Rejoice | Part 6 | Philippians 2:12-18 | Work Out Your Own Salvation
This morning we’re going to pick up where we left off last week in the Book of Philippians. And of course as we’ve been studying through Philippians, each week I remind you that it’s a book about Joy. It is a book about Jesus and it’s about the joy that can be found in Jesus. This series is called “Rejoice”. Over and over and over throughout this book, Paul is reminding us to rejoice and have joy. In this passage, the Apostle Paul begins to deal with the Church at Philippi in regards to this idea of work. I want you to notice verse 12. There is a phrase that can be a bit of a difficult phrase for some people.
Philippians 2:12 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”. Now I’d like you to keep your place here in Philippians 2. Go to Ephesians 2. This little phrase “work out your own salvation” has been a problem phrase for some people. Now it shouldn’t be a problem for us if we believe God’s word and study God’s word in its context. However, some people will take this phrase and they’ll teach that you have to work your way to heaven and you have to do good works to get into heaven. Now just simply looking at the phrase itself ought to show you that this is the wrong meaning. He’s not saying work to get your salvation or to earn it but to work out what is already in. You already have salvation.
However, with that said, let’s just make sure that we understand this. The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by works. Ephesians 2:8 “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”. “Grace” is unmerited favor or free. It means you have not earned it; you don’t work for it; you don’t pay for it. “Saved” is being saved from hell. “Through faith” means to believe. “That” is referring to back to being saved. The Bible teaches that if we are saved, it is not of ourselves. It is not something that we produce or do. Here’s why. “it is the gift of God:”. Salvation according to the Bible is a gift. Therefore we don’t produce it. It’s something we are given but not something that we produce. It is a gift. It is of grace. A gift by definition is free. You don’t pay for it. It is given to you.
Ephesians 2:9 “9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”. The Bible teaches that salvation is not of works. We don’t earn it. You don’t go to heaven because of things that you do. You don’t go to heaven because of any exterior thing you do. Salvation is not going to church, it’s not getting baptized, it’s not reading the Bible, it’s not cleaning up your life. Salvation is something that happens inside of you. It happens inside of your heart. The Bible says that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We are not saved by anything exterior but what happens in our heart when we believe and call on Jesus Christ. However, when Jesus saves you, he saves you from the inside. And Paul says work out your own salvation. You get saved on the inside and then we are to spend the rest of our Christian life working out what God has worked in. We’re not saved by that which is exterior but our salvation happens on the inside and should work itself out to the exterior. We’re not saved by works. However, we are saved to work.
Notice verse 10. “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”. Again you’re not saved by works. But once you got saved, God expected you to get to work. You’re not saved by doing good works but God expects you to do good works when you are saved. Now if you don’t do works, are you still saved? Of course you are. Salvation is “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”. Paul in Romans tells us “that to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”. So we understand that you don’t have to do works in order to be saved but we are saved to work. Ephesians 2:10 says “unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”. Walk in what? Good works. So we’re not saved by works. We are saved to work.
Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that we must work and the work that we must do after salvation. God saved you on the inside. We are supposed to work out what God has worked in. What God has done on the inside should be brought out to the outside. But this passage is not only about the work that we must do after salvation. Remember, we are not saved by works but we are saved to work. This passage is also about the fact that God is actually doing a work in you. Look at verse 13. Philippians 2:13 “13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”. God is working in you and we are supposed to be working out what God is working in. This is also what Ephesians 2:10 says “10 For we are his workmanship,”. “His” is referring to God. God is at work in you. God is working on you.
What the Apostle Paul is talking about in Philippians 2 is that God is working in you and you and I should be working out what God is working in. The idea is that we should work with God as God works on you. In other passages we are told that we are co-labourers with God. We are labouring together with God. What Paul is talking about in this passage and what he’s teaching to the Church at Philippi is that God is at work in us. God is doing a work inside of you. But we must work with God to work out what he is working in. We must be working with God as God works on you. By the way, this is the reason you are still here. Have you ever thought about the fact of why doesn’t God just have you go straight to heaven once you get saved? See, salvation is not of works. But after salvation comes a process that God wants you to engage in. It’s called sanctification. God wants to work in you and on you. God can’t do the work on you by himself. We aren’t Calvinists. God won’t force his hand or way upon you. He needs you to work with him.
