There was the first time driving in the dark, and getting used to dipping my headlights. There was the time when the steering wheel had locked when parked and I couldn’t get the car started (until I realised I had to pull the wheel slightly). And there were the ever changing traffic conditions and weather conditions and everything else that the road throws at you. I thought I’d learned everything when preparing for the test, but I had to keep working out how to drive when the test was passed.
As we continue in the letter to the Philippians today, we see that the Philippians were being urged to do something similar - not about learning how to drive, but in learning how to live the Christian life. Paul, who had planted the church in Philippi, isn’t there with them any more. In fact, he’s in prison in Rome. But he’s writing this letter, partly as a thank you note, and partly to encourage them to keep going in the Christian faith, as they stand firm together.
That’s been the central theme of the letter, as we’ve been noticing over the past couple of weeks. Back in 1:27 Paul told them to ‘stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel...’ - the image of the soldiers with shields locked together, or the rugby scrum pushing together. Last week we saw how that could be achieved - rejoicing in unity through humility - not selfish ambition, but considering the interests and needs of others. And the prime example of that kind of living is our humble King Jesus. He came down from crown to crib to cross in order to save us - and so our attitude should be the same as his.
We need that little recap because everything Paul says today builds on it. Verse 12 starts with a ‘Therefore’ - because of what we saw last week, then here’s what you need to do. And here’s what he says: ‘Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.’ (12-13)
Notice that Paul doesn’t say ‘work for your salvation.’ He can’t, because salvation isn’t something we can work to achieve - it isn’t about earning our way. Salvation in Christ is a gift, it’s something we receive by grace. We can’t work for our salvation, but we do need to work out our salvation.
It’s not that, once we’re saved, then we’re all right, we don’t need to grow in the faith any more. We can just let God do it all for us. Not at all! We’re to work out our salvation - with fear and trembling. It’s a bit like when you change cars, and things are slightly different to your old car. The wiper stalk goes down instead of up, or the volume control is in a different place. You have to work it all out, get used to it, and grow into it. We’re to work out our salvation as if it all depends on us.
But thankfully, as we do that, we discover that it’s not all down to us. We work out our salvation, but at the same time, ‘for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.’ (13)
It’s not one or the other - either only us or only God - it’s both and. God does this by his Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the Spirit given on the Day of Pentecost, God’s power to help us and grow us into the likeness of Christ. And that’s exactly what our passage says as well: ‘God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.’ God is at work in us to change us, and to change our will so that we want what God wants; and to change our actions so that we do what God wants us to do.
If you’re a Christian, then is this what’s happening in your life, even in these lockdown days? Are you working out your salvation, as you seek to grow to be more like Jesus, as you pray and read the Bible and figure out what it means to be a Christian - knowing that as you work at it, God is also working in you?
Perhaps as you look back over the past year, or five years, you can see how God has been at work in your life; the progress that you’ve made; the ways in which you have grown. Be encouraged - and keep going, because God hasn’t finished with us yet!
We’re to work out our salvation as God is working in us. In verse 14, Paul tells us what it should look like: ‘Do everything without complaining or arguing.’ No complaining and no arguing. That sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it? We’re so used to complaining, and ready for a big argument, but there’s no wiggle room here, there are no exceptions in what Paul says.
So why does he say that? ‘Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...’
Not complaining and arguing will make us blameless and pure, children of God without fault. Can you imagine how different things would be? How different we would be to everyone around us? Paul says that we would be ‘without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe...’
When was the last time you looked up at the stars? They’re always up there, but when do you see them? You see them at night, when it’s dark, and they shine out against the darkness. And that’s how we’re to be as well - shining like stars in the universe, lights in a dark place, different to the rest of society.
Between social media and everyday interaction, it seems that our culture’s native language is complaint and argument. But we can shine in the darkness if we’re different, if we don’t take part in it all. And what makes the difference?
Listen to the verse again: ‘children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...’
Rather than putting out words of complaint or argument, we hold out different words - the word of life. What is the word of life? It’s the gospel, the good news about Jesus, in which we find life. Now, the footnote suggests that the phrase is either ‘hold out the word of life’ or ‘hold on to the word of life’ - but either way, it’s what sets us apart, and will affect all our other words.
As we hold out the word of life, perhaps others will see and hear, and take hold of it themselves. Isn’t that our desire, that others would find the life and peace that we have found?
That’s what drove Paul to go to Philippi in the first place; and it’s what continued to motivate him even in his prison cell. As the Philippians worked out their salvation, and lived it out in their words and ways, then Paul would know that he hadn’t run or laboured for nothing. He wanted to see more Christians live in this way, so that more people would become Christians, and would live in this way so that more people would become Christians.
Will we give our lives to this? Will we commit to continue to work out our salvation, as we hold out the word of life, so that others will share in this great gift of salvation? It won’t be easy, it will be sacrificial, and yet it will all be worth it. However far along the path you are, there’s still more to work out, more ways to grow, but take heart - God hasn’t finished with you yet, so shine for him!
Let’s pray:
Father,
thank you that you’re at work in our lives.
Help us to shine for you,
as we hold out your word of life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment