Lights in the World

Reverently obey as a right response to God’s grace.

Phil.2:12-13 “Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.”

“Therefore” roots everything Paul is about to say in what was previously said…which was in essence the gospel as an example for how to live.

There is a contrast being set up here that will flow throughout the passage: the Philippian church always obeys, all the more in Paul’s absence. What’s the contrast? The nation of Israel was rebellious, and their rebellion deepened when Moses was absent!

Now the command here is to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

He doesn’t say work “for” your salvation.

He’s already noted that God is the one who has started this work, and God will be the One to bring it to completion.

It may be helpful to think of salvation in stages.

Starts with justification.

Continues with sanctification.

Ends with glorification.

Paul is referring to the sanctification stage — becoming what we have received. This point is even further cemented in Phil.2:13 “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” So, our response to grace is become more like the One who saved us!

Now, Paul says to do so with fear and trembling. Again, there’s a unique connection. Israel’s God created terror and dread in the nations around Israel…remember how the nations feared YHWH in Joshua?!…but here, God’s people are the ones who should fear and tremble.

So far: you are a group of different, new covenant believers. You are obedient, so continue to be obedient, doing so with a reverential awe and fear of the God who saved you.

How and why? Phil.2:13 “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.”

Here’s the response to grace aspect — it is God who is at work. We work because God is working. Think of these verses in this context: Jer.32:40-41 ““I will make a permanent covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put fear of me in their hearts so they will never again turn away from me. I will take delight in them to do what is good for them, and with all my heart and mind I will faithfully plant them in this land.”

God creates the desire. God gives the strength. We respond to grace. We become more like Christ. Daily. Inching our way to becoming more and more like Jesus.

Finally, this is written and addresses the whole, not the single person. We tend to read this in an individual, isolated sense. Instead, this entire passage is written…all three commands…they’re in the second person plural. If you’re from the south, that’s “y’all.” If you’re from the Chicagoland area where I lived for a couple of years, it’s “yous guys.” We might in proper English say “All of you all.” It began with a call for all to live as citizens of heaven. It was furthered with a command to unity by adopting the mind off Christ. Here, it deepens with a collective call for the church to work out their salvation, to be sanctified. This is an instruction written to a church for the sake of the whole church, the saints, the overseers, and the deacons. Implied in this context…maybe assumed…is that the local church is necessary for our sanctification.

Willingly obey as a mark of holiness.

Phil.2:14-16 “Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.”

These verses are one long sentence in the Greek! Yikes!

Here, that OT setting really comes into view. There’s already been a comparison set up between the old and new covenants, but it becomes rather clear in these verses once the dots begin connecting.

For comparison’s sake, consider the following:

We mentioned the connection already, but Ex.14:13 “But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again” and Ex.15:16 “terror and dread will fall on them. They will be as still as a stone because of your powerful arm until your people pass by, Lord, until the people whom you purchased pass by.” But for the Philippians, gospel salvation results in sanctification being done with fear and trembling (Phil.2:12 “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”)

Old Covenant: Deut.31:27 “For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the Lord now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead!” VS. New Covenant: Phil.2:12 “Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence...”

Old Covenant: Ex.16:7-9 “and in the morning you will see the Lord’s glory because he has heard your complaints about him. For who are we that you complain about us?” Moses continued, “The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and all the bread you want in the morning, for he has heard the complaints that you are raising against him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your complaints.’ ”” Num.17:5 “The staff of the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of the Israelites’ complaints that they have been making about you.”” Num.17:10 “The Lord told Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign for the rebels, so that you may put an end to their complaints before me, or else they will die.”” Get the picture? They’re a complaining lot! VS. New Covenant: Phil.2:14 “Do everything without grumbling and arguing,”

Old Covenant: Deut.32:5 “His people have acted corruptly toward him; this is their defect—they are not his children but a devious and crooked generation.” VS. New Covenant: Phil.2:15 “so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world,”

The New Covenant really is kinda portrayed as the antithesis of everything that was wrong under the old!

Now the command is to do “everything without grumbling and arguing.” It might be tempting to think of this as an outflow of working out your salvation, but the scope is all-inclusive: everything.

When we grumble, it’s a good sign that our hearts aren’t aligned with God’s purposes, that there may be some area in our lives that aren’t completely yielded to God’s purposes. And this really becomes evident when we have to do what? Live with others in mind!

John Newton compares it to a man who has received a large, sprawling estate who has a tire blow-out about a mile before getting there and spends all of his time complaining about the blow out instead of rejoicing in the inheritance!

We should all weigh our hearts here — sometimes it is eruption of full-blown arguing, but more likely it’s the quiet grumblings about dealing with people who are EGR.

Now as Paul moves on, the OT comes into view again, this time Deut.32:5 “His people have acted corruptly toward him; this is their defect—they are not his children but a devious and crooked generation.”

Paul’s concerned about the church’s success where Israel had before failed. His comparison is quite ironic — Israel who was called to be a holy nation, a light to the gentiles, had become corrupt, “devious and crooked.” And then there’s Philippi, a thoroughly pagan city, who is now called to be “blameless and pure…in a crooked and perverted generation.”

Ultimately this comes back to Phil.1:27 “Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel,” the church is called to holy living. Phil.2:16 “by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.” clues us in: by holding firm to the word of life. It seems so fundamental, and it seems like sometimes such a repeated Sunday school answer, and surely it can’t be THAT easy, but it’s true.

Paul mirrors the prophet Isaiah 49:4-6 “But I myself said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and futility; yet my vindication is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God. And now, says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered to him; for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God is my strength— he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”” The prophet fears having labored in vain, but God reassures him. In the same way, the church’s faithful endurance is the assurance that God’s servants have not labored in vain.

Willingly obey as a mark of holiness.

Gladly and joyfully obey as a sign of sacrificial service.

Phil.2:17-18 “But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.”

The picture of a drink offering — essentially something more poured on the main offering, so in this sense, a sacrifice.

Paul’s expression is conditional, but it expresses a reality. He is glad to offer himself as a sacrifice on the Philippians’ obedience. Notice that he is not the main sacrifice, but their faith is.

BUT...

He exhorts them to the same type of service. “In the same way...” As you lay down your life, gladly and joyfully, it is a sign of their sacrificial service as well.

We get the reciprocal nature of all that Paul has been talking about. He pours himself out in service on the church’s sacrificial and obedient faith, and they in turn pour themselves out as sacrificial servants on one another and on Paul’s ministry. And so the cycle goes.

Coming back to the beginning — Phil.2:4 “Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” This is how it works — we are willing to sacrifice for those who continually sacrifice for us. The final question, however, is this: are you one who sacrifices or simply one who takes?