This is what the Apostle Paul is talking about. If you are here today then I assume you are saved. July 4th weekend, many people skip Church. God is working in you. God wants you to work with him to work out what he is working in. So the question is this, how can we work with God? How can you help God work with God what he is working in you to be out of you? The question is, are you working with God? What does that look like? The Apostle Paul gives us 3 ideas about how to work with God as he works on you. Have you thought about that? Have you ever thought about the fact that God wants you to work with him to work on you? God is doing a work in you and he wants you to labour with him. The question is, are you working with God as he is working on you? You might wonder what that looks like. Paul gives us 3 thoughts about this.
What does it look like? #1 It depends on your application of the Word of God. We talk a lot about this because it’s mentioned a lot in the Bible. If you want to know how good of a worker you are, if you want to know how good of a co-labourer you are with God, how good you are at working alongside God to make changes in yourself, what is your application of the Word of God? Philippians 2:12 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,…”. The question is, how good are you at obeying God?
Philippians 2:12 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”. Notice he says “to do”. All throughout the Bible, there is an emphasis on what you do with what you’ve heard. Of whether you obey what you’ve been told from the Word of God.
The Bible tells us that we are to do, we are to put into practice the Word of God. The Word of God is not a book of theory. It is a book that is meant to be put into practice. It is not just theology thought it has theology. It is an instructional book. The Bible says this book of the law shall not depart out of the mouth but thou shalt meditate upon it. But it also says that we may “do” and then that is the key to being prosperous and having good success. People wonder why we should read the Bible every day. We should read it every day so we can do what it says. That’s why we should go to Church. Some of you only go because you are forced but the reason that you should every time the doors are open is because the Word of God is preached. You might wonder why that matters. This will help you observe to do. Success can only be found in our application of the Word of God. You can’t have success otherwise unless you do what God tells you to do.
The Bible tells us “29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”. Our job is to do. So when you want to gage your maturity, the question is are you doing what God says. It all depends on your application of the Word of God. Do you actually do what the Bible tells you to do.
Jesus said this about that in Matthew 7:24 “24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,…”. That is us as we hear God’s words and his saying. He then says “…and doeth them,”. There are 2 types of Christians in this world. There are those who hear and do. This is the result “24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:” See, it’s not enough to hear it. If you do it then you will be the person built upon a rock. “25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”. We see it’s not if a storm comes because the storm will come. There are always struggles and difficulties. It fell not because it was founded upon a rock. What does that mean? It means you hear those things and do them.
Here’s the 2nd type of Christian in verse 26. “26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,…”. There are people that come to a Church like ours and hear the preaching and never apply it. “26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:”. By the way, this is Jesus’ preaching. “27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”. Unfortunately some people’s lives can be described by that phrase “great was the fall of it”.
When people live their lives by hearing the Word of God and not applying it, it’s just a matter of time before a storm comes, before a trial comes that causes them to fall away. We think it’s the storm that sweeps people away but it’s not. The great trial or storm only revealed for us what was already there. A Christian that was not founded on the Word of God. If you asked a Christian, “Are you founded upon the Word of God?”. Probably everyone would say yes. But the way Jesus defines because founded on the Word of God is how much of the Word of God do we actually do. If we have to answer it that way then we might say “I don’t know.”. See, our working with God as God works with us, our working out what God has working in, our maturity is all dependent on your application of the Word of God.
Here is the question I have for you this morning. Do you obey the Word of God? When you hear the Word of God and you realize that you should do something or stop doing something or stop speaking a certain way, do you immediately apply it? Or do you just think it’s interesting and make no changes. See, Paul says that your Christian maturity on your application of the Word of God. You must obey.
I want you to notice how Paul tells us to obey. There are 2 characteristics in regards to obedience. Philippians 2:12 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”. What does it mean to be an obedient Christian? What does it mean to obey? Obey is only obedience, when we do it even when no one is watching. I mean here Paul says as ye have always obeyed in my presence. He’s saying it’s not hard to act spiritual around the preaching or the Pastor or the Pastor’s wife or the Church Staff or whatever. Paul said that he will know they are actually obeying when they do it not just in his presence only but also in his absence.
