Philippians 2:12-13; Work Out Your Gospel Unity ~ 20240204 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
02/04 Philippians 2:12-13; Bring Your Salvation to Completion; Work Out Your Gospel Unity; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240204_philippians-2_12-13.mp3
Philippians; Joy in Gospel Progress
Philippians is a letter of joy. The Apostle Paul writes from prison, but he wants this church in Philippi that cares so much about their apostle to know that he is not languishing away in despair, but is overflowing with joy and thanksgiving (1:3-5). He is leveraging his adverse circumstances for the advance of the gospel and the glory of Christ, and the transforming power of the gospel at work brings him joy (1:12-14), so he invites this church to join him in rejoicing.
Paul is grateful to God for the Philippians, but that does not mean that there is no room for growth in them. They have room for progress in the faith.
Exhortation to Gospel Unity
Here’s a rough outline sketching his flow of thought in this section:
1:27 - 2:4 exhortation to gospel unity
2:5-11 motivation of Jesus’ humility that brings glory to God
2:12-16 exhortation to work out your gospel unity
2:17-18 motivation of apostolic joy in sacrificial service
Today we are looking at 2:12-13, this second exhortation to work out your gospel unity, but before we examine it, it will be helpful to zoom out and catch Paul’s flow of thought. First, his exhortation to gospel unity at the end of chapter 1;
Philippians 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
He exhorts them to live worthy of gospel; not in the sense that they could ever earn or deserve the gospel; the gospel is good news of God’s grace; by definition a gift we could never earn and do not deserve. This word translated ‘worthy’ literally means ‘of similar weight or value’; live as citizens in a way that is appropriate to, suitable, fitting for citizens who have been made part of this new community by God’s amazing grace. Let your manner of life be consistent with the gospel.
What specifically does this look like? It looks like ‘standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.’ The gospel, the good news, is that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, came to earth on a rescue mission to suffer and die in the place of sinners who deserve God’s wrath, so that we could be forgiven, reconciled to God, enjoy restored relationship with God forever.
This good news creates a new community, a community of blood bought believers in Jesus, made one by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We enjoy fellowship with God and with one another, made one with each other in the body of Christ, the church. To live consistent with the gospel demands unity with other believers in Jesus. So we plant our feet firmly on our gospel unity, and side by side we contend earnestly for the faith, the good news message of Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Live Out Christlike Gospel Unity
He continues the exhortation into chapter 2;
Philippians 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Because of the gospel, be of the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord and of one mind. Gospel unity. Gospel unity creates commonalities in what we believe, how we love, what is our driving passion, keeping the one thing, the gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ, central.
The gospel changes us. We no longer selfishly pursue our own stuff. We are no longer worthlessly puffed up. We no longer focus only on only what benefits us. The gospel changes us. We grow into humility, a sober self-assessment; a clear view of our faults and flaws, and a deep appreciation of God’s amazing grace. Out of that humility we begin to ‘count others more significant than ourselves’. We begin to look out for the interests of others. The good news gives us a heart for gospel unity.
The Motivation of Jesus’ Humility
This good news that changes us is the message of;
Philippians 2:5 ...Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The gospel creates humility in us because we are following a Jesus who emptied himself, God become human, who stooped down to serve, who humbled himself even to death for the good of others, for my eternal benefit.
United Under the Same Lord to the Glory of God
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The good news about Jesus unites believers under the same Lord, the one name above every name, the one exalted by his Father, the one to whom we together gladly bow in worship.
Therefore, My Beloved
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, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Therefore; because Jesus is the one Lord to whom we gladly submit, because Jesus gave us the ultimate model of self-humbling sacrificial service for the good of others, therefore live this way, in gospel shaped unity.
Paul addresses us tenderly as ‘my beloved’. Once ruthless persecutor of the church, now willing to lay down his own life for the good of the body, his dearly loved brothers and sisters.
The Obedience of Faith
He says ‘as you have always obeyed’. We might tend to misunderstand and see this as grudgingly towing the line, keeping our head down and doing what we are told, following the rules. If that’s what he means, then he can’t say that they have ‘always obeyed’, because he is exhorting them to stop living selfishly, to stop looking out only for number one, to stop being puffed up with conceited pride and to start living a humble others-centered life for the glory of Christ.
Obedience must mean something different than simply following the rules. And we see this all over the New Testament. In John 3:36 Jesus puts believing in the Son for eternal life parallel by way of contrast to those who do not obey the Son, who remain under God’s wrath.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Obeying the Son is another way of saying believing in the Son Throughout the New Testament we read of obeying Jesus (Acts.5:32; Heb.5:9; 1Pet.1:2); obeying the truth (Rom.2:8; Gal.5:7; 1Pet.1:22); obeying the gospel (Rom.10:16; 2Thess.1:8; 1Pet.4:17); obeying the word (1Pet.2:8; 3:1).
2 Thessalonians pictures the scene when;
2 Thessalonians 1:7 ...the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
In biblical language, obeying Jesus, obeying the truth, obeying the gospel is another way of saying believing in Jesus, believing the good news about Jesus, submitting to Jesus as Lord, surrendering to Jesus.
Paul was uniquely gifted and commissioned ‘to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations for the sake of his name’ (Rom.1:5; cf.15:8; 16:26). This is obedience that consists in faith, believing in Jesus, entrusting oneself to Jesus. So Paul, by saying ‘as you have always obeyed’ is highlighting once more the gospel, and their unity in believing the gospel. Since they heard the word and received it, they held fast to it. They have always obeyed, which means that they were striving to live consistent with the gospel. Paul is identifying some areas they are out of step with the gospel, and he is exhorting them to bring these areas into line with the gospel.
