Let God Work In While You Work Out

Text

Philippians 2:12–13 NASB95

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

As much as this is a book of Joy, it also a book of PURPOSE

Specifically, the purpose God has for developing and growing us

Paul offered prayers to God on behalf of the brethren

Their participation in the gospel (“a shared conviction that manifest itself as mutual responsibility”)

Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

He then explains that his predicament was for their progress

Philippians 1:21–22 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.”

Philippians 1:24 “yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”

Paul joins this with Philippians 1:27 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

Paul shows that God began a work but you have responsibility

The thought of God’s divine activity in the life of the Christian brings joy to Paul

Nothing brings joy like when people fight to do what God says

Nothing brings pain like when they don’t

So in Chap. 2, he makes an appeal, an emotional one to have a “mind like Christ”

Your ability to practice godliness is linked to your willingness to be like Christ

The success in your shaping will depend on how much you can have a mind like Christ

Salvation saved us but it’s also shaping us

“Salvation moved from the cross to a conformity to the mind of Christ”

God’s divine work did not stop when we came up from the water, it still continues

This brings us to our text

Philippians 2:12 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;”

“So then beloved” - this is equivalent to saying “I said that to say this/encourage this” - This “beloved” indicates the close relationship Paul has with these brethren

“Just as you always obeyed” - Paul refers to Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

They listened to the word before/the encouragement before, do it now

“work out your salvation”

This is not salvation from sin (Eph 2:8-9)

This is the lifestyle of a saved person - he said this before (Php 1:27)

This can be translated “work at” or “let salvation be worked into your life” or “let the results of salvation be seen in your life”

The word used here indicates such. “I work to produce something”

The voice used here is

APPL. Some of us got wet but we have not been living like saved people - Some of us have the dispostion that God did enough work on me so I’m good now

As long as you are alive God has some work to do on you

A WORD FOR PREACHERS/WORKERS - Busyness does not always indicate righteousness - You’re still a work in progress

God is still working on us

The reason why we are saying it’s God, is because of vs. 13 Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

APPL. DIVINE ACTIVITY DOES NOT NEGATE HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY

This means that as much as God is doing a “work in”, I need to “work out”

Work - this is a different word - It emp. function.

The first word emp. product the second word emp. the function

God is functioning on the inside so you can show the produce on the inside

Example:

God will work in “let your speech be seasoned with salt” - I work out when I don’t engage in gossip and backbiting

God will work in “not to think more highly yourself. . .” - I work out when I resist favouritism, envy, and pride

God works in “Pray for them that persecute you” - I work out when I don’t retailiate against my enemies

Divine work is going on in my spirit which needs to be manifested in my choices

Part of vs. 12 was left out (intentionally) earlier to emphasise something right now

“fear and trembling”

The process of God working in and you working out should be accompanied by FEAR AND TREMBLING

Fear and trembling leaves the emotional realm and becomes and object of reflection

It is the attitude of a man thatwholly depends on God

It is reverent and submissive recognition of the author of a threat

FEAR is not just being concerned about what God could do, but who God is

Not just His might but His majesty.

This is my disposition when God works in and I work out

The encouragement is this, God is willing and able but He will only do it if we submit wholly to Him

He will not go agaisnt our free will

Will you let Him work in while you work out