The Believer’s Attitudes and Actions

Transcript

GR 628
1/9/1983
The Believer’s Attitudes and Actions
Philippians 2:14-18
Gil Rugh

Book of Philippians in your Bibles this morning; Book of Philippians and the Second Chapter. Philippians Chapter 2, we looked last week at just two verses, verses 12 and 13 where Paul is continuing his discussion and emphasis on how we are to live as believers. Jesus Christ himself being the example and pattern for the humility of life that is to characterize us as believers particularly in our dealing with one another. Talking about humility generally, but then focusing in on how we relate to one another because you can’t divide your life, you can’t be proud and arrogant in one area and then genuinely humble functioning with humility of mind in another.

Now we can pretend in different areas, but if I’m functioning with arrogance and pride in one area or one aspect of my life, with my job or my home, whatever then if I put on the airs of humility that is all that is it when I’m together with believers. So this true humility of mine will characterize me in all of my life, in every area, that is a good way to check ourselves on whether humility truly characterizes us. Look at your life as a whole, your home, your job, your relationship with other believers and so forth.

And see is humility truly a characteristic of my life in each of these areas? If you see glaring deficiencies then you can begin to question whether you have the humility of mind that Paul is talking about. Now after talking about Jesus Christ as the great example of humility demonstrated in his coming to earth and dying on the cross then he gave the instruction in verse 12 to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, in light of what Christ has done we are to be working as believers.

We are to be applying ourselves with diligence to living out of the salvation that he provided for us in Jesus Christ. The reason is given in verse 13 because it is God who is at work in you. We noted that you must keep both issues in perspective because it is God working in me as a believer I must be working out my salvation. You must be careful of the word, you cannot be working for your salvation, that is totally unbiblical. We noted the emphasis on works and you cannot be saved by works, but God is working in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

In other word he is the one moving in us, he works in our lives as believers, on our wills to motivate us in the area where the decisions are made. In the area where we decide to accomplish what God tells us to do. And so when God is working in a life he is working on the will, he is also working on the carrying out of that will. That means that a believer should be one who is working out his salvation, because when God is working in you, you should be working out your salvation.

Our working out our salvation is a result of his working in us. So even that is not a credit to us but it is a responsibility given to us because if I’m not working out my salvation as he intends; I’m resisting his work in me and then I have a conflict with God. He is working in me to accomplish his purposes for his good pleasure but I’m resisting it, I’m standing against what he wants to do. So very crucial area, we can’t become too laidback as believers and neither extreme is right, let go and let God, I do nothing he does everything.

I realize there is an element of truth in that but basically that is not what the scripture emphasizes, that I let go and let God. I work because God is working in me and neither do I do it in my own strength and energy that I’m going to give everything I have got, I’m going to pump up myself. There is an element where that works, there is an element of truth in that because of the diligence and the application of every ounce of energy that I have to the task that God has given me but I must be careful that I have both wed together.

God working in me, accomplishing his purposes, working on my will, working on the carrying out of that will, so I apply myself as a result of his working with every ounce of strength that I have in the accomplishing of his purposes for his good pleasure. And with verse 14; he is continuing the same subject, what is involved in working out your salvation, what happens when God is working in you, to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Well there are certain concrete tangible results, things that should be characteristic of us, what Paul lays before us is how we are to be living our lives, how we are to work out our salvation, there are things that are not to be true of us, there are things that are to be true of us. You must have both, you must have the negatives dealt with and also the positives and then Paul will give himself as an example because it is how you view your life which impacts how you live.

We are back to your mind again and how you see your life and what you are doing with your life has the greatest impact on your attitude toward living that life for Jesus Christ. Let us have a word of prayer before we look at the details. Father, we praise you this morning for your work in our lives. Father, we pray that the spirit might continue that work in each one this morning, that we might be more fitted to work out our salvation to your honor and your glory, we pray in Jesus name, amen.

As is often characteristic of Paul, he launches right into the don’ts, we try to have a positive emphasis in much of Christianity today. And Christianity is positive but it is positive in light of the negative, in other words; the salvation that we have in Christ is overwhelmingly positive, that is a message of life and of hope but it cannot be understood apart from the message of the reality of sin, of the reality of condemnation, of the reality of eternity in hell because of sin.

Not put salvation in the full perspective and so while we want to emphasize positive things, you cannot appreciate those positive things without understanding the negative things. So Paul starts right in with; here is what you should not do, we are those working out our salvation as a result of God working in us. So we must realize there are certain things that we are to be doing and certain things not to be doing. Says in verse 13, “do all things without grumbling or disputing” and this is a command.

