Phil. 1:14-18 notes
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Thanksgiving weekend
Phil. 1:12 says to work out your salvation.
Phil. 1:13 says it is God who works salvation in you.
Phil. 1:14 now shows you the attitude in which you should work out your salvation.
We grumble when we get something bad we don’t deserve, or when we don’t get something good that we think we deserve. Isa. 45:9. Grumbling says you’re not satisfied with God’s plan. Disputing says you think you’ve got a better plan.
Lam. 3:39. Grumbling indicates that we’ve forgotten what we’ve been saved from.
7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Three reasons for not grumbling.
#1. For our own sake. To prove ourselves as children of God. To grow in your own assurance of salvation. To live out your freedom to give thanks, whereas everyone else is a slave to grumbling and discontent.
The first recorded complaint in the bible was from Adam: “God, this woman you gave me.” What about the first actual complaint? Who was the first actual person to be discontent and grumble against God? Satan.
Jerry Bridges: “Discontent is one of the most satanic of all sins, and to indulge in it is to rebel against God just as Satan did.”
Mark 7:20-23. It is the things that come out of our hearts that defile us.
Matt. 12:36. We will be judged for every careless word spoken.
Num. 14:26-27. God hears every word we speak as if His ears are right in front of our mouths. James 5:9.
#2. For the sake of the lost. To shine as lights in a world of darkness (Matt. 5:14).
By our character (Phil. 1:15)
By our words (Phil. 1:16a). Holding forth (not fast) the Word of life.
#3. For the sake of your pastor (Phil. 1:16b)
The best thing you can do for the pastor isn’t to write nice SMS or birthday wishes, or even nice gifts or taking us out for nice food. The best thing you can do for me and pastor is to live out the Word that we share.
This results in the gladness and joy of the pastor, and also of the congregation.
So as we work out the salvation that God works into us, let us be careful about our words.
Others May, You Cannot.
Billy Graham: “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have.”
Student protesters in the 1960s. “We have a group that would like to protest. Do you know of a good cause?” The protesting mentality came before the issue to be protested.
We don’t shine with our own light, but by the presence of the Light of the world within us.
The sin that led to the misery of the world, was a sin that involved a significant level of ingratitude. A lack of thankfulness for all that God has given. A discontentment that yearned for more.
Explain.
Grumbling comes from ingratitude, and ingratitude comes when I believe I deserve something.
If you study hard for a test, and you get full marks, you don’t say thank you to your teacher. You earned it. You did the work, and you got the results. But what if you did the work, you put in the hours of study, but your test result was bad? Then you start doing what? Grumbling.
Now, what about salvation? Does God call us to put in the work? Yes. But where most people get it wrong is they think, “If I do all the right things, God will give me all the right things.” Is that true? “If I do all the right things, if I put in all of my effort, my life will go just the way I want it.”
Is that the Christian life? Not at all. The Christian says, “God has worked salvation in me, and I get to work out this salvation in a world full of darkness and evil. And as I work out my salvation, as I live a life of obedience unto God, it will be a smooth sailing journey and super comfortable. Is that it? If you’re faithful in reading the Bible, praying, and serving in church, does that mean that you won’t face hardships?
It will be difficult to work out your salvation. We will face trials and hardships, there will be people opposed to our faith, and we will be tempted to sin, and we will sin and disappoint ourselves and God. And Paul says throughout all of this, as you work out your salvation, do not grumble, and don’t have a talk-back attitude.
The main issue has to do with our expectations for the Christian life. Some of us here are hoping to get baptized this Christmas, so we need to get our expectations clear. God isn’t going to make your life easy.
Grumbling happens when we do heavenly work for an earthly reward. Thanksgiving happens when we do heavenly work because we’ve received a heavenly reward.
Grumbling happens when we live for earth while working for heaven. Thanksgiving happens when we live for heaven while working on earth.
When Paul says I’ll be proud that I did not run or labor in vain, he’s saying that he will be thankful of what God has accomplished through him. He himself is working out his salvation that God has given him. And because he worked out his salvation, so many people were blessed and could come to know Jesus. Paul knew this, so he says he pours himself out as a drink offering upon what? Upon the sacrificial offering of your faith. And he does this with gladness and rejoicing, because he knows that by working out his salvation, many others will come to believe in Jesus and know the goodness of God.
And the same goes for you and me. As we work out our salvation, the people around us will be blessed. They will say, “This guy is so diligent, so hardworking, and yet so kind, gentle and humble.” “This girl is so lovely, she never grumbles, gossips, or complains about anything. She’s so positive and full of gratitude.”
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
The testimony of the people of God is that of all the people in the world, we should be the most thankful, the most grateful.
You, of all people on the planet, have the most to be thankful for. Everything on this earth is temporary, but to you has been granted an eternal reward, and at what cost? Nothing. God has worked salvation in you. You’d have something to grumble about if you worked for a month and you got a week’s worth of pay. You’d have something to grumble about if you worked for a year and got a month’s worth of pay. But some people work for 99 years and they think they deserve an eternity’s worth of reward. God knows we could never do that. So what does He do? He sends Jesus to work on our behalf, and Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience, and He gave the reward to who? You and me. So of all the people on this planet, we don’t work for our salvation. We work because of our salvation. We work out our salvation.
