Work in Faith

Series on Philippians

III Oneness through Service

D Exhortation to Obedience

1 Work Out Salvation, Text: 2:12 and 13

Title: Work in Faith

Introduction

This is one of two passages in the New Testament that bring together God’s sovereignty and man’s freewill. The other one is found in Acts 2:23, which we read earlier, This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. In spite of the endless arguments between Arminians and Calvinists we must go to the Bible to see what it teaches. C.S. Lewis has observed how these verses tie human effort and divine empowering together in one text, The words warn against any view that says that salvation comes solely by human effort. But they also warn against holding that divine grace is so overwhelming that humans need not exert the greatest effort in God’s service. Glorious grace does not excuse from work. If work could earn salvation, the in-working of God would be unnecessary. So let me talk to you first about God’s presence.

I God’s Presence

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. WORK! Paul’s obvious concern is that the foundation he laid in Philippi would progress and result in a solid and successful church. Having just told them about the obedience of Christ in the previous verses it is natural that he would then incite them to obedience following the example of our Savior. His main point here is that obedience should not depend on the presence or the absence of any human being. So much of people’s Christian lives is taken up with performance. We act a certain way because our Christian peers expect us to do that. Secretly we may be very different. Last week there was an article in the Tampa Tribune about a Pastor in West Central Florida who was arrested because he had child pornography on the church computer. It’s hard to figure how anybody could be that dumb, but it’s not hard to figure out how anybody could be that depraved. He was acting one way in public and a different way in private. This is relevant because Paul’s point is that whether he is present or absent they should obey. I think of that passage in I Corinthians 1 :10-13, where Paul says, I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloeís household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? The point is that people will not always be there, but God will. Who are we trying to please? I remember the story of the lady who called the National Cathedral in Washington, DC and asked if the President would be present for AM worship. The Rector replied that he didn’t know, but God would be there and he hoped that would be sufficient incentive.

II God’s Provision

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, says Paul and he adds in verse 13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. This is a scary text. The word fear is the Greek word from which we get our word phobia, and the word trembling is the Greek word from which we get our word trauma. These are powerful words, and now that I have frightened all of you, let me point out that Paul’s purpose is not to make you doubt your eternal salvation. If that were true then the second part that says God works in you would be irrelevant. Yet the language is not to be reduced to a mere respect or reverence. I lived in an era when spanking was a normal procedure. I did not want to get spanked. I was afraid. Yet at the same time I knew that my parents loved me and I knew that they would not cast me off. They would be faithful to me to the end, but they weren’t going to put up with any nonsense. That’s what Paul is talking about. John Bunyan said, “God…will not lightly or easily lose His people. He has provided well for us: blood to wash us in; a Priest to pray for us, that we may be made to persevere; and, in case we foully fall, an Advocate to plead our cause.” We must also address the conundrum evident in this passage. Many will say that this is impossible. If God is doing it, then I am not and if I am doing it, He is not. What has always amazed me about this passage is that Paul does not try to explain the difficulty. He just states reality. This is the way the world is. Peter does the same thing preaching on the day of Pentecost. He tells the people that Jesus was delivered up to the cross through the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, and yet he says that they took him with wicked hands and murdered him. They might ask, “If God determined this, then why are we guilty.” Peter doesn’t answer the question either. You cannot search out the counsel and ways of the Almighty. We all need to submit our understanding to the Scripture and stop trying to submit the scripture to our understanding. If I could explain this I would make Davinci, Hawking and Einstein look like dummies. The point is that we cannot because his ways are past searching out. He is inscrutable and incomprehensible, but he is Lord and we need to submit to what he says.

III God’s Purpose

Listen to verse 13 again, For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Here is an acknowledgement that God has a purpose in all of the circumstances and events that we cannot understand. Thomas Watson writes, “I do not say that sin works for good to an impenitent person. No, it works for his damnation, but it works for good to them that love God…. l know you will not draw a wrong conclusion from this, either to make light of sin, or to make bold with sin…If any of God’s people should be tampering with sin, because God can turn it to good, though the Lord does not damn them He may send them to hell in this life, He may put them into such bitter agonies and soul convulsions, as may fill them full of horror, and make them draw nigh to despair. Let this be a flaming sword to keep them from coming near the forbidden tree.” Paul comments on this purpose in Romans 8. He says in verses 28-32 , And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? As you know the providence of God has often been compared to weaving. In many weavings if you look at the underside, or wrong side you cannot tell what the design is, however when you turn it over, the picture is complete. So it is with God’s purpose. In life we look at the underside And we cannot understand why. But in the Bible we look from above and we know that the pattern is perfect and complete.