"Work out what God Works in"

Philippians 2:12-18

Pastor Luke Tanis​​

How many of you enjoy learning how things work? Watching a show that takes you behind the scenes?

This last week, Theo and I learned about how the great big clock of Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) works. The show took us behind the scenes. 

Clock operator or custodian (Andrew Strangeway). They climbed all 334 steps to the clock and showed all the gears, the pendulum, fascinating

what stood out, was the harmony of the gears and the custodian working together. The clock requires close watching and adjusting to ensure it’s accuracy.  adjustments have to be made to speed it up or slow it down.

The way the clock works is amazing, intricate details but it requires both the pieces of the clock working and the custodian carefully making adjustments in order for it to be an accurate clock. A clock that can be trusted. 

As we look at our passage today, we’re going to see this intricate balance of believers living the christian life while God enables us to do that.
Paul strikes the perfect balance of showing the work and effort we must put into our sanctification while reminding us the only way it is possible is with God’s help.
before we do that Let’s ask for God’s help.

As we come to the text today, we find ourselves at the end of a key section here in Philippians. 

Philippians 1:27, from here Paul showed in vs 1-4 how essential it is to display humility in the community

Last week we looked at vs 5-11, Christ’s perfect example of this, both in his humility and in his obedience that lead him to die on the cross.
Paul then recorded the response of God, “Therefore” of vs 9, exalting him, giving him a name above every name. 

    A name that every tongue will confess and every knee will bow. 

Then Paul looked at the awe filled response of all of humanity one day when Christ returns 

This majestic, powerful display of Christ’s supremacy in the future leads to a response from all humanity.  

This left us, left all humanity bowing in awe and worship to Jesus as Lord 

    Some will have spent their whole lives denying this reality but for others, their lives have been transformed by Jesus. 

Now, as Paul finishes that amazing thought Paul steps back into reality. He brings us back to the present, to the here and now, Paul in chains, and the believers in Philippi facing threats from within the community and outside the community. 

He follows up on that scene of Christ worshipped as Lord and draws the connection to how Christ as Lord should impact the community of believers

And what Paul does is turns his focus to the implications of Christ as Lord for every day of life. 

What difference does it make that Jesus Christ was obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross? 

What difference does it make in their community the Jesus Christ is Lord over all? 

Our passage todays works out those implications, the expected response of believers 

Your life displays your response to the reality that Jesus is Christ is Lord. 

—How you live reveals your response—

In our passage today we’ll look at 3 worthy responses to Jesus Christ as Lord. 

“What does a worthy response to Jesus Christ as Lord look like? 

3 responses

1st of all,  A worthy response to Jesus Christ as Lord means 

1. Actively Cooperating with God (vs 12-13)

Jesus Christ is Lord. This will make a difference 

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Cooperating is   A. Rooted in Your identity: 

     “my beloved”, “always obeyed” 

Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Since Salvation, they have been obeying God. This is what Christians do. Paul appeals to this as a reminder that this response is the natural response for a believer

out of this obedience, continue doing what you have been doing 

    don’t get sidetracked, don’t quit on Christ. Your love and devotion that was there, keep growing. 

Cooperating B. Continues what God started 

“work out your own salvation…

work out: “carry, bring about it to its conclusion”

Cooperate with God. 

Philippians 1:6 

 

Those who are saved continue to obey Christ. 

Consistent obedience to Christ is the expectation of believers. 

You will need a fresh reminder of the awe and wonder of Christ, to remember that Jesus is Lord over all, to remember his perfect humility and obedience and from that it will encourage you to keep obedience 

NOTE: This is not “Work for your salvation”, Paul writes “work out your salvation”

This requires continued and sustained effort. This is not just a one time decision. “I did that”. This is the daily sacrifice of dying to the flesh, taking up your cross and obeying Christ one moment at a time. 

C. Appropriate Response    (Fear and Trembling)

with fear and trembling”

Paul gives us this call and he puts the context that we do it under. 

2 words “Fear” and “trembling” 

Genuine obedience flows from a healthy and right fear of God. 

There is both a sense of awe, reverence but also love, being pulled to God instead of being pushed away in fear. 

Which requires a healthy and honest understanding of ourselves (trembling, self distrust) 

This requires honesty with ourselves, recognizing our struggles and taking them to God. “self-distrust”
Honest about your weakness and struggles. 

If someone you trusted asked you what are your 3 biggest struggles with sin, could you answer them?
3 areas where you know your weakness and are actively taking steps to see victory over them?  