I would say that this is one of if not the major burden I have for the young people at Verity Baptist Church. It’s not what they do when they are being watched but what they do when they are not being watched. Young person, we will only know if you love and follow God when you are doing it when no one is forcing it. What will you do when no one is telling you what to do and no one is watching your or forcing you or making you get up to read the Bible, go soulwinning, go to Church, etc…What will you do? The truth is obedience must begin in the heart.
They tell the story of a rebellious little boy standing up during class time and the teacher told him to sit down. She forced him to sit and he stood back up, over and over. Finally he stayed down. She asked if he would stay down. He said he would stay down but stand up in his heart. That’s how some of you live your Christian life. When no human authority is watching, what do you do? And by the way, when no human authority is watching, God is watching. Did you know that the Word of God ought to change your life? The Bible says “12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”. It can dig deep into you. But the next verse says “13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”. God is watching whether you obey his Word whether you are being watched or not being watched by man. Obedience is only true obedience when you obey when no one is watching. God is always watching.
Today we are celebrating Independence Day. Independence is the freedom to do as we ought to do and not as we want to do. In fact, the quickest way to have your freedom taken from you is to only do that which you want to do. People have the attitude that they want to grow up and do whatever they want. Well if that’s what you do then you will find yourself in bondage. True freedom is when we have the ability to do what we want and choose to do what is right. We are never really under 0 authority. God is always watching you.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 “14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”. If there is 1 thing I would like to get into your hearts, God is always watching. The Bible says that his eyes behold the evil and the good. God knows whether you actually obey the Word of God or not. Paul says that if you are going to work out your own salvation then it depends on your application of the Word of God. We must obey. This means we obey when no one is watching. We obey when we are not under authority. We still do right even when no one is forcing us to do right.
Philippians 2:12 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”. What does true obedience look like? Obey when no one is watching and obey with fear and trembling. Obey when no one is watching and obey with fear and trembling. The Bible teaches that we must obey when no one is watching because we should obey God and not just obey man. When man is not watching, God is not watching.
You might wonder how you get to the place of obeying when not being watched. It’s when someone actually fears God. Ecclesiastes 12:13 “13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”. The wisest man on world says that all of life is about fearing God and obeying him. Let me ask you, do you fear God? All of us will say that we fear God. The proof of whether you fear God is proven by how you keep his commandments. People will often tell me that they love God and they want to do whatever God tells me to do. But then you tell them that God doesn’t want you to fornicate but then they don’t obey. That means they don’t actually fear God or obey God.
We have this idea that God must be permitting it since I haven’t been punished. Don’t confuse God’s patience with his permission. Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked. God may give you time but that doesn’t mean he isn’t paying attention. You might deceive your parents, your Pastor, the police but don’t be deceived. God is not mocked. God knows. God is watching. God keeps a scorecard. We need to develop a healthy fear of God of what he might do to us if we disobey him. Afraid that if we fornicate then he might allow us to get a disease, if we get drunk then he might allow us to get killed. We need to be afraid of what God might allow to happen if we do wrong.
Proverbs 8:13 “13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”. Don’t tell me that you fear God if you don’t hate evil. Proverbs 3:7 “7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”. Departing from evil and fearing the Lord are linked together. Don’t tell me you fear God when you do wrong when man isn’t watching. If God would allow me to put one thing into your hearts then it would be a fear of the Lord. Because one day you are going to wake up at the age of 40, looking around, and realizing that you’ve ruined and messed up your lives. Then you will realize that you didn’t get away with it and God wasn’t messing around. There is always repentance and forgiveness but you can’t get back the years you wasted.
