Philippians 2:12-18: Working Salvation

Working Salvation:Philippians 2:12-18

Our Scripture Reading this morning comes from Philippians 2:12-18. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

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.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. 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. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

 May God bless the reading of his Word.

I joined the military right out of high school. And in my immaturity, I often grumbled and disputed about perceived unfairness.  More than one superior flat out told me to stop whining.  Initially, I chalked up their rebuke to insensitivity on their part.  After all, insensitivity comes with the territory in the military.  But in retrospect, they accurately diagnosed my problem.  I thought I knew better than they did.  I thought I had something to grumble and dispute about.  In fact, it had become something of a bad habit for me.  I viewed my world through a tinted and skewed lens of complaint and perceived unfairness.  Eventually, this led to my voluntary, honorable exit from my first enlistment on active duty.  But I soon found that my struggle in the military carried over to my experience outside of the military.  Problems we often encounter at one place, often go with us to the next place.  Especially if we are the problem.  I realized that I had a problem.  A year later I went back on active duty, resolving to behave differently.

Unfortunately, the behavior I exhibited, does not differ all that much from most people.  In fact, research reveals that most of us complain once a minute during a typical conversation.  Research further reveals that complaining leads to a sort of brain damage where our bodies release cortisol, a stress hormone, that shifts us into fight-or-flight.  This eventually raises our blood pressure and weakens our immune system.  This could lead to long-term health problems.  This could certainly lead to long-term sin problems if it goes unchecked.  I wish I could say that I learned my lesson as a young man.  I wish I could say that I exhibit none of the health or sin problems I mentioned.  Unfortunately, I do.  You might too.  For, unless we pause and consider, repeated complaint will become so normative to us that we rewire our brains, continually falling into a rut of negativity.    

Experts who study this trend recommend a solution. They recommend that we cultivate an attitude of gratitude. My wife had a little cross-stitch embroidery she made that said, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”  In other words, it does not matter all that much what we have or what we do not have.  It matters if we have thankfulness for what we have.  The old actress, Doris Day once said, “Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.”  And while God never condemns financial poverty in scripture, he warns against attitudinal poverty. 

We find it in our text today. We find it in the main idea of our text today: We work out our salvation, for God works in us, doing all things without complaint, for the sake of our witness.  Christians should not merely feel different than the world around them.  But they should act different than the world around them.

Paul, writing from prison to the church at Philippi, expresses joy in exhorting God’s people in ch1, vv1-11 to abound in love out of gratitude for God’s work in them and for the gospel partnership they share with one another. Indeed, God’s people have great reason to rejoice, because vv12-18 show us that despite trial we endure or motive we have, we can proclaim Christ.  In fact, vv18-26 show us that we can live for him, convinced that death is gain.  Therefore, in vv27-30 God would have us stand firm in the faith, unified with one another, even suffering for Christ’s sake.  But as we see in ch2, vv1-4, how we stand firm together in unity requires that we pursue harmony and humility in the face of factionalism & pride.  How do we do that?  Well, ch2, vv5-11 shows us Christ as the ultimate example of humility, who secures for us a restored harmony between he and his people.  And because Christ obediently humbles himself to the point of death, God highly exalts him, so that every person should worship him, professing his lordship.  How do we do that?  How do we worship?  How do we profess tangibly?

I. Work Out Our Salvation, for God Works in Us, 12-13

A. What we do, 12

“Therefore, my beloved,”—meaning that because we have looked to the interests of others, as I, Paul called us to in v4, he says, “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.”  First, God calls us to consistency.  He calls us to constancy in our behavior.  Do not act hypocritically.  Do not act a certain way in front of certain people, only to act a different way in front of other people.  Paul does not call them to this because he has them under surveillance.  And Paul does not see his presence with them as essential to them living the Christian life.  As much as they might benefit from his presence, God has given them what they need. 

