PHILIPPIANS 2:12-13 (NIV)
12 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.
INTRODUCTION: LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT THE BIBLICAL TRUTH CONCERNING THE WORK OF CHRIST ON OUR BEHALF. HE WAS OUR SOVEREIGN SAVIOR, OUR SERVANT SAVIOR, OUR SUFFERING SAVIOR AND OUR SOVEREIGN SAVIOR AGAIN. THIS MORNING, PAUL BRINGS US TO HOW THIS BIBLICAL TRUTH SHOULD BE SEEN IN OUR PRACTICAL LIVING AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.
PROPOSITION: EACH BELIEVE SHOULD FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST IN HIS LIFE.
I. WHAT WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND – PHIL 2:12A
a. “THEREFORE” POINTS US BACKWARD TO OUR EXAMPLE
b. WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND OUR EXAMPLE
i. OUR EXAMPLE IS JESUS
1. OUR EXAMPLE IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD THE FATHER
2. OUR EXAMPLE IN HIS INCARNATION
3. OUR EXAMPLE IN HIS LIFE AND DEATH
4. OUR EXAMPLE IN HIS RESURRECTION AND GLORIFICATION
ii. ONE MAJOR ASPECT OF THE EXAMPLE
1. AT NO TIME DID CHRIST WITHDRAW FROM THE WORLD
2. CHRIST ENGAGED THE WORLD
3. WE OFTEN THINK IT IS EASIER AS BELIEVERS TO SIMPLY REFUSE TO ENGAGE THE WORLD.
a. KEEPING TO OURSELVES
b. SAFETY IN OUR OWN NUMBERS
4. CHRIST SAW THE WORLD AS A PLACE FOR SALVATION TO FLOURISH, NOT FLOUNDER.
a. ALL IN PERSPECTIVE
b. HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL!
c. WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE LOVED
i. WE SEE THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE FACT THAT JESUS CAME
ii. WE SEE THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE FACT THAT JESUS DIED
iii. WE SEE THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE MANNER OF JESUS’ DEATH
iv. ONE CANNOT DOUBT THE LOVE OF GOD
d. WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND OUR OBEDIENCE
i. THE WORD FOR OBEDIENCE MEANS TO PUT YOURSELF UNDER WHAT IS HEARD – SUBMITTING TO WHAT YOU HEAR
ii. THE WORK OF GOD IN OUR LIVES BEGINS WITH OUR FREE WILL
iii. BEFORE WE CAN BE TRULY OBEDIENT IN OUR ACTIVITY, WE MUST BE OBEDIENT IN OUR WILL
iv. EVEN FREE WILL HAS ITS LIMITS – CERTAIN THINGS WE ARE DENIED IN FREE WILL
1. PHYSICALLY WE CANNOT WILL OURSELVES STRONGER, FASTER, OR YOUNGER.
2. INTELLECTUALLY WE CANNOT WILL OUR SELVES SMARTER.
3. SPIRITUALLY WE CANNOT CHOOSE GOD
a. ADAM HAD FREE WILL AND LOST IT
GENESIS 2:16-17 AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, "YOU ARE FREE TO EAT FROM ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN;
17 BUT YOU MUST NOT EAT FROM THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, FOR WHEN YOU EAT OF IT YOU WILL SURELY DIE."
ROMANS 3:10-11 AS IT IS WRITTEN: "THERE IS NO ONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, NO ONE WHO SEEKS GOD.
b. HE COULD NO LONGER CHOOSE GOD! IF HE COULD, HE WOULD NOT HAVE HID FROM HIM!
JOHN 6:44 "NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM, AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.
v. GOD HAS SPECIFICALLY DRAWN YOU TO HIM, AND WE NEED TO SEE THAT DRAWING OF GOD IN LIGHT OF OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIM, HUMILITY BEFORE HIM AND ACTIVITY FOR HIM!
e. WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND OUR RESPONSIBILITY
i. WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BE THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST RIGHT NOW IN THE PRESENT
ii. WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BE THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST REGARDLESS OF WHO IS LOOKING
II. WHAT WE SHOULD DO – PHIL 2:12B
a. WE SHOULD WORK OUT OUR SALVATION
b. UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES OF SALVATION
i. SALVATION PAST – THIS IS WHEN WE WERE JUSTIFIED THROUGH OUR FAITH IN CHRIST
1. JUST AS IF WE HAD NOT SINNED
2. RESTORATION OF OUR FREE WILL – WE NOW HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT GOD’S WAY; NOT THAT WE WILL, BUT WE DO HAVE THE CHOICE AGAIN
ii. SALVATION PRESENT – THIS IS OUR SANCTIFICATION – BEING SET APART AND CONTINUING TO BE SET APART FOR CHRIST. THIS BEGINS WHEN WE WERE JUSTIFIED AND CONTINUES TILL WE DIE OR THE RAPTURE
iii. SALVATION FUTURE – THIS IS THE “END” OF OUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE, SO TO SPEAK. IT IS HERE SALVATION IS CULMINATED IN GLORIFICATION
1. NEW BODY
2. NEW RESIDENCE
3. ETC.
c. UNDERSTANDING WORK
EPHESIANS 2:8-10 FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH--AND THIS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD--
9 NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST. 10 FOR WE ARE GOD'S WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO.
