Connections That Illumine Us

Philippians 2:14–15 KJV 1900

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 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;

Introduction

A little light goes a long way. Consider a nightlight in the bathroom that guides you safely in the darkness or the headlights on your car that light up the dark road as you travel. Light is a common analogy in Scripture for the holy testimony of believers. We may often feel like our individual testimony is not enough. But as we work out our salvation, our lives shine in the darkness of the world. And as our individual lights combine with those of fellow believers, the light grows brighter and brighter.

In our text today Paul addressed the Christian experience of sanctification—growing increasingly more like Christ. Remember, as you strive to follow Christ daily in a world of sin and darkness, God gives you the desire to deny yourself and live like Him. Rejoice that God gives you power to overcome the darkness.

This Lesson addresses the belief that truth is subjective. As we look at the world around us, we see growing evidence of people who set their own standards of truth. Right becomes wrong, and wrong becomes right. The truth becomes what they want it to be. With no absolute truth, there is no absolute moral standard, and the world spins further into darkness. This lesson teaches us the importance of shining the absolute truth of the gospel into a dark and broken world. As we live out our faith, our lives become beacons of God's light and witnesses to His truth.

Gather

Bread dough.

Cooking oil.

Wet wipes.

Baked bread made from properly kneaded dough

Steps

1. Demonstrate how to knead a lump of dough, then ask for a volunteer to knead the dough. When the volunteer gets tired, choose another student to continue the kneading. Allow several volunteers to take a turn. Add a tiny amount of cooking oil to students' hands if the dough gets sticky. Hand out wet wipes for students to clean off their hands.

2. Discuss the activity.

For most bread dough should be kneaded for about ten minutes.

ASK: Did we add any essential ingredients as we worked the dough? No.

ASK: What is the point of kneading dough? It develops the gluten within the dough. The gluten traps air which allows the dough to rise.

ASK: What can make the process of kneading dough so tiring? Using the same muscles repeatedly for a period of time.

3. Present the example of baked bread if you brought them. Note what happens to bread that is not kneaded the proper amount of time. ASK: Which bread do you think was not kneaded long enough? The flat piece. When dough isn't kneaded long enough, it doesn't rise properly and loses its shape. It also does not taste good. ASK: What might happen if we don't work at developing our Christian lives? 3. Transition to the Bible lesson.

Just as dough has to be kneaded so that it can rise properly, we have to work at developing our lives as believers. In Philippians, Paul called it working out our own salvation, which can be long and tiring work. Just like with the dough, we are not adding anything to our salvation; we are developing our Christlike character. Today's lesson reminds us that even when this work is hard and we want to give up, we are not alone in our work!

whether present or absent, Paul wanted to hear that the Philippians were standing in unity characterized by humble like-mindedness.

Philippians 1:27 KJV 1900

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Philippians 2:3–5 KJV 1900

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

In his absence, Paul was also concerned that they continue living in obedience to Christ.

Philippians 2:12–18 KJV 1900

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. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 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; 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. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

Work out You Salvation

Your Part

Philippians 2:12 KJV 1900

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.

Paul reminded the Philippians of their faithful obedience in the past then challenged them to work out their own salvation.

ASK: How might this verse trouble those (like us) who believe in salvation by faith alone? It seems to be saying that salvation comes through works.

Paul was not instructing the Philippians to work to earn their salvation. After all, it was Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who wrote that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works.

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Here, in our text, the term "work out" suggests bringing something to completion, such as working out a math problem. It does not mean to work for or to accomplish salvation. Our salvation is an accomplished fact. Christ provided it by His death on the cross, and we Christians appropriated it by faith. God saved us by grace, knowing that we could not save ourselves. Now that we possess salvation, our lives should show it.

The recipients of this letter were already saints in Christ Jesus Paul wanted them to be actively working out the new life they already possessed through faith in Jesus Christ. This work is part of the equation for a believer's sanctification (the process by which a believer becomes more and more Christlike). As the believers put their faith into practice, they were to do so in an attitude of "fear and trembling" (2:12), recognizing the immensity and importance of this task.

ASK: What are some practical ways believers actively work out their faith? By diligently studying God's Word, sharing the gospel with others, serving others, being a consistent part of the local church, making Christ-like decisions.

ASK: Why is it important that believers actively work at becoming more like Christ, instead of just coasting until they are taken to Heaven? If we coast, we miss great opportunities to know Christ more and to share our faith with others. If others can't see the difference in our lives, what good is our faith?

God's part

The other part of the equation for a believer's sanctification is found in Philippians 2:13. Paul stressed that the Philippians were not working alone.

