Work Out Your Salvation

Last week we finished up the Christ hymn. This passage here kind of puts a period on the letter of Philippians up to this point. Paul is going to shift gears after this passage. Next week we’ll talk about the two visitors that the Philippians receive. First Timothy, who will visit in the future, and next Epaphroditus, who brought them this letter from Paul.

But for now, we come to this solid passage, chock full of commands and promises for the church.

God is the Author of Obedience

Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Paul starts out this passage with an appeal to the Philippians as beloved friends. And again, the therefore… Points back to the Christ hymn. So, Christians, with the example of Christ in mind, just as you have always obeyed, continue to do so! And the manner in which you should do it is humility before God.

But there’s some context we need to revisit to put these verses in their proper context and understanding.

Paul spoke to the Philippians with the eye of keeping them joyful and united. There were hints of grumbling and discontent among the church at Philippi. And Paul was going to do what was godly to restore the unity between these believers. So, understanding this, we read these verses…

“Now, not only as in my presence”

What Paul says next, he wants them to be genuine… Not just when he’s around. In other words, let this be a lifestyle, not a mask you put on when your favorite people are around.

“Work Out Your Salvation”

So he’s speaking to the believers at Philippi, and with this background of stirrings of disunity, you read something like, “work out your salvation”:

It should be said at this point that there are different interpretations of “Work out your own salvation.”

Some would say we must work FOR our salvation, and this is a prooftext.

Some would say we must work to KEEP our salvation, and this is a prooftext.

The truth is, salvation is a lifelong process, begun by God, carried out by us and the Holy Spirit through our lives, and sealed for all time because Christ’s work is a FINISHED work. Sanctification is guaranteed, but it is not optional.

This passage doesn’t really have to do with Getting saved or staying saved… It’s how a saved person ought to act! -Gordon Fee

So we see that this passage is more about our life after the moment of salvation than it is about attaining salvation.

“Fear and trembling”

This particular point is birthed out of the controversies and stirrings of disunity among the church at Philippi. We’ll put it this way… Any time there is a disagreement that can’t find a solution in the church amongst people who have the same biblical convictions, it’s not because of an overabundance of humility that people are struggling against one another… It’s because of pride. And when you set this statement up against the pride that is stirring the pot in Philippi, this verse makes a ton of sense.

Paul says something to the effect of, “look, there’s some of you who are all puffed up in arrogance and anger toward one another. Why not instead of bickering, you work out your salvation in fear and trembling before God? Isn’t it He who has united you in the faith with your brothers and sisters in Christ? And isn’t it He who commands you to live at peace with them? So how can you be so brash toward one another when you serve a God like this?”

Instead of pride and bravado with which you contend with your brothers, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. It would be better for you to be humble than to go about in pride and arrogance.

“God who works in you”

Why fear and trembling? Because it’s all God! He’s the One active in your participation in His plan! And it’s for His good pleasure. His. And He’s not a vindictive God, but a benevolent God.

Now, again, the You is a y’all here. There’s a communal aspect to working out your salvation, which we’ll get to here in these next couple verses, let’s look as Paul wants them to Live with Joyful obedience.

Live With Joyful Obedience

Philippians 2:14–15 (ESV)

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

What if I told you a big aspect of Christian obedience was simply getting along with one another?

You ever seen a Christian with a bad attitude? It ain’t fun. And it sets a terrible example for the world to see of Christians serving their God.

What does the temperature of your obedience show about the God you love and worship?

Yes, things get tough. People get on your nerves. People fail you. But you’re not doing it for them.

Our church will not be all it can be if our people are not first content with one another. Happy with our present. Anticipating our future. I think too many times, leaders think you have to upset people to move forward. Nah. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made, but those decisions should be made in the context of trust, care, and brotherly love for one another.

This is the beauty of a joyful obedience. And that’s why Paul says that they are to be…

“Children of God… in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation” who “Shine as lights in the world.”

This is a clear call to live our lives as believers while the world is watching. “Shine as lights in the world.” Listen, the media’s not going to pick up stories of what great things Christians are doing. You can’t just hope that the media’s going to do your job of showing the world how great Jesus is for you. When it comes to reaching the world, we get caught up in national spectacle and offer input into things that are way beyond our control, while ignoring the good we can do among the people that we ACTUALLY interact with on a day-to-day basis.

You can be a proclaimer, making the name of Jesus known to a dark world… Or you can be a complainer, acting as though Jesus has saved everything about you but your face.

Will we be a proclaiming church or a complaining church?

I have a crate myrtle tree at the corner of my house, and I’m kind of not-smart when it comes to caring for plants… Crate Myrtles should be beautiful, have lots of colorful blooms, et. al. But I noticed some kind of white, fuzzy stuff on the leaves. Didn’t think much of it. But it hasn’t bloomed all year. Turns out that means I have a diseased plant. It’s got a fungus on it. That disease spread all over the tree and killed its ability to produce fruit and thus reproduce itself.

There’s a story of Jesus and a fruitless tree…

TELL STORY

Mark 11:13–14 (ESV)

And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

That’s why this next passage is so vital…

Joyful Obedience Multiplies

Philippians 2:16–18 (ESV)

holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Notice how Paul is proud for these Philippian believers. And he wants their joyful obedience to continue. There’s an aspect of multiplication at play here. What I mean is that the joyful obedience that began in Paul was not just meant for Paul. Paul was not to be a harbor of joyful obedience. He wasn’t just shoring up what God had given him. He sought to give out freely the fruits of his obedience to everyone around him.

He says, “Look, even if I am to be obedient to the point that I am at the end of my rope, poured out like a drink offering…” which means every last bit… “then that will make me glad, and I will be overjoyed.”

Paul knew his obedience was not to be a dead end, but to be the fertilizer on the fruitful ground of the Philippian Church. That’s the thing about the fruit of joyful obedience. It multiplies. It has a contagious air about it that serves others and invites them in.

When you are joyfully obedient to God’s call on your life, it causes the people around you to want that! If they are believers, they are encouraged to live a life like yours; If they are nonbelievers, they may wonder what’s so different about you! And that’s the open invitation to share Jesus.

And, returning to the story of the fruitless tree from earlier…

In a coffee shop, noticed a man sharing his desires for his friend to join him at church. It was clear the other guy he was talking with wasn’t all that much into church, but he was persistent with him. He knew that the loneliness and isolation and general emptiness of life the other guy experienced would only be answered by Jesus.

I don’t know the end of the story, if this other guy came to church or not. I guess that story is unfolding today, even. But I do know that it also encouraged me as I thought about his actions, my sermon, and how I can be obedient to the call on my life!

That’s an example of joyful obedience multiplying.

It was clear that this guy was relational. He utilized his gift of relationships to get the Gospel out. What’s your gift? Perhaps you’re gifted another way. Don’t be afraid to jump in feet first with your gifting to make Jesus known.

A bitter Christian produces bitter fruit, not fit for consumption. Sometimes even a disease that corrupts the whole tree. Maybe this is why Jesus cursed the fig tree. As a matter of fact, Jerusalem Temple is sandwiched in that story… A joyful Christian produces a sweet fruit, ripe for the harvest.