WORK IT OUT!
Philippians 2:12-18
The introduction to the musical Oklahoma begins:
“O, what a beautiful morning, O what a beautiful day,
I’ve got a wonderful feeling, Everything’s going my way!”
What about those mornings when you get up, . . .
and you don’t have that wonderful feeling, . . .
when everything ISN’T going your way?!!
How do we respond when times are hard, when things aren’t going our way?
That’s the kind of morning the Philippians woke up to every morning when Paul wrote to them.
Things weren’t going their way.
Paul’s in prison, and not totally certain of what may happen to him tomorrow.
He is excited about how the gospel is spreading as a result of his imprisonment–both inside and outside the prison.
He assumes he will be released from prison to minister to them again.
But he’s not sure of that–there are no guarantees!
Regardless of what happens to him,
whether he’s present with them, or far away,
whether he gets out of prison or dies there,
God’s children should conduct themselves
in a manner that is worthy of the gospel.
FIVE EXHORTATIONS TO UNITY 1:27-2:18
A series of five imperatives reveals the conduct Paul desires to see in us.
We’ve already considered the first three of these exhortations.
1. CONDUCT YOURSELVES WORTHILY OF THE GOSPEL 1:27-30
Stand firmly together . . .
* United in one spirit
* Striving together for the gospel
* Not intimidated by opposition
so that we can help one another when confronted by opponents.
2. BE OF ONE MIND 2:1-4 Be concerned for one another . . .
Be more concerned for one another
than we are for ourselves and our own interests.
*Agreeing wholeheartedly
* Loving one another
* Working together
* Not living selfishly
* Not bragging about ourselves and our accomplishments
* Considering others better than ourselves.
3. THINK AS CHRIST THOUGHT 2:5-11
Follow Christ's example
and humble ourselves for the benefit of our brethren.
* Jesus didn't cling to equality with God 2:5-6
* He gave up His rights 2:7
* He humbled Himself 2:8
* As a result, He was exalted by God 2:9-11
WE ought to think that way! – that ought to be OUR attitude toward one another also!
If JESUS loved us that much, how much should WE love one another
and be willing to give up our rights for one another?!!
This morning we want to consider the last two exhortations to unity . . .
4. “WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION” 2:12-13
Whenever we see the word “save” or “salvation” in a biblical context,
we always think about eternal life–salvation from sin.
We’re forced to come back closer to the original idea of the word
when we talk to an unsaved person about what it means to be “saved.”
“Are you saved?”
They don’t get it!
Their natural question is “Saved from what?”
That’s a question WE don’t often ask! (Saved from what?)–but we should!
It’s critical to our understanding of many passages–including this one.
The root behind the biblical word means “to be safe and sound, alive and well, in good condition.”
The verb was used in every day language to say, “to save or keep something.”
People are kept safe or kept alive–averting some danger.
“I pray that you may be preserved and prosper.”
The verb is so used for to “thrive” or “prosper.”
Things are kept or preserved.
“The sacred revenues are to be preserved for the gods.”
Laws are kept = obeyed.
Thoughts are kept in mind = remembered.
It often describes an act which rescues a person from danger or from physical death
–to rescue a person from danger or deliver them from suffering.
The noun describes the preservation of something, security or safety–health, well-being.
It was applied to a rescue from death or danger. Acts 7:25; 27:31, 34
So the word is used in a very broad sense of rescue or deliverance,
of keeping or preserving things or people.
That idea came to be applied to the spiritual deliverance from sin and from eternal death.
But it never lost the underlying idea of rescuing a person from physical danger
or getting a person out of a problem, or a tight spot.
In this passage, Paul’s thought is clearly NOT about . . .
NOT eternal salvation from sin = "Save yourselves."
This isn’t about working for our own salvation!
NOT even to demonstrate externally
the salvation that Christ has produced internally.
Because of what goes before it –“therefore”
Because of what comes after it –“no complaining or arguing”
It’s all tied back into the unity factor!
Paul’s thought here refers to deliverance from their current dilemma
–the troublesome situation they are caught up in right now.
Warren Wiersbe: “There are problems in life but God will help us to work them out.”
J. Vernon McGee: “Paul is talking about working out their problems which they had in the church and working out the problems in their own Christian lives. He is not there to help them and is not sure that he ever will be there again because he is in a Roman prison, So he tells them to work out their own salvation [to resolve their own problems] with fear and trembling.”
They ought to resolve the conflict they are facing
and thereby demonstrate the work God is doing in their lives.
Work hard at this! (emphatic)–take this seriously!
As you have always obeyed
–In my presence or in my absence
Don’t just do what I want when I’m present to see what you’re doing!
Even while I’m absent you should resolve this mess, since you fear God. He cares about it more than I do, and HE sees what you’re doing!
Resolve it in a spirit of fear and trembling before God.
This is not something we’re able to pull off in our own strength.
So Paul goes on to tell us where the ability comes from.
That’s the reason he can urge us to resolve the conflict:
Reason: 2:13 God is at work in you
God is at work in us!
He makes you want to do what’s right. –“to will”
He makes you able to do what’s right. –“to act”
He is working on the inside to produce both the appropriate attitude and action, in accordance with His purpose for our lives.
His purpose is that we should be one!
Only HE can produce this attitude in us.
When conflict arises we should work it out, so that the work God is doing in our lives–on the inside–will be evident to those who are observing us.
They can’t see what’s on the inside.
They can only see what spills out–when God works in us, it will be evident by the way we handle the conflicts with others.
DEAL WITH IT! RESOLVE THE CONFLICT! GET OVER IT!
5. DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT COMPLAINING 2:14-18
We should do everything without complaining and grumbling. 14-16
Complaint-free conduct demonstrates to people around us
how God has transformed our lives.
Complaining, arguing, and grumbling is normal behavior
in a perverted world.
It shouldn’t be like that among God’s children.
God’s children should be different.
God’s children should stand out as a light
in the midst of the darkness around us.
When we have the right attitude, we will be blameless, pure and without fault, in the midst of a society going the opposite direction–crooked and depraved.
Our behavior affirms the truth of our message. 16
When our attitude is right, we will be able to hold out God’s Word to those around us and will validate God’s work in the midst of a dark culture.
Paul demonstrates what complaint-free conduct looks like
in the midst of suffering for Jesus’ name. 17-18
If we respond appropriately, with a godly, loving attitude, it will be worth it, even if Paul is put to death for his ministry.
He’ll have cause to celebrate, knowing it’s been worth the cost.
In times of affliction, he is able to rejoice. (Celebrate)
He urges us to rejoice with him. (Join in the celebration)
IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR LIFE TODAY:
1. How do we respond when people stand in our way?
How do we respond to opposition and hard times?
Paul says that God’s children ought to face the problem together.
Stand firmly together!
–united in spirit, striving together for the gospel, not intimidated by the opposition.
When the tensions rise between us, we need to work it out!
–resolve the tension, get over it.
2. The only way we will ever respond appropriately to the pressure is when God works in us!
He creates in us both the desire
AND the ability to respond appropriately.
It all comes back to the same solution we’ve seen before:
It’s not about ME, gritting my teeth and trying harder.
It’s about the Spirit of God working in us . . .
He takes control.
He produces His fruit in us.
3. When things don’t work out the way WE think they should,
instead of grumbling and complaining about it, . . .
instead of blaming someone else for our problems, . . .
we ought to respond as Paul did, . . .
look for what God is doing and praise Him for it!
Only the Holy Spirit can do that work in us also!
So, this week, when the pressure rises in our life, how will WE respond?