Apostolic Presence and the Omnipresence of Jesus
Paul highlights his own absence as no excuse to get lazy about following Jesus. ‘So now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence.’ Who you truly are is who you are when no one is watching you. Anyone can perform well in a job interview, but what only God sees is what really matters. And it’s only God’s opinion that matters anyway! So many of us work so hard at impressing each other, when God sees our hearts, and it is before him that we all will ultimately give account. The apostle is not present, but Jesus is omnipresent. Don’t let who’s watching affect how you follow Jesus.
With Fear and Trembling
He gives one more modifying phrase; ‘with fear and trembling’. Fear and trembling is how weak and frail humanity responds to the presence of almighty God. Psalm 2 warns kings and rulers how to respond in the presence of the all-sovereign only begotten Son of God.
Psalm 2:10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. ...
But note the last line; ‘Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’ Serve with fear, rejoice with trembling, happy are all who run, not away, but to him for refuge. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (Ps.111:10); Isaiah 66 says
Isaiah 66:2 ...this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
Fear and trembling is the appropriate way for a sinner to respond to a holy God. After Paul and Silas were wrongfully beaten and put in stocks in the inner prison in Philippi, where they were praying and singing hymns to God, a great earthquake opened all the doors and loosed everyone’s bonds. The jailer, assuming the prisoners had escaped, was about to kill himself,
Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
This kind of fearful trembling caused him to run toward God seeking salvation, not away from him.
Work Out Your Own Salvation
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, [with fear and trembling,] work out your own salvation [*]
Here he comes to the imperative, the main command of his exhortation; ‘work out your own salvation’. What does this mean? To work out is a compound word that means ‘to work fully, to work out, accomplish, to finish or bring to completion’; he does not say ‘work for’ your salvation. This would be contrary to everything the Bible teaches, that salvation is a gift, by grace not by works, freely given to sinners who deserve only wrath.
And if he were saying ‘work to secure your own salvation, make sure you are personally safe from the coming wrath of God’, this would fly in the face of the spirit of this whole passage. Paul uses the reflexive pronoun ‘your own’ to encourage us to not look only to your own interests; to count others more significant than yourselves (2:3-4); in verse 21 he condemns those who ‘all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ’. In versed 7-8 he holds up Jesus, who emptied himself and humbled himself.
But if by saying ‘work out your own salvation’ he means for us to work out our salvation to its proper end or goal, this fits the whole push of the passage toward unity and humility. As members of the body of Christ who are seeking to follow Christ Jesus our Lord, our salvation will work itself out in self-humbling, self-emptying, in counting others above ourselves, so that we have care and concern for the needs of others. Our salvation will work out toward a christlike humility that pursues the unity of the blood-bought church of Jesus Christ.
Paul makes it clear by using a different compound with the same root twice in the next verse;
Philippians 2:12 ...work out [κατεργάζεσθε] your own salvation, 13 for it is God who works in [ἐνεργῶν ἐν] you, both to will and to work [ἐνεργεῖν] for his good pleasure.
Work out that which God has first worked in you. God is in the emphatic position in this verse. God is the one who is working in you. God’s working is what is the underlying cause not only of our working, but also of our willing. We work out because we choose to work out. We purpose in ourselves to work out. But that very willing, that choosing to work is worked in us by God. We exercise our salvation because he energizes both our desires and our energy.
God’s Gracious Will
Philippians 2:12 ...work out your own salvation, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure [ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐδοκίας].
Good pleasure most often points to God’s free and sovereign delight in doing whatever he wills. Why did you do it? ‘Because I was under pressure and felt compelled to do it’; or ‘I looked toward the end and so I toughed it out and pushed through and got it done’; or ‘I had competing desires in my heart and I gave in to a lesser desire’. Not so God. God is God. He does all that he pleases (Ps.115:3; 135:6).
Jesus uses this word in Matthew 11:26 and Luke 10:21 to speak of the Father’s ‘gracious will’. In Ephesians 1, God’s predestining us for adoption as sons is according to the purpose or good pleasure of his will; he made know the mystery of his will according to his purpose or good pleasure. Our working out our salvation toward a self-humbling, Christ centered, others serving gospel unity is powered by God’s working in us, and brings great pleasure to the Father.
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2024.01.04 Sermon Notes
Philippians 2:12-13; Work Out Your Gospel Unity
Philippians; joy in gospel progress
Philippians 1:3-5; 12-14; 2:17-18
Live worthy of the gospel by your unity in the Spirit
striving side by side for the faith of the gospel
Philippians 1:27-30
same belief, same love, same passion, same purpose;
no selfish ambition, no conceit, not self-interest
Philippians 2:1-4
God’s own humility and sacrificial service
Philippians 2:5-8
Believers united under one Lord
Philippians 2:9-11
The obedience of faith Romans 1:5; 15:8; 16:26
Obey Jesus; John 3:36; Acts 5:32; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:2
The Truth; Romans 2:8; Galatians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:22
The Gospel; Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17
The Word; 1 Peter 2:8; 3:1
With fear and trembling
Psalm 2:10-12; 111:10; Isaiah 66:2; Acts 16:28-30
Work out what God worked in you for his pleasure
Psalm 115:3; 135:6; Matthew 11:26; Luke 10:21; Ephesians 1:5, 9
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org