Paul did not leave them leaderless.  In fact, Paul mentions various Philippian leaders throughout this book.  And even if providence separated them from those leaders, providence never separates them from Christ.  Paul wants them—Paul wants us—to do right, regardless of who sees it, whether in his presence or in his absence.  In fact, Paul calls God’s people to do the same in Ephesians 6:6, “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”  Our motivation for why we do what we do should center on Christ.  And now that we have established whom we aim to please, let us consider what we do to please him.

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  Now if we pulled this verse completely out of context, we could construe all sorts of ideas.  We could venture down the path of bad theology and heretical ideas, like the sort we find among the cults and other groups: a works-based salvation.  But the earlier part of v12, and later v13 dispels us of any such notion.  In other words, context suggests what it means.  We will get to v13 in a moment.  But notice how the earlier part of v12 tells us its meaning.  In essence, Paul says, do not do what you do for my sake, as in my presence.  But do what you do for your own sake, much more in my absence.  Work out your own salvation.  Work out what you already possess.  It would not be your own salvation if you did not already have salvation.  But never for a second presume upon that salvation if you do nothing with it.  Work it out.  I can own a car and never use it.  What good would that do?  Well, how much more would salvation do if I never use it?  Work it out.

But notice how we work it out: with fear and trembling.  In other words, forsake presumption.  Do not presume upon God’s mercy.  Do not think God saved you if you have no desire to bear any fruit.  2 Corinthians 13:5 tells you to, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test.”  Thankfully, we do not do this in our own strength.  For the previous verse in 2 Corinthians says we will live with him by the power of God.  But if we live far from God, forsaking his commands, forsaking his call to repentance, we should fear.  We should tremble.  Then, we should repent and ask for God’s strength.  And then we should live in his strength.   Our walk should match our talk.  But even if we work out this salvation, we always, in a sense, fear and tremble before God.  We not only consider his immanence, or closeness to us.  We also consider his transcendence, or supremacy of how far God surpasses us.  That should produce reverence or fear in God’s people.  We stand exposed before a holy God.  So, Paul tells us what we should do in v12, which leads to…

B. How and why we do it, 13

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.”  I want you to notice that salvation is not synergistic—meaning, not a combination of what we and God do together—but monergistic—what God alone does on our behalf.  He works in us.  I like what Martyn Lloyd-Jones has to say here.  He says, “There is a sense in which we can say that as Christians we are already saved; there is a sense in which we are being saved; and another in which we shall be ultimately saved…what the Apostle is talking about here is not justification, but sanctification… What the Apostle is concerned about here is the working out of the life which we have received, not our arriving at it.”  You see, God not only saves us, or justifies us, but gives us the power, the strength, and the desire to live that salvation out.  He sanctifies us.  He works in us.  He provides the how.  And he provides the why.  He goes on to say, “for his good pleasure,” or for his good purpose, as some translations say.  He delights to work in and through his people.  He enjoys it.  It satisfies God to see his people’s will, or affections, his people’s work, or actions, incline towards him.

I can recall a time years ago, when my children used to emulate something that I said or did.  Unfortunately, they often emulated something bad that I said or did.  For instance, during a time of extreme busyness in my life—working full time, pursuing another degree, and writing a dissertation—I would grow frustrated with having to stop to deal with a discipline issue with my children, an issue that I had just corrected a day or two prior.  You could say I wanted to parent in a set-it-and-forget-it sort of way.  Very realistic, right?  —No.  And in a moment of frustration, I would tell my children, “You’re wasting my time.”  My time became more precious than my children, to my shame.  And wouldn’t you know it, they emulated that phrase, repeating, “You’re wasting my time.”  I actually found it a little cute when they told their toys and dolls, “You’re wasting my time.”  But, nonetheless, conviction set in.  They held up a mirror to my sin. 

