06 | Work Out Your Salvation With Fear And Trembling
Work Out Your Salvation With Fear And Trembling
Philippians 2:12-18
As taught 15 February 2015 at Emmanuel Church, Auckland, New Zealand
The Philippians Were A Good Church
Two of their good qualities are mentioned in verse 12…
They obeyed Paul
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,” Philippians 2:12
Two questions arise…
Why was this good?
“Hang on! Paul is a man just like us? Why should anyone obey Paul?”
NT Church—it is a “holy temple” built on one sure foundation…
Apostolic foundation -> authoritative words/teaching
They knew that to obey Paul’s authoritative letters was to obey the very words of God
What does their obedience have to do with us?
Brother David Miller—tell EC who he is
“The torque is always to the left.”
There are many who want to be called “Christians”, but do not like what Paul taught
His soteriology is to exclusive—salvation by grace/through faith/in Christ alone
His ecclesiology is to restrictive—men & women have different roles in the church
How do they get around this?
Paul’s letters are helpful, but not infallible
Paul’s ideas where for 1st century East; irrelevant to 21st century West
So, take what suits you and explain away the rest!
They sit as judges of the Word of God when they should tremble as those who will be judged by the Word of God
If you desire to be a good church, you must obey the words of Paul
They did so on their own accord
Have you ever heard the old saying, “The mice will play when the cat is away”?
I know a church…
When pastor was around, nobody disturbed the peace of the church
Pastor -> Africa for a few weeks, people meet in secrete, agreed to demand control of church plant
The Philippians were not like that
It didn’t matter to them if Paul was present or absent, they obeyed his teaching
The kind of Christianity that is pleasing to God is the kind described by Christ in His Sermon on the Mount
Charitable deeds are performed in secret, Matthew 6:1-4
Prayer is offered in public and in private with equal enthusiasm, Matthew 6:5-15
Fasting is performed before the eyes of God and not men, Matthew 6:16-18
This kind of Christianity delights in keeping the Word of God even when nobody else sees
Even Good Churches Have Room For Growth
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13
This passage is the source of much debate
Some say Paul was confused…
Paul commands the Church to “work out” their “own salvation”
And immediately says, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
Which is it?
Do WE work out our own salvation?
Or is it God who works out salvation in us?
Did Paul not say in 1:6—God who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ
Paul was confused!
Those who say this deny that God has the right and power to insure the inerrant recording of His word
When I wield my mallet and chisel, I exercise mastery over timber and it takes the form I choose
When God selects from mankind the instrument He has prepared, He exercises His sovereignty…
Over the man insuring His words are infallible laid down
We can be sure that Paul was not confused
Others claim Paul taught synergism—salvation requires the cooperation of God AND man
God does His part—He makes men able to believe the Gospel
But man must do his part—it is up to him to exercise his own faith and believe the Gospel
People who believe this will say things like the following…
“Sin has rendered every man unable to respond positively to the Gospel”
“But God in His mercy has given a measure of grace to every person enabling them to believe”
“Now the determining factor in salvation is the will of man—if he wills to believe, he will be saved”
This teaching strikes at the heart of everything we hold dear when we say that salvation is…
By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!
There is a day coming when every man will stand before the judgment seat of Christ
On that day He will separate His people from the world and place them on His right hand
When you hear Him call your name and see His hand point to the right,
You will not look at those on His left hand and think to yourself,
“I made better use of the knowledge and opportunity afforded me than did you lot!”
NO! Instead you will look at those poor souls, many of whom you knew in this life, and say…
“Had it not been for the grace of God, there I too would stand!”
Paul was not confused when he wrote this passage
Paul did not contradict salvation by grace alone
So what does this passage mean?
Paul wrote to those he believed were saved…
Paul wrote to those he believed would be saved when Christ returns…
Paul wrote to tell Christians how to live in between these two great events…Conversion & Consummation
You have been saved by the grace of God
Now by God’s grace bear the fruit of your salvation—what is it?
You are declared holy and blameless in Christ Jesus
You will be holy and blameless when Christ returns
But you are not yet holy and blameless—as long as you live in this world you must grow in all holiness
The good news is God has not left you to do this alone!
Illustration—the bond between these two truths…
For 38 years a man lay crippled beside a pool of water hoping each day to be healed
One day a stranger came, of all the sick people present, he singled out this one crippled man
He asked the strangest question, “Do you want to be made well?”
The crippled man could only answer by explaining the impossibility of his circumstances
The stranger said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And he obeyed.
It wasn’t long before all knew the identity of the stranger—it was Jesus
He healed this man on the Sabbath—for this reason many Jews sought to kill Him
“What do you mean healing on the Sabbath? There are six days in which to work, heal on any of these!”
Our Lord gave this remarkable defence, He said to them…
By this example Christ shows us how to live in this world as sons and daughters of God…
First you must search until to find out where your Father is at work
Then, what you see Him do, you do the same
If you are a Christian, Paul says that your Father is working in you…
It is His will that you…
In all humility of heart join with your Father and…
You are a good Church—you have shown nothing but kindness and generosity to me and my family
I want to admonish you not to rest until the Day of Christ—rather, be diligent to…
Do this and two things will happen…
And on that Day I will rejoice and thank God my labour was not vain, for you will stand perfect in His presence
AMEN