 We know our weakness, sinfulness, areas where we have failed in the past  

D. Collaborates with God’s Working 

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

We could summarize Paul’s instructions as “Work out what God works in you” Paul is reminding them that although God is the author of salvation, begins the good work of justification, our salvation will bear fruit, fruit that comes from our Responding the to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit leads and convicts and we never respond to Him in obedience, what fruit do we have to say we are child of God? 

Justification. Moment of your conversion, your sin is settled, the Bible address believers as those that are “in Christ”. The moment you go from being alienated, enemy of God to having your sins forgive and being placed “IN CHRIST” 

Salvation as Paul writes is the lifelong working out of justification. The continual display of the fruit of your justification, continual obedience to God’s will which itself is only possible with God’s working. 

“it is God Works in you”. 

This is our life in Christ summarized. 4 Words. God works in you

This is the core of how we get from justification on earth to glorification in heaven. God. 

with this truth, we realize we are not left to ourselves to obey the commands of Christ. 

we have God working in us! 

• “All the capabilities of God are in operation, active, and effective in the work of believers.” (Pillar)

Paul gives 2 categories of how this is accomplished: 

1st. How: Will  (motivation), In Christ our motivations are different. No longer selfishly motivated. this happens because God gives us the motivation, the desire to work and to serve Him. 

The holy Spirit is at work transform our will, our desires to look more and more like Christ. 

 

2nd. What: Work (ability) 

The same follows, any desire to do work for God comes from God. Any work you do for God comes from God, It’s only with God’s help that we can do anything for God. yet there is real work being done by Christians, actual progress is being made by Christians all around the world, lives are impacted because of the work God is doing IN them and through them. 

This is done as the Holy Spirit strengthens us, enables us for service.  

 

Have you seen this in your life?
Can you look back and think of examples where God gave you a desire to do something you normally wouldn’t do or he helped you serve with a strength that was not your own.  For every Christian there should be recent examples of God working IN you and THROUGH to accomplish his purposes. 

 

Why? for His good pleasure/purpose  or “for the sake of”

• “When God’s creative work is demonstrated by Christians living and working together in harmony and unity, his purpose is fulfilled.” G. Walter Hansen,

Ephesians 1:5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

His purpose for His glory 

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Paul encourages believers to remember the big picture: 

God has begun the good work of salvation in them, it’s His plan.

Without His plan being worked out they never would have wanted to or been able to follow God. but now they can because of God’s working .

God will sustain the work of salvation in them, for His glory. 
Knowing that God motivates and enables us means we are eager to respond, to step out in faith as you seek to handle your salvation carefully, living a life that honors God. This is a tremendous responsibility. The people of God, the church is how people see God’s wisdom, his plans on display. How faithful are you at representing God to the world around you?

Knowing that God begins the work in us and sustains the work means we ought to pour everything into living out this process as we cooperate with God every step of the way.  We do this with the example of Christ’s perfect obedience in mind.

The work God is doing in us enables us to respond by pouring all our effort to obey Christ and grow in our relationship to Him.  

 

Paul shows how God has designed divine sovereignty and human responsibility to perfectly work in harmony. 

 

“Human energy could never accomplish the work of God, yet God did not accomplish his purposes without it. Melick Richard

 

We do this together. never alone. 

The verbs and the pronouns are plural. Paul is addressing a community of believers.  This is not a customizable plan. Living out your salvation means following God’s plan, obeying what He has established. and the very commands to “Work out what God works in you” come surrounded by the language of community.

If you try to do this on your own you are missing out on God’s plan. 

You cannot do this on your own. 

The commands are specifically directed toward your obedience in community.  

God will give you the desire to be around other believers, his will enable you but you have to pour effort into this. He won’t wake you up out of bed after you stayed up late Saturday night but He will give you the desire to be around other believers. What you do with that is going to reveal your love for Christ. 

2. Living with Blameless Character  (vs 14-16)

As Paul has looked at the right response to Jesus Christ as Lord he now applies this truth to their lives. 

God is working in them and they are not to just sit back and watch God work, they are called to actively pour their God enabled effort into their life on earth. 

In light of their current situation, struggles Paul now applies this, works out this amazing truth in their every day lives. 