i. NOTICE THAT THE WORD “WORK” IS USED TWICE; WITH EACH HAVING A DIFFERENT MEANING
ii. WORK NUMBER 1
1. THIS IS HUMAN WORK OR ACTIVITY
2. BIBLICALLY, WITH REGARD TO SALVATION THIS IS A CONDEMNED WORK
3. WE CANNOT WORK OUR WAY INTO HEAVEN
4. WE HAVE NO REASON TO BOAST IN OUR WORK WITH REGARD TO REDEMPTION
iii. WORK NUMBER 2
1. DOING GOOD WORKS
2. THOSE GOOD WORKS COME AFTER THE WORKMANSHIP OF GOD HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ON US
a. GODS WORKMANSHIP – OUR CREATION IN CHRIST JESUS!
b. IT IS A WORK GOD IS SATISFIED WITH BECAUSE IT IS A WORK DONE THROUGH CHRIST, NOT TO GET TO CHRIST!
iv. THE BELIEVER IN CHRIST DOES
1. NOT WORK FOR THEIR SALVATION
2. WORK BECAUSE HE IS SAVED!
v. BELIEVER NOW HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT – WORK HAS A DIFFERENT PURPOSE
1. SEEKS TO EXPRESS THE CHARACTER OF GOD IN OUR LIVES
vi. THE WORD WORK HERE MEANS TO BRING TO COMPLETION
1. LIKE SOLVING A MATH PROBLEM AND GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER
2. LIKE DIGGING IN A MINE UNTIL YOU GET THE ORE OUT
3. HARVESTING A FIELD TO GET THE GRAIN
4. THROUGH CHRIST WE NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO ONCE AGAIN BE WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE.
a. THE GRAMMAR TELLS US THAT IT IS SOMETHING TO DO DAILY (PRESENT MIDDLE IMPERATIVE)
b. THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE IN MY LIFE
c. AND WHEN I AM DOING THIS, WHAT I AM DOING IS GIVING EVIDENCE TO THE POWER OF GOD IN MY LIFE
COLOSSIANS 1:29 FOR THIS PURPOSE ALSO I LABOR, STRIVING ACCORDING TO HIS POWER, WHICH MIGHTILY WORKS WITHIN ME.
d. WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING
i. A PHRASE OF ATTITUDE
ii. A RESPECT OF GOD
1. COMING FROM A DEEP LOVE AND ADORATION OF GOD
2. THE GREATER THE LOVE, THE GREATER THE FEAR OF NOT WANTING TO DISAPOINT.
iii. AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MY OWN CONDITION
1. MY OWN SPIRITUAL WEAKNESS
2. MY OWN SINFULNESS
a. FLESH IS WEAK
b. THE WORLD IS TEMPTING
c. SATAN IS CRAFTY!
III. WHAT IS OUR BASIS FOR DOING WHAT WE SHOULD DO – PHIL 2:13
a. THE WORKING OF GOD IN MY LIFE
i. WORD MEANS TO ENERGIZE
b. WAYS GOD WORKS IN MY LIFE TODAY
i. THROUGH HIS WORD
ii. THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT
iii. THROUGH PRAYER
iv. THROUGH THE SITUATIONS GOD BRING ME INTO
c. NOTICE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD’S ENERGIZING ACTIVITY TAKES EFFECT
i. FIRST IT AFFECTS MY WILL – MY THOUGHTS AND DESIRES
ii. THEN IT TAKES MY RE-ENERGIZED WILL AND TURNS IT INTO ACTS THAT FIT GOD’S OWN GOOD PURPOSE
iii. WHAT DO WE CALL SOMEONE WHO WORKS ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER
1. SERVANT
2. AMBASSADOR
SO, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN EXAMPLE BY THE LIFE OF CHRIST OF HOW TO SERVE.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PAUL TO LOOK AT THAT EXAMPLE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY
WE HAVE A WILL TO DO IT THROUGH OUR SALVATION AND A GOD WHO ENERGIZES US TO ACCOMPLISH IT
I GUESS THE ONLY THING HOLD US BACK IS US.
IN THE WORDS OF THAT GREAT SCHOLAR, YODA OF STAR WARS, “THERE IS NO TRY.”
WE MUST DO!