We hate it when children emulate something bad that we say or do.  But we love it when children emulate something good that we say or do.  Friends, a perfect God does not have to worry about his children emulating something bad in him.  For God has nothing bad in him.  God acts perfectly.  God exudes holiness.  We, however, do not.  God gives his children commands.  And his children repeatedly fall short of those commands.  We never measure up.  Even though all our righteous deeds are like polluted garments, God never tells his children, “You’re wasting my time.”  Instead, God patiently waited centuries to show them their utter and desperate need, for him to act, by sending his Son to die sacrificially to atone for sin, to save them—to save us—from sin.  And now that he has, God delights in his children.  He takes pleasure in them working out their salvation, going about his business, living in alignment with his commands, his calling, and his commitments.  So, we work out our salvation, through God’s strength working in us, for his good pleasure.  In vv12-13, we work out our salvation, for God works in us…

II. We Work Without Complaint, for the Sake of Our Witness, 14-18

A. We carry ourselves differently than unbelievers, 14-16

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”  Grumbling refers to the kind of low-tone-of-voice, behind-the-scenes talk in which we secretly deride others, discontentedly muttering and complaining.  Disputing refers to the kind of debate and taking of sides to air grievances.  I do this.  God forgive me.  I act just like those Israelites wandering in the desert all those generations ago, grumbling and disputing all along the way.  We might think that we do not have that sort of attitude.  But we do.  In fact, in much easier circumstances than they dealt with, we grumble and dispute about much less.  Now this does not mean that we cannot have legitimate concerns.  And we can express those concerns.  But we cannot express legitimate concerns using illegitimate means.  Meaning that we cannot sin to confront sin.  We cannot grumble behind the scenes about others.  We cannot dispute by pitting people against one another to air every grievance.  Rather, we exercise Matthew 18, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.”

But a lot of what passes for thoughtful critique in our day, really proves little more than grumbling and disputing.  Our culture runs on the faulty presupposition that we have gotten smarter and more sophisticated as we have gone along.  As a result, we believe that we can critique anything and everything, especially previous generations.  Experts call this sort of critique, presentism.  Presentism means we measure people and situations from the past by the standards and sensibilities of the present.  We criticize history and historical figures on a host of issues without understanding the context of the times.  And we look down on them for not having our modern sensibilities.  We like to think that we would have done better in their context.  For instance, all of us would like to think that if we lived in Nazi Germany, we would act like this one guy who did not “Heil, Hitler.”  But we most probably would have acted like the rest of the crowd, even if we did not really like Hitler.  The Pharisees thought the same about themselves.  They claimed in Matthew 23:30, “If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.”  But what did they do?  They led others to shed the blood of the Messiah.  They grumbled and disputed about him.

We think we would do better.  But more often that not, we just grumble and dispute.  Hence the moniker, “snowflake.”  Have you heard the term?  We use the derogatory term “snowflake” to describe people that we find overly emotional, easily offended, and lacking in resilience, especially when they face opposing views.  They have an exaggerated sense of entitlement, as unique and fragile as a physical snowflake.  But if the statistic I quoted earlier proves true—about how much most of us complain, once a minute during a typical conversation—can we really justify calling someone else a snowflake, when we act in much the same way?  We grumble and dispute.  The Puritan, Jeremiah Burroughs, in his book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, tells a story from Plutarch about what they did in his day to those who grumbled and disputed, those who felt very much dejected by any affliction, those Greek snowflakes.  For their punishment they had to wear women’s clothes, sometimes for years.  Because their culture saw such behavior as effeminate, as unmanly.  Can you imagine?  Now we may not judge such behavior as effeminate, but we can certainly judge it as unchristian.

Because Christians should act differently.  Why?  Because v15 tells us why, “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.”  Notice that our behavior directly ties to our witness.  If we grumble and dispute as the world does, we blemish our witness.  And the world sees that.  But God calls his children to blamelessness in a blameworthy generation.  God calls his children to innocence in a guilty generation.  God calls his children to purity in a blemished generation.  We do this by keeping a tight rein on our speech and on our attitude.  Why?  So that others can see Christ in us.  The phrase, “in the midst,” suggests that God leaves us in the world for this very purpose.  Meaning that we must have regular contact with unbelievers, with this crooked and twisted generation.  Notice that the phrase “crooked and twisted generation” applies just as much to the first century as it does to the twenty-first century.  Throughout every crooked and twisted generation, God’s children must shine as lights. 

