WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION WITH FEAR & TREMBLING
Phip. 2:12-13
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE PRICE IS RIGHT
1. At a fabric store, a pretty girl spied a silky material that would be perfect for a dress and asked the male clerk, “How much does it cost?”
2. He smiled warmly. “Since it’s for You, I’d sell it to You for the price of ‘one kiss per yard’,” he said, showing dimples. “That’s fine,” said the girl. “I’ll take ten yards.”
3. With expectation and anticipation written all over his face, the clerk quickly measured out the cloth, wrapped it up, and then teasingly held it out.
4. The girl took the bag, stepped up close to him with a coy smile, then turned and pointed to an old man standing by the wall, and said, “Grandpa will pay the bill!”
B. TEXT:
“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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Phip. 2:12, 13. NIV
C.THESIS
1. Paul says in Vs. 12, "you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence."
2. Our behavior shouldn’t depend on whether a spiritual person is around or not. Are we only Christians on Sunday or are we every day?
3. I once played golf on a 4 man team, a “scramble.” We didn’t know each other. One guy was swearing like a sailor. After a few holes, he asked me what I did for a living.
4. I told him that I was pastor. What a change! The rest of the game he never uttered another cuss word!
5. Are you like that? Do you act differently on Monday than you do on Sunday? We should be Christians every day!
6. The title of this message is “Work Out Your Salvation With Fear & Trembling!”
I. TWO PARTS OF OUR SALVATION
“Work out your own salvation.”
A. THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST
1. There are 2 parts of our salvation; one complete (justification), and the other still needing perfecting (sanctification).
2. The work of justification – Christ’s atonement on the Cross – specifically, the purchasing of our salvation, the blotting out of our sins, and even the imputation of Jesus’ righteousness to the Redeemed – is a finished work, lacking nothing, and guarantees us an inheritance as heirs and children of God.
3. The work of Christ we have no part in; we are never told to work that out, but to receive it by faith.
4. The blessing comes “to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5).” Justification is not at all by human effort, but by the free gift of God.
B. ILLUSTRATION OF NEW LIFE
1. CBS News featured the story of Chet Szuber. Watch this video-clip of his story.
2. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/saved-by-his-daughters-heart/
3. [This father had a failing heart. His life was saved by using his daughter’s heart in a heart transplant surgery. She died in a car accident, and the doctor suggested the dead daughter’s heart be used for the heart transplant the father needed.]
4. He didn’t work for his daughter’s heart. He received the heart as an unexpected gift. Now there’s something new inside him, giving him life he otherwise wouldn’t have had.
5. That’s like the new life God gives us – to be “Born Again.” It’s like the heart [spirit] of Jesus is put inside us and gives us new life. A new life pulsates inside us from God!
6. We all MUST have this new life from God!
C. SANCTIFICATION
1. We have two natures co-existing in us; the old sinful nature from Adam & Eve, and the new Creation life from Jesus Christ (Born Again), planted in us.
2. Sanctification – the process of growth that brings about the death of one life and the birth of another. For NEW LIFE to come in, it must displace the old life.
3. Our tempers have to brought under control; our conversation, our desires, our will, our selfishness. We need to begin to think as God does, to love as God loves; to be patient and persevere in difficulties; to work for the Kingdom of God.
4. But what do WE typically do? We try to work out a compromise by which we can indulge the flesh and still try to maintain devotions with Christ. This will never work.
5. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Gal. 5:24. John the Baptist famously said, “I must decrease and He must increase” John 3:30.
6. DEMONSTRATION: Clear water bottle filled with oil. Pour in colored cold water. The oil is lighter & floats. They
won’t mix. Keep adding water & cause the oil to spill out. Show the progress of driving out the oil, until the whole bottle is filled with colored water. This is the same way the carnal nature must be driven out; by displacement with the nature of Christ.
7. So it’s the business of the Christian to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in the reformation of our character. He will overcome our old nature and make Jesus Lord.
8. So it’s not the work Christ did on the cross that needs any improvement, but only with regard to our inner spiritual life. He says of that, “Work it out with fear and trembling. For it is God that works in you.”
II. WHY “FEAR & TREMBLING?” (Why not "joy and excitement?")
A. BECAUSE HEAVEN & HELL ARE REAL
1. Because the stakes are high; because Christianity is no game. It’s not a nice bedtime story: it’s Life and Death! There’s a Heaven to gain and a Hell to avoid/shun.
2. Jesus talked a lot about Heaven, a real place with streets, buildings, homes with furniture, friends and neighbors; We’ll have real physical bodies, wear clothing; have duties to perform, books to read, activities to attend; we’ll enjoy running, jumping, dancing, relaxing, singing…
It’s described as paradise, so beautiful that our minds now can’t grasp its wonder! We’ll live there forever with God.
3. Jesus also talked about Hell as a real place -- a fire that burns but doesn’t consume; where the naked spirits of people, like worms in a fire, burn, but are not burned up.
4. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more….Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Lk. 12:4-5
B. BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF SIN
1. The Amplified Version translates verse 12 as “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling – [that is] self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God & discredit the name of Christ.”
