Work Out. . .
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It’s a mad, mad, mad world
It’s a mad, mad, mad world
Turn on the new’s, pick up the newspaper or turn on the radio and you will have it confirmed that we live in a mad, mad world in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Php2:15)
15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
We are faced with living in the midst of this world and to be a shining light to the world, shining the light of Jesus, but how do we do it?
Work out your personal salvation (singular) so then can work it out as ours (plural) by being a light (Php2:12; Eph2:8-10; Tit3:1-8)
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;
Php2:12
So, how are we to work it out? - with fear and trembling; let me expand on that more, may we remember we are saved by grace through faith.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
We are not saved by our works, or deeds, we hear, believe and respond to the gospel to accept the Lord’s righteousness not righteousness of our own.
Credited, saved, all with a purpose
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Now this next section is longer, turn to Tit3:1-8 with me and lets see what we can glean from the scripture about working out our salvation.
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.
3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
Tit3:
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
(work out picture)
There is so much we can get from this passage i want to focus on things that help us work out our salvation.
Ask questions on these
Work out being ready for every good work (v.1)
Work out knowing it was not because of our righteousness (v.5)
Work it out knowing how our salvation came to be (v.5)
Work it out being careful to maintain good works (v.8)
We need to be careful because we are not saved by good works but for good works, our salvation will produce fruit of good works, now as we move on to see what that means.
Developing Christ Like Character
Developing Christ Like Character
As have stated many times before becoming a Christian is easy, being the Christian God wants us to be following the example of Christ takes effort, takes perseverance, takes the Holy Spirit and each other to do it.
We do it by growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2Pt3:17-18; 2pt1:5-11)
How can you grow in grace?
Isn’t knowledge works? Or does knowledge help to produce good works?
Let’s look at some scripture and let it tell us.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
What is the instruction in (v.18)?
Why is the instruction given (v.17)
What is the results if you follow the instructions (v.18)?
Now the next passage is longer and I need you to turn to 2Pt1 please. As we look at this next passage look at the graces to be developed and how they are developed.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
(Work on developing grace picture)
There is the free gift of grace through faith that saves us (Eph2:8-9) and there is the measure of grace given to each person (Eph4:7) and the grace that we are to develop, to work it out, it takes effort and I think you will see that as we look at the breakdown of the passage.
What are the graces to be developed?
faith, moral excellence, knowledge (v.5)
self-control, perseverance, godliness (v.6)
Brotherly kindness, love (v.7)
What are the results if these graces are developed (v.8)
The warning if not developed (v.9)
What is the instruction, command given (v.10; also in v.5)?
What is the promise if developed and applied (v.11)?
This is truly a bible study tonight and it is scripture rich, but it will take diligence and perseverance to stay the course of it. But don’t worry those are graces we are developing now, so turn to Col3:1-17 now.
We do it by putting off the old and putting on the new (Col3:1-17)
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. 12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
(Putting off the old - putting on the new picture)
As Peter had admonished in (2Pt3:17-18) and then gave the antidote to developing godly graces (2Pt1:5-11) when we do we re putting off the old and putting on the new. So when we look at this passage let’s pull some things out.
Put on the new by doing what (vv.2)? - setting our mind on things above
Put on the new by considering what (v.5)? - members of our earthly body as dead. He goes on to describe the earthy body, the old man in (vv.6-8)
What does he say we lay aside (v.9)? our old self, lying and evil practices
What does the new man look like (v.10-11)? - image of the One who created him, in which there is no distinction!
Having told you what the old looked like, what the new looks like, then he goes on to tell us more
Putting on the new, beyond salvation, he tells us to put on what (v.12-14)
Heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another and forgiving, and love, the perfect bond of unity.
What further instructions regarding the new man does Paul give in (v.15-17)?
Let the peace of Christ rule our hearts (v.15)
Let the Word of Christ dwell within (v.16)
May the thankfulness to Christ be displayed (v.17)
We develop these characters and we will be a reflection of God’s light (2Cor4:5-6)
5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
By developing such Christ-like character, graces, we not only save ourselves,we then are truly lights in the world. May we remember we are bond-servants of Christ for Christ’s sake. Fulfilling what God wanted, shining the Light (Jesus) out of the darkness.
Developing Christ Like Service
Developing Christ Like Service
Working out “our” salvation is displayed in developing Christ-like service, so may we look at how we can fulfill our function within the body and how we can be a good steward of God’s manifold grace.
Develop by effectively fulfilling our function within the body (Rom12:1-8)
I told you, warned you, promised you that it was scripture rich tonight, so let’s pile on some more, turn to Rom12:1-8
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
What is Paul urging (v.1-2)? - present your bodies; renew your mind
Why is He urging it (v.1-2)? it is our spiritual service of worship; also so that you may prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.
He tells us each one of us has an alloted measure of faith (v.3)
But then in (vv.4-5) what does he tells us? we are one body who do not have the same function
He calls to action what we are to do with the Christ like service here in (vv. 6-8) - exercise it, and he describes some of the gifts, graces given that are Christ like character and display Christ like service.
Develop by ministering and being a good steward of God’s manifold grace (1Pt4:10-11; Mt25:14-30)
1
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
What are we to do with the special gift (v.10)?
Why are we to employ it (v.11)?
Our gifts are not for us, not for our glory but for others and for God’s glory and purpose, there is a diversity of gifts as seen in Rom12 also here in 1Pt4. May we remember:
Minister with the proper spirit of humility (Rom12:3)
Minister with the diversity of gifts given and be a good steward of them as Jesus spoke in the parable of the Talents in (Mt25:14-30)
Look back at (v.11) again, may we finish with our service being that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ because of our Christ like service!
(Encouragement slide - zealous for good works picture)
encouragement prayer, (exit slide)