Philippians 2:13 KJV 1900

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The Lord supplies both the power and the actual desire to do things His way. God tells us what to do, shows us how to do it, and then gives the desire to do it as He said. When we commit to do God's will in all situations, we allow His Spirit to work in us. Our work leads both to our spiritual maturity and to God's pleasure.

ASK: How can the truth of this verse motivate you when you get tired or discouraged in your Christian walk? You can know God is still with you, supplying power and strength to keep you going. The God of the universe is on your side, and He is pleased with you when you don't give up.

Straighten Out Your Speech

After explaining the importance of living out salvation, Paul offered a practical application. Likely, the Philippian church was experiencing some degree of division. So Paul addressed a particular problem that might have been contributing to tensions within the church. He admonished the believers to do everything without complaining or disputing.

Philippians 2:14 KJV 1900

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

ASK: Why is this command difficult to live out? For a lot of us, complaining and bickering have become habits. It's often difficult to control our words, and we speak before thinking.

People complain and dispute when they have self-centered attitudes of resentment or dissatisfaction about responsibilities. Both of them indicate sins of the heart and are common among believers.

Believers often dismiss complaining and bickering as traits of human nature instead of addressing them as sin and making efforts to avoid them. Believers can take many practical approaches to control their words as they continue to work out their salvation, but they cannot overcome these sins on their own. As believers rely on God to give them the power and the desire to overcome complaining and disputing, they can realize victory.

ASK: How can you take responsibility to overcome these particular sins? Confess the sins to God and others, replace sinful speech with holy speech, practice gratitude, remember Christ's attitude.

Shine as lights

As believers work out their salvation in the strength of the Lord, especially pertaining to their speech, their lives offer an undeniable testimony to unbelievers. Philippians 2:15 and 16 describe the type of testimony a believer should offer to this world.

Philippians 2:15–16 KJV 1900

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; 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.

ASK: What effect does Christlike living have on the world? It shines light into the darkness of the sinful world.

"Blameless" means "above reproach" or "free from fault. " Believers will never attain perfection in this life, but their testimonies should be such that they are above accusation. Nobody should be able to find grounds for accusations of wrong. To be harmless speaks of purity. In the first century, this word described things that were one hundred percent natural, not diluted or mixed with other substances.

Paul challenged the Philippians to actively work out their new life in Christ so that their lives would become blameless and sincere witnesses. Those who observed their lives would know that they were children of God.

ASK: How does Paul's description of the world compare to our world today?

The words Paul used to describe the first-century world are still accurate today. We live in a dark and perverse world, twisted by sin. Distorted ideas abound. People continue to be led astray by false views of God, religion, morality, sin, sex, right, and wrong. This world seems to know no limits; we live in an "anything goes" society.

But God expects His children to be different. Believers should be blameless and innocent before sinful people who are following their own distorted desires. The lives of blameless believers will offer light in the surrounding darkness as they hold firmly to the gospel—the word of life. If believers' lives are no different than the crooked lives around them, they have nothing to offer.

Rejoice like Paul

Philippians 2:16–18 KJV 1900

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. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

ASK: How did Paul live out Christlike selflessness on behalf of the Philippian believers? He counted their maturing faith as more important than his very life.

If the Philippians lived as he had instructed, Paul would someday know he had not labored in vain. He considered the Philippian believers' testimony so important that even if he died a martyr's death, he would rejoice because of their faith.

Paul likened his death to a drink offering. In Moses' day the people of Israel sometimes brought sweet-smelling offerings to the Lord, expressing thanks to God for His provision, His goodness, and His mercy. The people could offer either certain animals or grain (Lev. 2). In some cases, wine was poured over the sacrifice as a symbol of God's provision flowing to His people (Num. 15: 1 —1 6). Because the sacrifice on the altar was hot, the drink offering would go up in a puff of smoke. The animal on the altar was most significant; the drink offering was small in comparison.

Paul saw his own death as a drink offering, an added expression of thanks to God for salvation and for the opportunity to serve the Lord. His life was not the important thing; the Philippians' faith was what really counted. And he encouraged the Philippians to view his death the same way. If the believers at Philippi continued to work out their differences with like-mindedness and humility, they would become shining testimonies in a perverse world. Their blameless, sincere lifestyles would validate the word of life they offered to those around them. In this kind of testimony Paul would rejoice, even if his blood were spilled, and the Philippians could rejoice, even if their friend were martyred (2:18).

Paul's joy came from doing the Lord's will and seeing Him work in others' lives.

ASK: How can we follow Paul's example of rejoicing even in hard times? We can have confidence in doing God's will, knowing that our work is not in vain but that God will bring good from it. We can rejoice that God is working in our lives and in the lives of others. We can focus on what's most important by looking forward to the day of Christ.