This reminds me of the time that God confronted Job in ch38, v2, saying, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?”  In other words, who thinks he has the right to dispel the light of truth by speaking untruth?  Who thinks he has the right to dissipate the brightness of God by grumbling and disputing about whatever God gave him?  God goes on to say, “I will question you.”  And Job listens for the next two chapters to God describe both himself and his work.  Finally, Job responds in ch40, saying, “What shall I answer you?  I lay my hand on my mouth.”  His grumbling and disputing ceased.  He knew he needed to act differently.  And so do we.  Colossians 4 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that we may know how we ought to answer each person.”

But how do we do this?  Paul tells us in v16, “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.”  So, holding fast to God’s word—the good news of Jesus—purifies our speech and our witness.  You know the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.”  I’ll give you another, “Good news in, good news out.”  Which begs the question, how do we fill our time?  Do we see the need to regularly hear from God, by reading his word daily, to affect our speech and attitude?  Do we hold fast to this?  Let us not make the apostle’s work a vain endeavor by ignoring what he wrote.  Let us keep in mind that Christ will return.  We have work to do between now and then.  And we need to hold fast to the right tool to do that work.  We need to hold fast to the word of life, Christ himself, found in the scriptures.  In vv14-16, we carry ourselves differently than unbelievers…

B. We show gladness, even when suffering, 17-18

Paul says, “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.”  In v16 Paul uses the metaphor of a runner running a race.  A runner can expect some immediate reward if he runs well.  But here in v17, he uses the metaphor of a drink offering, as someone poured out.  He can expect no immediate reward for if he gets poured out.  It purely benefits others.  He can live with that.  He will gladly pour himself out for them.  He will do whatever it takes, as Christ did.  He will emulate the sacrifice of Christ.  He will forsake his own needs, just as Christ did when Christ paid our penalty for sin.  But notice that Paul does not do this begrudgingly.  He gladly does it.  He rejoices.  And he asks them, and he asks us, to likewise, rejoice.  We have the the privilege to call the God of all the universe our Father.  And we have the privilege to pour ourselves out for him, because we have the promise that he not only saves us, but works in us.  The world offers no greater privilege.  The world offers no greater joy. 

On my trip to India a few years ago, I visited a Buddhist monastery in the foothills of the Himalayas.  While there, I saw worshippers offer snacks, fruit, and money to the idol of Buddha.  They offered these small offerings, believing that someone would grant their wishes and answer their prayers.  In essence, they poured out of their pockets whatever might produce the desired effect, scratching Buddha’s back in the hopes that he, or another, would scratch theirs.  In the Old Testament, many cultures did the same.  But they worshipped another deity.  They worshipped Molech.  And Molech demanded human sacrifice.  In fact, many an Israelite sacrificed their own children to Molech, pouring out, or effectively ending the lives of their children to get what they wanted, a tune all too familiar in our cultural sacrament of abortion on demand. 

But notice the difference in true, biblical Christianity when it comes to sacrifice: not just snacks, fruit, and money, and never children, never the sacrifice of another, other than Christ.  But because of Christ’s sacrifice we now have the ability according to Romans 12 to give of ourselves, to serve as living sacrifices; not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of others, that others see us shine as lights, that others—according to 1 Peter 2:12—see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.  In vv14-18, we work without complaint for the sake of our witness.

We do not work to obtain our own salvation.  We work because we already have salvation.  And we work to see others have the same, planting and watering the seeds of the good news that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, so that we too might raise to new life, with our sins washed clean by the blood of his cross.  So, we offer ourselves because Christ did so for us.  We work out our salvation, for God works in us, doing all things without complaint, for the sake of our witness.  Brothers and sisters, every day, we can act more like Jesus, or we can act less like Jesus.  So, how about it?  Will we shine as lights in the world, or darken counsel by words without knowledge?