How To Be A Christian
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted
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He glorifies God (2:9-11)
This, of course, is the great goal of all that we do-to glorify God. Paul warns us against "vainglory in verse 3. The kind of rivalry that pits Christian against Christian and ministry against ministry is not spiritual, nor is it satisfying. It is vain, empty.
Jesus humbled Himself for others, and God highly exalted Him; and the result of this exaltation is glory to God.
Our Lord's exaltation began with His resurrection. When men buried the body of Jesus, that was the last thing any human hands did to Him. From that point on, it was God who worked. Men had done their worst to the Saviour, but God exalted Him and honored Him. Men gave Him names of ridicule and slander, but the Father gave Him a glorious name! Just as in His humiliation He was given the name
"Jesus" (Matt. 1:21), so in His
exaltation He was given the name "Lord" (v. 11; see Acts 2:32-36). He arose from the dead and then returned in victory to heaven, ascending to the Father's throne.
His exaltation included sovereign authority over all creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. All will bow to Him (see Isaiah 45:23). It is likely that "under the earth" refers to the lost, since God's family is either in heaven or on earth (Eph. 3:14-15). One day all will bow before Him and confess that He is Lord. Of course, it is possible for people to bow and confess today, and receive His gift of salvation (Rom. 10:9-10). To bow be fore Him now means salvation; to bow before Him at the judgment means condemnation.
The whole purpose of Christ's humiliation and exaltation is the glory of God (v. 11). As Jesus faced the cross, the glory of the Father was uppermost in His mind, "Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee" (John 17:1). In fact, He has given this glory to us (John 17:22), and one day we shall share it with Him in heaven John 17:24
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
The work of salvation is much greater and grander than simply the salvation of a lost soul, as wonderful as that is. Our salvation has as its ultimate purpose the glory of God (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).
The person with the submissive mind, as he lives for others, must expect sacrifice and service; but in the end, it is going to lead to glory."
"Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).
Joseph suffered and served for 13 years; but then God exalted him and made him the second ruler of Egypt. David was anointed king when he was but a youth. He experienced years of hardship and suffering, but at the right time, God exalted him as king of Israel.
The joy of the submissive mind comes not only from helping others, and sharing in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (Phil. 3:10), but primarily from the knowledge that we are glorifying God.
We are letting our light shine through our good works, and this glorifies the Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). We may not see the glory today, but we shall see it when Jesus comes and rewards His faithful servants.
"Few things are harder to put up with," wrote Mark Twain, "than the annoyance of a good ex- ample." Perhaps the thing most annoying about a good example is its inability to accomplish the same achievements in our own lives. Admiration for a great person can inspire us, but it cannot enable us. Unless the person can enter into our own lives and share his skills, we cannot attain to his heights of accomplishment. It takes more than an example on the outside; it takes power on the inside. Paul has just presented Jesus Christ as our great Example in the exercise oft h e submissive mind. We read it, and we agree with it, but how do we go about practicing it? How could any mortal man ever hope to achieve what Jesus Christ achieved? It seems almost presumptuous to even try!
Here we are, trying to develop humility, and we are exercising pride by daring to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ!
The problem is really not that difficult. Paul is not asking us to "reach for the stars," though the higher the goal the more we ought to achieve. Rather, he is setting before us the divine pattern for the submissive mind and the divine power to accomplish what God has commanded. "It is God which worketh ni you" (2:13). It is not by imitation, but by incarnation-
"Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20). The Christian life is nota series of ups and downs. It is rather a process of "ins and outs.' God works in, and we work out. We cultivate the submissive mind by responding to the divine pro- visions God makes available to us.
1. A Purpose To Expect
A Work To Achieve
Philippians 2:12 (KJV 1900)
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
"Work out your own salvation" (v.12) does not suggest "Work for your own salvation.'
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
To begin with, Paul is writing to people who are already "saints" (1:1), which means they have trusted Christ and have been set apart for Him.
The verb "work out" carries the meaning of "work to full completion, such as working out a problem in mathematics. In Paul's day it was also used for "working a mine, t h a t is, getting out of the mine all the valuable ore possible; or "working a field" so as to get the greatest harvest possible. The purpose God wants us to achieve is Christlikeness, "to be conformed to the image of His Son"
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
There are problems in life, but God will help us to "work them out."
»Our lives have tremendous and eternal potential and The Lord wants to help us fulfill that potential.
One of the wonderful things about being a Chris- tian is the knowledge that God has a plan for our lives (Eph. 2:10) and will help us to work it out for His glory. Our God is a God of infinite variety! No two flowers are the same, no two snowflakes are the same; why should two Christians be the same? Al of us must be like Christ, but we must also be ourselves.