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

A. Threats to Blameless Character “grumbling and disputing”

“do all things” or “whatever you do!”

as you live a life worthy of the gospel, living in obedience to Christ, here are 2 dangers  you must avoid. They have no place in the Christian community 

 

Cautions: Speech, threats to unity, heart attitudes, exalting self.
We can use our words to exalt our selves or exalt Christ. 

Christ is already exalted and will be recognized as Lord over all. Our speech should align with this reality, we honor Christ with our words, we speak with grace

Caution: Sinful flesh, always a challenge. 

 Our speech reveals our heart. 

We must continually fight the sinful flesh, ways we grumble/ (careless, lack of gratitude, and look no different than the dark world we live in) 

 

Attitude: grumbling or complaining (lack of thankfulness) 

    complaints, talking about people behind their backs 

Action: disputing or arguing (conflict with others), divisive talk 

Remember 

Example: Israel, Exodus, Deuteronomy 

Response: 

Look at ourselves, be honest about where you struggle

Maybe the attitude, grumbling 

Maybe the action, disputing, conversations .

 

B. Plea for Blameless Character 

    If Christ truly is Lord over your life, there will be a difference from the world. When they look at you there will be something different. 

    Those in Christ have been set from the power of Sin, forgiven of their sin, Paul calls those in Christ to look like it. 

“pure and innocent” 

    with God’s help (2:13) 

Blameless, we are not there yet but we should be striving to be more and more like Christ. To be a Christian is to be killing all sin. 

I think there may be a Temptation two convince ourselves that these 2 areas aren’t so bad. A little complaining, a little arguing 

Paul says these attitudes and actions have no place in the Christians’ life. 

 

Part of being blameless is that the word will see our lives, they will see the difference Christ as made and that’s where Paul reminds us of 

C. Context of Blameless Character: 

    “Crooked and perverse generation”

We are called to live blameless in the midst of people full of wickedness. People who love darkness, hate light, ignore God. Expected to act 

(Paul uses the same phrase that was tragically used to described Israel)

Contrast: The World’s distorted and hurting relationships with the pure and blameless ones inside the Christian community. Key part of being a light. 

15 that you may be blameless and innocent,  children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, (Israel Failed. was the crooked generation)

D. Result of Blameless Character 

“Shine as Lights”

among whom you shine as lights (stars) in the world, 

Philippians 2:16 holding fast to the word of life,

 

With the context of the  crooked and perverse generation in mind, Paul encourages the believers of what impact they can have on the darkness 

He says “among whom you Shine as lights/stars” 

Your obedience to Christ,  working out what God works in you leads to light shining in the darkness. Others see the difference in your life. Others see the peace you have, the lack of complaining and arguing. and some will ask. 

Some will say “I want what he has”. or “Can you tell me more about this Jesus you talk about? 

This is what it means to shine as stars in the world. Pointing people to God with our actions and our words.  

IDENTITY: this is who you are: “Lights shining in the world” 

Contrast: You don’t become beloved, children of God by working out your own salvation. you are loved and as a result you work to continue the progress of your salvation. See it through to the end. 

Same with light. You are light. This is who are you. the way you live this out is to shine. any grumbling and arguing only dims the light 

Matthew 5:14–16
You are displaying a life that beautifies Gods’ word. 

Lives that put the gospel on display for all to see. 

“holding fast to the word of life“

You are holding out the word of life with your life. 

 

We do this well when we live blameless in our relationships, our conduct matches what we say we believe and when we do this the world is watching and sees the light.
This means how live you reflects the gospel to those around.
Hopefully, by God’s grace your life is holding the word of life for others to see, hopefully it is shinning but when complaining and arguing step in the light is dimmed when it should be shining into the darkness. 

We do this as well when we cling to the word of life.
Have a firm grip on the word, we know it, and we live it. 

Paul writes this to a group of people that were letting their light grow dimmer, their was the threat of their lights being dimmed,

Culture: It is revealing to open the internet, no matter what social media site you use, the attitudes and actions of grumbling and arguing are everywhere.

These sites amplify and even encourage this behavior but it flows from this sinfulness of man’s heart.  

This is the world we live in, the crooked and twisted generation. You can expect to see it. 

Hopefully, though, as Christians, there is light flowing from our speech and actions. In person and online. a difference from the world 

 “Holding fast to the word of life”

This is God’s word, it has transformed my life. 

