Philippians 2
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Introduction
Introduction
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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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 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, 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. 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. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Obedience
Obedience
Pray
Pray
Obey as you have always obeyed, working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Growing up in Faith
I used Christianity for my own life and will, but never really tried his way
I went to ChurchObedience
I think too often we take scripture that we read, and apply it to our own plans and our own goals in life, never first considering WHO IS PAUL TALKING TO, AND WHY!?
Obedience
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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Obedience
Obedience
I wanted to promises of God, but I hadn’t yet understood taht it
There
Obey as you have always obeyed, working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Workout our Salvation in Fear and Trembling
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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
In this opening passage, it shows the importance of both our own roll in the Christian life, as well as the roll of God. It shows both the supernatural power of God in our lives, as well as the importance that we give God the ability to work. God will never override our free will. Obedience to him and his call will always be on our shoulders, but once we decide to let him work, the unspeakable Joy that Pauls expresses all throughout scripture is given to us. The promise of an “Abundant Life” that I believe Paul clearly lived, is offered to us. Peace amidst suffering, purpose, peace, love.. The things that all christians desire can be part of who we are, but only if we yield the the salvation process that Christ started in us.
Paul has more stories than we could ever dream of, yet expresses Happiness throughout all of his books. It is not just simply accepting that we believe in Jesus that brings about the Joy that doesn’t make sense, it’s about living the life that he’s called us into!
Obey as you have always obeyed, working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
The powerful contrast both between our responsibility to Obey, and God working in us.
So what Paul is saying here, is that through Obedience, we should work out the completion of our Salvation.
but wait?? Aren’t we saved once and for all? YES! but clearly
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Gospels
Sōzō often means to deliver from danger (such as drowning; e.g., Matt 8:25), to heal an illness (e.g., Matt 9:21), to free from an evil spirit (e.g., Luke 8:36), or to save from sins (e.g., Matt 1:21)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
The part of this verse that we have to focus on, is obeying…
Our Responsibility and Gods responsibility
Recent years, and falling short. It made me want to run from it all….. I CAN”T DO THIS The things in life, that give me the most joy and happiness, I’m not finding in constantly falling short in Christianity.. Currently
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Will we obey, letting God transform our lives so we can live the abundant life Christ promises us?
Daily struggle, not to look at whether or not I’m doing the things that a “leader” in the church is supposed to do..
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Transformation is not automatic, we have a part to play, and that part in this verse is to Obey and workout our salvation.
We are not robots
Why don’t we Obey?
The World: I obey therefore I am accepted
The World: I obey therefore I am accepted
Growing up with Legalistic Parents
Football Games
Zits
Obeying for me was about justification, it was about making sure that I was going to make it into heaven one day.
I was making sure I was good in the eyes of God
Rejecting the call in the back of my mind, or in my heart, because I never felt good enough to live for him
My acceptance, depended on my ability to Obey..
We continue to live by, as well as hold others to this standard..
We continue to live by, as well as hold others to this standard..
We use this backwards model of obedience both in how we hold people accountable, as well as how we measure up with God.
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Luke 10:29-
Jesus is telling them, in the most offensive of ways, that the people who you don’t think look right on the outside, who you don’t believe obey all of the rules like you do, actually may Love me with all of their minds…
Homeless Person
How many times have you drove by a homeless person, and immediately you think: “If person would obey the rules after I give them money, then I would help them out”?
We don’t believe
Relationships
I would honor my wife more, if she wou
How often do we hold those close to us to a standards, that we ourselves are unable to live up to?
Husbands and Wives..
Friends
Our love so often than not, is based on their obedience and actions.
Our relationship to God..
We know we are called to a bigger purpose, but we continue to disqualify ourselves because of our lack of obedience.
I yell at my wife, beat myself up, and feel further from God.
I don’t pray enough, so I feel inadequate.
I don’t know enough about the bible.
Right, but the bible says to Obey.. Clearly.. Let’s read it one more time..
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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
The Gospel: I’m accepted therefore I obey
The Gospel: I’m accepted therefore I obey
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Obedience comes out of a response to his love for us.
We believe that HIS HOLY WAYS are higher than our ways…
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
We have to trust
Jesus did what we could not do, and lived a perfect life, and gave himself up, BECAUSE WE were INCAPABLE OF OBEYING!
Establishing this truth is the most important thing, in living out our Christian life..
We have to stop disqualifying ourselves every time we don’t live up, or else we are counting the Cross as accomplishing nothing..
Those who are forgiven much, love mucE
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
MORE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
MORE FORGIVENESS
MORE TIME!
MORE RELATIONSHIP!
These are the things we need in order to Obey, so he can work in us..
An accepted life, is a repentant life..
You will continue to not measure up, but accepting the unconditional love of Christ means that you are real about who you really are, and when you mess up.
Living a repentant life, acknowledging where God is still working in you, allows you to see others through that same lens..
Suddenly when I walk down the road and see the dirty homeless person, I’m not asking if he/she has obeyed or is going to obey, in fact I know they most certainly have not, because they are just like me..
I move with compassion, and I give them something to eat.
The more the Gospel works in and on us like the, the more we begin to Obey the commands that Christ has given to us.
“I think all Christians would agree with me if I said that though Christianity seems at first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, yet it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond. One has a glimpse of a country where they do not talk of those things, except perhaps as a joke. Everyone there is filled full with what we should call goodness as a mirror is filled with light. But they do not call it goodness. They do not call it anything. They are not thinking of it. They are too busy looking at the source from which it comes.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Our goodness is not in us, it’s in Christ alone the author of all Goodness..