T h e phrase "work out our own salvation"
ably has reference particularly to the special problems ni the church at Philippi; but the statement also applies to the individual Christian. We are not to be "cheap imitations" of other people, especially "great Christians." We a r e t o follow only what we see of Christ in their lives. "Be ye fol lowers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). Every "great saint" has feet of clay and ultimately will disappoint you, but Jesus Christ can never fail you.
In verses 14 and15, Paul contrasts the life of the believer with the lives of those who live in the world. Unsaved people complain and find fault, but Christians rejoice. Society around us is "twisted and distorted, b u t the Christian stands straight because he measures his life by God's Word, the perfect standard. The world is dark, but Christians shine as bright lights. The world has nothing to offer, but the Christian holds out the Word of life, the message of salvation through faith in Christ. In other words, as we allow God to achieve this purpose in our lives, we become better witnesses in a world that desperately needs Christ. Apply these characteristics to Jesus and you will see that He lived a perfect life in an imperfect world.
It is important to note that this purpose is achieved "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (v. 15). Paul does not admonish us to retreat from the world and go into a spiritual isolation ward. It is only as we are confronted with the needs and problems of real life that we can begin to become more like Christ. The Pharisees were so isolated and insulated from reality that they developed an artificial kind of self-righteous- ness that was totally unlike the righteousness God wanted them to have. Consequently, the Pharisees forced a religion of fear and bondage on the people (read Matthew 23), and they crucified Christ be- cause He dared to oppose that kind of religion. It is not by leaving the world but by ministering to it that we see God's purpose fulfilled in our lives.
2. A Power To Experience
A Power To Accept
A Work To Receive
Philippians 2:13 (KJV 1900)
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
The principle Paul lays down is this: God must work in us before He can work through us. This principle is seen throughout the Bible in the lives of men like Moses, David, the apostles, and others.God had a special purpose for each man to fulfill, and each man was unique and not an imitation of somebody else. For example, it took God 40 years to bring Moses to the place where He could use him to lead the people of Israel. As Moses tended sheep during those 40 years, God was working in him so that one day He might work through him. God is more interested in the workman than in the work. If the workman is what he ought to be, the work will be what it ought to be.
Too many Christians obey God only because of pressure on the outside, and not power on the in- side. Paul warned the Philippians that not his presence with them but their desire to obey God and please Him was the important thing (1:27; 2:12). They could not build their lives on Paul be- cause he might not be with them very long. It is sad to see the way some ministries in the church weaken or fall apart because of a change in leader- ship. We have a tendency to please men, and to obey God only when others are watching. But when you surrender to the power of God within you, then obedience becomes a delight and not a battle.
The power that works in us is the power of the Holy Spirit of God(John14:16-17, 26; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). Our English word energy comes from the word translated "worketh"i n verse 13. It si God's divine energy at work in us and through us! The same Holy Spirit who empowered Christ when He was ministering on earth can empower us as well. But we must recognize the fact that the energy of the flesh(Rom. 7:5) and of the devil (Eph. 2:2; 2 Thes. 2:7) are also at work. Because of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, God's divine energy is available to us (Eph. 1:18- 23). The power is here, but how d owe use it? What "tools" does God use, by His Spirit, to work in our lives?
There are three "tools". the Word of God, prayer, and suffering.
The Word of God- -"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God, which
ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word ofGod, which effectually worketh also
in you that believe" ( 1 Thes. 2:13).
God's divine energy is released in our lives through His inspired Word. The same Word that spoke the universe into being can release divine power in our lives!
Respect
But we have a responsibility to appreciate the Word, and not treat it the way we treat the words of men. The Word of God is unique: it is inspired, authoritative, and infallible. If we do not appreciate the Word, then God's power cannot energize our lives.
Receive
But we must also appropriate the Word-"receive it."
This means much more than listening to it, or even reading and studying it. To "receive" God's Word means to welcome it and make it a part of our inner being. God's truth is to the spiritual man what food is to the physical man.
Respond
Finally, we must apply the Word; it works only in those "that believe.