The third response to Christ as Lord is 

3. Serving with Joy (vs. 16b-18) 

Partnership in the gospel, serving alongside other believers leads to Joy 

Philippians 2:16 ….so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 

A. Paul served with Joy  (16b-17) 

…so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 

1. Paul’s Joy flowed from their obedience 

 “Day of Christ”. as he did in Chapter 1,  Paul keeps the end in mind 

Paul has poured his life into the believers and their failure to persevere, to be distracted in their race would be tragic. 

their persevering, their faithful holding the word of life and displaying it would bring joy to Paul. His efforts would no be in vain

Paul uses the imagery of 2 of his common metaphors to explain the level of effort he has poured into them.

“run” / “Labor”

You think of the effort a runner puts into a marathon, a long race. This is the kind of effort Paul has poured into the believers. 

And labor/ toil. This is not easy but the struggle, the effort is worth it. He does it gladly, with joy because Christ is magnified in his life. Whether by life or by death 

This describes the grace filled effort from Paul 

This is Paul’s response to Jesus Christ as Lord and their failure or success will impact what Paul is able to show to God. He desires their obedience and his joy which are directly connected.  

 

Which brings him to his 2nd scenario. The cost of sacrificing his life for Christ. 

2. Paul’s Joy flowed even in sacrifice

“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,”

Image: OT Sacrifice.  “poured out” “drink offering”

Here Paul may have been using some of the language and imagery from some of the Old Testament sacrifices to illustrate his sacrifice. Paul paints a picture of his joyful sacrifice. 

The Wine offering was part of daily sacrifices (Ex 29-38-41) that were poured out. At the end of the sacrificial ceremony, wine was completely poured out. Nothing left. Here Paul connects his life to this sacrifice, saying his very life has been poured out as a living sacrifice. The precious wine offered as a sacrifice represents his life. Paul has taken his life and of all the things he could have done with his life, all the worldly success he could have had, he traded it to sacrifice his life for Christ. 

Even if it costs him his life, Paul didn’t blink because it is a joy to suffer for Christ and the believers.

Here we can see how his mindset from chapter 1 flows into his argument here in chapter 2.

For Paul, it was a joyful thing to offer his life as a sacrifice and to do it on behalf of Christ and other believers.

B.The Community Served with Joy (18)

Partnership “you also” 

With unity in the community, both they and Paul share in the same goal: Joyfully offering their lives back to Christ. They would live worthy of the gospel and whatever happens in their lives, Christ would be magnified! 

They too are to offer their lives, just like Paul, as Living sacrifice 

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Along the way,  they can be glad, rejoice at the work God is doing in them, both the willing and the doing, 

They can rejoice in the gospel being displayed in their community,
they get to be on the front lines of God’s word advancing,
   watch the light shine in darkness,
   and by God’s grace people see people have their eyes opened to the gospel, the true reality that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

It costs them their lives, whether living or dying but it brings them great joy as they offer their lives as a living sacrifice.

and as they do this it brings joy to them that their sacrifice is offered on behalf of Christ and Paul. This is what serving with Joy looks like. 

 The 3rd response to Jesus Christ as Lord.

Which brings us to the end of Paul’s discussion on living worthy of the gospel. 

Beholding Christ and becoming more and more like Christ. 

If you are a believer, God has begun a good work in you, how is the work going? What does your response say about your love for Christ and the place he has in your life?
Question: Are you encouraged in your walk with God? God works in you. 

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Are you honest with yourself about your struggles. “fear and trembling”

Paul makes it very clear what subtle sins can be found in Christians. Complaining and arguing. 

 

Are you joyful? Knowing the struggles that Christians face are worth it,  

 

• “As we work out our own sanctification, we must remember certain things:We serve a holy God, we have a strong and crafty adversary, and we are weak and dependent on God for all that we need. Constable 

 

Evaluate your attitude. How are you battling sin, attitude and speech? Are you exalting self or exalting Christ? 

We live out our Salvation in Community, we display the fruits of justification and see it brought to completion not in isolation. 

Community: What role are you playing in the community of Bible Baptist Church? Are you helping others work out their salvation? Grow in obedience to God? Are you encouraging them, talking about the gospel, remind them of the promises of God?

Are you using your gifts/talents to serve others?
To offer your life as a living sacrifice? 

Are you being known so that you grow in your relationship with God? 

Church is not just a place to hear some Bible teaching and sing a few songs, Church is a community of believers united around God’s Word and God’s Spirit continually caring for each other as we point to Christ and look more and more like Christ

This is what the Church does. We care for each other, we serve each other. Together we  are working out what God is working in each of us. For his Glory. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (ESV)

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.