Luke 6:46 “46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”. Jesus said if ye love me keep my commandments. How do we work with God as he works with us? That depends on your application of the Word of God and your obedience. How do you know if you are obedient? It means you will obey when no one is watching you, when no one is forcing you. You will obey because you actually fear God. I’m saying that you are actually afraid. All I’m saying is that if you men were running around in a car somewhere going to meet someone you aren’t married to, you should be afraid that God would crush your car and crush your spine. If you don’t think that way then maybe you should start thinking that way. You should be afraid that God’s patience and longsuffering will run out. I’d be afraid. That’s how we know you don’t fear God because you do thinks without worrying about consequences. You hear the Word of God and decide to sin and take your chances. You will learn in the Book of Job that it is easy to speak big and confidently but when God shows up, you aren’t going to stand up and have that attitude.
I want you to notice that Paul not only refers to obedience but also desire. Philippians 2:13 “13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”. People have the thought that they don’t desire to read God’s Word so they don’t, they don’t desire to come to Church so they don’t. But the Bible teaches that when you obey, you will develop the desire. First you obey, then you get the desire. You just do what God tells you to do. It’s called character. It’s called integrity. It’s called duty to do what you should do whether you feel like it or not. But the good news is that when you do what you should do is that it will cause you to start desiring it. One day you will wake up with the desire to read the Word if you are obeying.
Psalm 37:4 “4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”. That doesn’t mean if you delight yourself in the Lord then he will give you all of your ungodly desires. What it’s saying is that it will cause your desires to change. The more time you spend in the Word of God and the preaching of God’s word and in prayer and walking in the spirit and denying the flesh, all of the sudden you won’t want to have all of those covetous and lustful desires. The Bible says to walk in the Spirit and you won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. But you will never have the good desire while walking in the flesh. First obey and then you get the desire. You delight yourself in the Lord and he shall give you the desires.
Here’s an example that helps connect with people. Think of the old hymns. People show up to a Church like this and hear these hymns and they think it’s a bit strange. It’s different to them. It’s spiritual music. After a while you start to like it. After a while you turn off that trash on the radio and you sing these hymns driving down the road. “4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”. First you obey and then comes the desires. Paul tells us how we can work with God as he works on us. It’s about Christian maturity. Your maturity is based on your application of the Word of God.
#2 – It also depends on your attitude as a child of God. Notice verse 14 and verse 15. We have a don’t and a do. He says when it comes to your attitude as a child of God, he says “14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”. He says don’t complain and argue. When I think of complaining and arguing, I think of the average worldly teenager. But you know we see Christian teenagers doing the same thing. The Bible tells us to do all things without murmuring or disputing. Paul says that our Christian maturity depends on your application and attitude. He’s stating that when you complain and murmur, it shows your immaturity. I don’t care how old you are. A mature person doesn’t complain. A mature person just does whatever they are supposed to do. Look, you young guys want that want to complain about everything, look at the grown men in this Church that run successful businesses or have good careers. Do you think they go to work and just want to do everything they do? They just do it because it is the right thing to do. Just quit murmuring and disputing. That’s how some of you live your Christian life. “We can’t hold hands or Pastor will get mad. We have to read our Bibles or Pastor will get mad.”. The Bible says do all things without murmuring or disputing. Murmuring is muttering under your breath and complaining all the time.
In 1st Thessalonians 5 there are all of these little phrases that don’t appear to be connected but they are. 1st Thessalonians 5:16 “16 Rejoice evermore.”. This is what Philippians is about. Be happy. Look, if your Christian life isn’t characterized by rejoicing then you are doing something wrong. Either you are doing it wrong or Jesus and it’s not Jesus. We should rejoice and not complain. Then in verse 17 he says “Pray without ceasing.”. You can’t rejoice while you complain and praying is what you should be doing with your complaints. Did you know there are so many issues from time to time through the years in the Church? There are often so many problems that people bring to us that we just can’t control. There is nothing we can do. We can advise or give guidance but people will do what they choose to. Sometimes that burden can be heavy. Sometimes there is nothing we can do but we can go to prayer and that releases that burden to God. That’s why God says that we should cast our care upon him. If you have a lot to complain about then you should have a very vibrant prayer life. If you have some burdens then pray about it. If you have some things you aren’t happy about, pray about them. These phrases are not written down randomly. It’s kind of like Paul hears them asking how they can rejoice with burdens. Paul says to pray without ceasing.