2. We tremble lest we should sin, we tremble lest the favor we’ve received from God be diminished. We wish to avoid any displeasure of our heavenly Father.
3. Such fear assists us against temptation and sin. We’re on our guard against our spiritual weakness, our tendency toward pride and selfishness.
4. “Our God is a consuming fire.” May God give us more holy trembling, so that we may be permitted to abide in the Holy of Holies and to stand before the bush that burns but is not consumed!
C. BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS
1. Because of the tremendous sacrifice of Christ, the unspeakable depth and tenderness of his love in giving Himself for us.
2. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you” Jn. 15:12-14.
3. Jesus’ “greater love” was demonstrated by His willingness to die like a criminal (between 2 thieves) by the cruelest of means: whipped almost to death, then had cruel nails driven through His body.
4. He died forsaken by the Father, bearing all the sins of the world, and died by suffocation! Horror of horrors! Only greatest love would suffer that for you and I.
5. Shall we not respond with greatest fervency to such a great love? If such a great price must be paid to redeem us, what would be the consequences of rejecting so great a salvation? Of trampling on the sacred blood of God’s own Son and despising His love?
D. BECAUSE WE’VE NOT ENTERED YET
1. Because, even if you’re saved, you haven’t entered Heaven yet; don’t take God/salvation for granted.
2. Not everyone who talks about Heaven is going there!
III. HOW IT’S TO BE WORKED OUT
A. IT IS TO BE AN ENERGETIC SPIRIT
1. “Work out.” The Greek word for “work” is where we get our English word “energy.” This is a word closely associated with the Holy Spirit.
2. A. HUMOR:
a. A doctor was performing a complete physical, including the EYE test. He placed the patient twenty feet from the EYE chart and began.
b. "Cover your right eye with your hand," the doctor instructed the patient. The patient read the 20/20 line perfectly. "Now your left." Again, a flawless read.
c. "Now both," the doctor requested.
There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line.
d. The doctor turned and discovered the patient doing exactly what he had been asked. He was standing there with both his eyes covered.
e. Without the Holy Spirit and His abilities, we’re like the man trying to read the eye-chart with his eyes covered!
3. We’re to “work out” our salvation with all the human energy we can muster, but realizing that something more is necessary to accomplish God’s will & purposes in our lives.
B. POWER FOR VICTORY IS SUFFICIENT
1. We are to work out our salvation for this reason: “FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU TO WILL AND TO ACT ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PURPOSE.”
2. Thank God we don’t do this in our own power! God is working in us! Since that’s true – there’s NOTHING we can’t do!
3. With Christ in me, I can live above sin; I can conquer bad habits, I can overcome a bad thought life, I can develop kindness & patience – “I can do all things thru Christ which strengthens me!”
4. “It’s not by might, it’s not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” Zech. 4:6. “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” 1 Jn. 4:4.
5. I can whip the devil with a switch when the Lord’s with me! Someone was telling me of a Pastor who had a shirt that said, “Devil Stomper!”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: SUBDUING WHAT’S INSIDE
1. Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called “Ninety-Three.”
2. It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck.
3. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, a part of the ship’s cargo, which had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact.
4. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon.
5. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.
That is like human life.
6. Storms of life may blow about us, but it is not these exterior storms that pose the greatest danger. It is the terrible corruption that can exist within us which can overwhelm us. Our only hope lies in conquering the wild enemy within. (sermons.com)
7. Victory in Christ comes with a COST:
B. ILLUSTRATION: THE HANGING TREE
1. There is an old western, starring Gary Cooper, that’s called “The Hanging Tree.” Gary Cooper is a doctor and he saves people's lives.
2. In one scene, a young man gets shot; he's dying. Gary Cooper pulls out the bullet and is able to save the man's life.
3. The man, grateful for having been rescued, asks what he can do for the doctor. Gary Cooper says, "Well, you know, I've always needed an assistant, so why don't you assist me. I'll teach you what to do."
4. When the young man asks how long the Dr. wanted his help, Gary Cooper replies, "For the rest of your life, because that's how long you would have been dead if I hadn't saved you."
5. Jesus asks the same commitment from you; He wants you for the rest of your life on Earth, since He saved you. [Tony Evans, P. 141.] If you “lose life, you’ll gain it!”
C. THE CALL
1. Earlier we saw the video of Chet Szuber, who had a bad heart. It was going to kill him. Some of us spiritually have a bad heart – and we need God to change them.
2. Chet ended up getting his daughter’s heart. It’s a new life inside him. Jesus can do that some amazing kind of thing in your life, if you let Him.
3. How many would say, “Pastor, I want new life inside of me from God.” We’re going to invite Jesus to come in and make you a new creation from the inside out. Prayer.
4. How many of you want a new empowering from God to help you live a victorious Christian life? We’re going to ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and give you the power you need to overcome. Prayer.
5. Let’s all pray that we as a church would demonstrate the love of Christ to the lost world around us.
[There was some influence from Charles Spurgeon on this message.]