"When we trust God's Word and act upon it, then God's power is released in our lives. The angel's promise to Mary in Luke 1:37
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
(1901). God's Word has the power of accomplish- mentin it, and faith releases that power
We see this truth operating in the life of Jesus. He commanded the crippled man to stretch out his hand, and the very command gave him the power to obey and be healed (Matt. 12:13). He commanded Peter to walk to Him on the water, and the command enabled Peter to do so, as long as he exercised faith (Matt. 14:22-33). It is faith in God's promises that releases God's power. His commandments are His enablements.The Holy Spirit wrote down the promises for us ni the Word, and He gives us the faith to lay hold of these promises.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Prayer-So, if we want God's power working in us, we must spend time daily with the Word of God. But we must also pray, because prayer si the se
cond
"tool" God uses to work in the live
s of His children. "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Eph. 3:20). The Holy Spirit is closely related to the practice of prayer in our lives (Rom. 8:26-27; Zech. 12:10), The Book of Acts makes it clear that prayer is a divinely ordained source of spiritual power (1:14; 4:23-31; 12:5, 12), and the Word of God and prayer go together (Acts 6:4). Unless the Christian takes time for prayer, God cannot work ni him and through him. In the Bible and ni church history, the people God used were people who prayed.
Suffering- God's third "tool' suffering. The Spirit of God works in a special way in the lives of those who suffer for the glory of Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). The "fiery trial" has a way of burning away the dross and empowering the believer
to serve Christ. Paul himself had experienced God's power in that Philippian jail when he was beaten and thrust into the stocks in the inner prison; for he was able to sing and praise God in spite of his suffering (Acts 16:19-33). His "fery trial" also en- abled him to forgive the jailer. It was not the earth- quake that brought conviction to the man; the earthquake almost led him to suicide! It was Paul's
encouraging word, "Don't do it! We are all here!" (LB) This kind of love broke the man's heart, and he fell before Paul asking how to be saved.
The Word of God, prayer, and suffering are the three "tools" that God
uses in our lives. Just as electricity must run through a conductor, so the Holy Spirit must work through the means God has provided. As the Christian reads the Word and prays, he becomes more like Christ; and the more he becomes like Christ, the more the unsaved world opposes him. This daily "fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil. 3:10) drives t h e believer back to the Word and prayer, so that all three "tools" work together to provide the spiritual power he needs to glorify Christ.
I fwearetohave the submissive mind, and the joy that goes with it, we must recognize that there is a purpose to achieve (God's plan for our lives), a power to receive(the Holy Spirit), and a promise to believe.
3. There is a Priority To Exercise
Philippians 2:16–18 (KJV 1900)
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
What is this promise? That joy comes from submission. The world's philosophy is that joy comes from aggression: fight everybody to get what you want, and you will get it and be happy. The example of Jesus is proof enough that the world's philosophy is wrong. He never used a sword or any other weapon; yet He won the greatest battle in history-the battle against sin and death and hell. He defeated hatred by manifesting love; He overcame lies with truth. Because He surrendered He was victorious! And you and I must dare to believe His promise, "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11). "How happy are the humble-minded, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs" (Matt 5:3, PH).
There is a two-fold joy that comes to the person who possesses and practices the submissive mind: a joy hereafter (v. 16) and a joy here and now (w. 17-18). In the day of Christ (see 1:6, 10), God is going to reward those who have been faithful to Him.
"The joy of thy Lord" is going to be
a part of that reward (Matt 25:21). The faithful Christian will discover that his sufferings on earth have been transformed into glory in heaven! He will see that his work was not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58 It was this same kind of promise of future joy that helped our Saviour in His sufferings on the cross (Heb. 12:1-2).
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
But we do not have to wait for the return of Christ to start experiencing the joy of the submissive mind. That joy is a present reality (wv. 17-18), and it comes through sacrifice and service. It is remarkable that in two verses that discuss sacrifice, Paul uses the words joy and rejoice--and repeats them! Most people would associate sorrow with suffering, but Paul sees suffering and sacrifice as doorways to a deeper joy in Christ.
In verse 17, Paul is comparing his experience of sacrifice to that of the priest pouring out the drink-offering (Num. 15:1-10). It was possible that Paul's trial would go against him and he would be executed. But this did not rob Paul of his joy. His death would be a willing sacrifice, a priestly ministry, on behalf of Christ and His Church; and this would give him joy. "Sacrifice and service" are marks of the submissive mind
(2:7-8, 21-22, 30), and the submissive mind experiences joy even in the midst of suffering.
It takes faith to exercise the submissive mind.
We must believe that God's promises are true and that they are going to work in our lives just as they worked in Paul's life. God works in us through the Word, prayer, and suffering; and we work out in daily living and service. God fulfills His purposes in us as we receive and believe His Word.
Life is not a series of disappointing "ups and downs." Rather, it is a sequence of delightful "ins and outs." God works in-we work out! The example comes from Christ, the energy comes from the Holy Spirit, and the result is-JOYI