Then he says this in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”. By the way, he says “in every thing”, not for every thing. When you are going through your hardest trials, you can still stop and be thankful for something. Paul says that God’s ability to work through you and in you, that is all dependent on your application of the Word of God and upon your attitude as a child of God. So he says don’t complain, don’t argue. If you have real complaints then take them to God. And while you struggle, in every thing give thanks. He tells us to maintain a good attitude.
Philippians 2 gave us a don’t and a do. The don’t was don’t complain and argue. Especially young men. It is not becoming of a man to be a complainer. Always complaining. Do you ever get around people that are constantly complaining? Complaining about the Government and this and that. I’m not saying that we don’t have things to complain about but when you are doing it constantly, that is not becoming of a man. Shew thyself a man. You’re the leader. You’re in charge. Hopefully your wife is not a complainer but we don’t need both of you complaining. Someone needs to decide to fix things rather than complain. Don’t complain. Don’t argue. Take them to God. Pray without ceasing. Be thankful and grateful. You can always be thankful for something.
Then he says this in Philippians 2:15 “15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,…”. This verse is not saying you have to be blameless and harmless to be the son of God. The Bible is saying that when you are blameless and harmless then it will be a characteristic that people observe that you are a son of God. “15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,…”. He wants us to be blameless – character. Harmless – agreeable. What does that mean? You aren’t agreeable when you are always frustrated and angry and complaining. If people ask how you’re doing and you murmur then you aren’t harmless.
What is blameless? Often we think of it associated with a Pastor or Deacon since it is found in the qualifications for those positions. But it’s found throughout the Bible and about normal Church people in Philippians 2. Blameless does not mean without sin. It’s the idea that we live our lives above reproach. We live our lives in such a way that no one can blame or rebuke or accuse us of something. Do you understand? That’s what it means to be blameless. In ministry the Bible says that none of us should make false accusations. When it comes to a Pastor the Bible says that against an Elder you aren’t to even receive an accusation except before 2 or 3 witnesses. You aren’t supposed to hear it without evidence. Why do Pastors get special treatment? Because there is a target on their backs. People often want to try to destroy those ministries. The idea is that we should live our lives in a way where we are blameless. People make accusations like someone was stepping outside a bar holding hands with some woman. If someone is blameless then people won’t believe the accusation because of your character. The idea is that we live our lives in a way that is above reproach. No secrets or unaccounted times. No one could say “What happened to that money that you took out of that account?”. It’s not sinless but it’s being above reproach. All of us should live about reproach. How do we do that?
1st Thessalonians 5:22 “22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.”. You know that blameless not only means that you abstain from evil but also from the appearance of evil. It means you don’t even do something that looks like you could be doing something wrong. My wife and I go to a restaurant and they put wine cups in front of us. The first thing we do is turn them upside down and ask the waiters to take the cups. Why do we do that? We are abstaining from the appearance of evil. I don’t want someone to think I’m drinking alcohol even if I’m not.
I’ve talked to couples before and told them that if I catch them again in certain situations then I will assume they are fornicating. We’re supposed to abstain from the appearance. If a guy stays overnight with a woman then I’m going to assume they fornicated. The Bible says to be blameless and abstain from the appearance of evil. Above reproach. Just because society does everything they want, Christians should care about their testimony. Abstain from all appearance of evil. “23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”. This is called character, integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is looking. Integrity is living your life where you are blameless and accounted for. Where you make no provision for the flesh.
Matthew 10:16 “16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”. Our job is to be harmless. To be agreeable, not angry, not contentious. Sometimes Christians live their lives where they are wise as doves and harmless as serpents. How is your attitude? Are you a complainer? Do you like to argue? Do you have character, integrity, abstain from all appearance of evil, agreeable? All of these things will show us how good we are at working out what God has worked in.
#1 – It depends on your application of the word of God.
#2 – It depends on your attitude.
#3 – It depends on your advertisement.
You may be the only Bible that people ever read. Your lifestyle should match your evangelism. Philippians 2:15 “15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”. You and I live in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. The Bible says that we are to shine as lights in the midst of this crooked and perverse nation. Matthew 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”. Your lives should match your evangelism. It’s not enough to just go soulwinning. I hope you go soulwinning but I want you to live right when you aren’t soulwinning. Your lifestyle should match your evangelism.
