plate off this table, and kept praying, but never disciplined myself to stop pushing the plate, It would fall off the table and crash to the floor.” Why would I blame God for my decision to continue to push?
Why then do we blame Him when we live in unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc. God is at work in us to transform us and make our faith practical and powerful.
III. I will discipline myself to be different from the world (Do all things)
Paul never gives a principle without given practical application. Here Paul is saying clearly and loudly be different.
A) Joyful living in an unhappy world (attitudes)
1) Grumbling or murmuring comes from a word that means to speak in under tones or behind the scenes talk because of discontent. In Exodus the Israelites grumbled and murmured at the Red sea, at the bitter waters of Marah, when they had no food and when they heard the reports about giants. Grumbling is a clear sign that we are not content with what God gives or how God directs.
Moses minced no words with them. He told them their complaining was really an attack upon the goodness of God. Exodus 16:8 “Your [murmurings] are not against us but against the Lord.”
Paul tried to use the example of the Israelites to keep the Corinthians from murmuring in
1 Corinthians 10:10.
Great 1 liners on complainers! [1] The loudest boos always come from those in the free seats. [2] If you feel "dog tired" at night, it is because you growled all day. [3] A grouch always looks as if he were weaned on a pickle.
2) Disputing -- arguing w/others, stirring up doubt & suspicions; it’s skeptical questioning & criticism.
B) Clean living in a corrupt world (Actions)
1) Blameless is a practical righteousness. It means a purity of life that is undeniable and inescapable. It means that you live in such a way that no one can point a finger at you!
2) Pure/harmless – The word described wine that wasn’t diluted with water and gold that was without impurities. Innocence. This type of life is to be lived before a perverse and corrupt world. The word is used today in scoliosis, a curvature of the spine and combined to speak of permanent and disfigurement and distortion.
In a book titled The Day America told the Truth summarized the findings of a survey that clearly show the perverse distortion of our world.
“Only 13 percent of Americans see all Ten Commandments as biding on us today. Ninety-one percent lie regularly -- at home and at work. In answer to the question, “Whom have you regularly lied to?” the statistics included 86 % to parents and 75% to friends. A third of AIDS carriers admit to not having told their lovers. Most workers admit to goofing off for an average of seven hours – almost one whole day – a week, and half admit that they regularly call in sick when they are perfectly well.
The survey also posed the question, “What are you willing to do for $10 million?” Twenty-five percent would abandon their families, 23 percent would become a prostitute for a week, and 7 percent would kill a stranger. Think of it! In a gathering of 100 Americans, there are seven who would consider killing you if the price was right. In 1,000 there are seventy!”
There is no better way to talk about this generation than crooked and perverted. You can be sure that as a believer if you follow Jesus in obedience and humility your life will be evident!
C) Bright living in a dark world
When our attitudes and actions line up with the power of God working in us we shine brightly as stars. That is a metaphor that means it is evident that God’s life is in us and is showing through us.
Some cautions:
1) Discipline was never promised to be easy
The Bible describes disciplines as temptation (James 1:12), persecution (2 Cor 4:9), sufferings and groanings (Romans 8:18, 23), patient endurance (James 5:7-11), refining and perfecting (James 1:2-4), unceasing labor (1 Cor 3:8-15), the good fight of the faith (1 Tim 6:12)
2) Discipline does not mean to pull away from the world and huddle and not share the light.
3) Discipline does not mean we should blend so much into the world that we start to lose our brightness.
Conclusion: We have a choice we can burn up our energy grumbling and disputing or we can burn it up praising and revealing Jesus!! Jesus commanded us to let our light shine! Jesus wants to touch your life and transform it.