How do we shine as lights in the world? It’s based on your application and attitude. Do you apply the Word of God? Do you have a good attitude? Or do you do whatever you want and have a bad attitude. Your life is an advertisement whether you like it or not. They will either look at you and think you are a good representation or a reason they will never become a Christian. Your lifestyle should match your evangelism.
Then Paul says that your lifestyle is not enough for evangelism. Philippians 2:16 “16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”. I imagine a soulwinner holding the Word of God in their hand and going forth with it. Our lifestyle should match our evangelism but our lifestyle isn’t enough for evangelism. Preach the gospel.
Ephesians 6:19 “19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,”. Colossians 4:3 “3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”. Let me be clear. If you aren’t a soulwinner then you aren’t right with God. That is the only reason God left you here. So you could live your life in such a way that would be pleasing to him. If you aren’t doing that, Jesus says your salt has lost his savour. He says that you aren’t doing what I asked you to do. The word manifest means to show forth.
On a day like today where we celebrate Independence Day, realize that you have the liberty to preach the gospel. And then many don’t preach the gospel. You have the freedom to knock on someone’s door and you don’t have to worry about getting arrested. Worst case is someone slamming the door on you. I don’t think you get a special crown in heaven for that. I don’t think that compares to the trials Paul the Apostle went through. We have the freedom to preach the Word of God. But we’re too busy doing whatever we want.
Paul ends this little passage with a couple things. We are working out what God has worked in. It has to do with Christian maturity. How do we know if we are working out what God is working in? It depends on your application of the Word of God. If you aren’t applying then you aren’t working out what God is working in, you aren’t working with him, you aren’t mature. It has to do with your attitude. If you are complaining and arguing and disagreeable, you aren’t working out what God is working in. You aren’t working with God as God is working on you. You aren’t a mature Christian. Mature Christians rejoice ever more. It’s not that they don’t have complaints but they take their complaints to God. It’s not that they are sinless but they are blameless. They live above reproach. It has to do with your advertisement. Don’t tell me you are a great soulwinner while you are drinking, smoking weed, etc…But don’t live right and not go soulwinning. You aren’t doing what God wants you to do either. Your lifestyle should match your evangelism and your lifestyle is not enough for evangelism.
Then Paul says that if you don’t allow God to work in you then we are wasting our time. Philippians 2:16 “16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”. Look, I hope you know my heart. Maybe some of you don’t know me that well yet. I’m not complaining when I say this. My heart is really for our Church and for the people of God. Sometimes my wife and I scratch our heads and wonder why people have meetings with us and get advice and don’t apply it. We take the time out of our busy schedules and show what the Bible says and the person says they want to do what God says and then they walk out the door and do the exact opposite. I’m just thinking, “At least don’t waste my Tuesday night. At least don’t keep my wife busy when she has 6 kids.”. If people want to take advice and apply what God says then Praise the Lord. But Paul says that if you don’t do what we’re telling you to do then I have laboured in vain. It was a waste of time. There is no point.
You ought to really ask yourself if you really care what the Bible says. If you don’t allow God to work in you, you are wasting your time. But then Paul says that if you do allow God to work in you then it is worth the sacrifice. Look at verse 17 “17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”. The Bible talks about being a living sacrifice. Paul is saying that if my life is a sacrificial life for the purpose of helping you out then I joy and rejoice with you all. He is saying that it is worth the late nights, it is worth the time in prayer, it is worth the investment in time if you do it. But if you don’t, I just ran in vain. Then I laboured in vain. This is what I mean that sometimes we as Ministers have to stand back and give it to God. Because we can give advice, preach the sermon, let you know what you are supposed to do and then step back and think that we really hope that they do it. We really hope they fix their attitude, abstains from the appearance of evil, apply what they have learned. It’s up to you. God wants to work in you. God wants to work with you. But God needs you to work with him in order to work out what he has worked in. The question is are you working with God while he works on you?
Let’s pray.