Present imperative, a command given in the present tense, be constantly doing all things in this manner. So again it is an obligation upon us as a result of God working in us, and thus we are working out our salvation. Be doing all things without grumbling or disputing. Isn’t it interesting where Paul picks up. He talks about working out your salvation, he picks up by doing everything without grumbling, without murmuring, without complaining. This word, it’s one of those words that the sound of it ties to its meaning. Our word murmur gives that idea of that grumbling, the murmur, the whispering complaining that goes on.

This Greek word is goggusmos and just hear the grumbling in it, it is an ugly word, goggusmos, and it means complaining, displeasure which is expressed in murmuring. Grumbling is a good word, we have grumblers, they are complainers, if they are not murmuring about one thing, they are murmuring about another thing, they are the complainers, they find something that they don’t like in everything and I think it is a reflection or indicative of what is going to be involved in working out our salvation.

That we must be careful because we talked about working in our last study, this is a task that is given to us and it is easy to complain in the tasks that we have. When you are given a job to do there is often many things we can find that we don’t like about it or we don’t like the way we are doing it, or we don’t like the people that we are doing it with, or we don’t like the way that the people we work with work. Or any number of things and we begin to rumble about it and grumble and complain and this is totally unacceptable to God.

He has said; that in working out our salvation we are to do everything without grumbling, without complaining. This becomes a serious matter; the children of Israel become the prime example of grumblers and God’s attitude toward grumblers. Look over in First Corinthians Chapter 10; as Paul is laying before the Corinthians the experiences of Israel in the Old Testament, in the wilderness. In verse 6 he says, “Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should learn the following not to crave evil things, not to be idolaters.”

Look down in verse 10; nor grumble, there is our word, nor grumble as some of them did, they grumbled, you say; that is not a big deal, that is not immorality, that is not murder, so let us not make grumbling a big deal because did you ever know anyone that didn’t grumble. So if we all do it, it can’t be too bad, right. Wrong, because look at the last part of verse 10; some of them grumbled and were destroyed by the destroyer.

That tells you something of God’s attitude toward murmuring and grumble, he destroyed them, he took their lives. Jump back to number 16, I think one of the traps that the Devil lays is to get us to think too lightly of sin, now isn’t that the way the unbeliever views sin; basically he is not such a bad person, or I’m not perfect but I don’t murder or do any of the gross things. What is he saying; he does not view sin as bad as it is. Now that happens to us as believers, I develop a light attitude toward some sins and the more the sin is practiced, the more easily it is accepted, immorality is an example today.

People generally don’t want to look down their nose at those who commit immorality, they don’t want to look down and say; oh, that is terrible, that is a sin, that is wrong, why, because everybody does it. Or since everybody complains and grumbles; generally speaking, we tend to think; oh, that is not so serious. But look at number 16, note down about verse 41 but on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Amazing this happens just after a tremendous demonstration of God’s power and God’s support of Moses and Aaron as his spokesman.

How was the rebellion of Korah; where Korah, his family were swallowed up by the earth, just the few previous verses, verses 31 and 32. Verse 33; they went down alive into shell and the earth closed over them, they perished from the assembly and verse 35; fire came forth from the Lord, consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense; contrary to God’s instruction. So this great demonstration; the power of God has occurred, verse 41; the next day the congregation of Israel grumbles against Moses and against saying, “you are the ones who have caused the death of Lord’s people.”

They think there will be some power in that but they blamed Moses and Aaron and then the Lord intervenes, verse 45; he tells Moses, “get away from this congregation that I may consume them instantly.’ Moses and Aaron intercede on behalf of the people because God has already sent a plague to begin to destroy the people and note verse 49; but those who died by the plague were 14700. That is a lot of people, 14700 people within the congregation of Israel die. You know why they grumbled, that is to be an example of what God thinks of grumbling.

In verse 5 of Chapter 17; it will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout thus I shall lessen from upon myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel who are grumbling against you. Verse 10 of Chapter 17; but the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels that you may put an end to their grumblings against me, so that they should not die. They grumbled against Moses, they grumbled against God because Moses was speaking the word of God and the plan of God, totally unacceptable the mumbling, the grumbling, and complaining.

This word is also used in several places. Jump back to Jew Chapter 16, just before the Book of Revelation, that one chapter, the Book of Jew. As you turn there you could write down First Peter Chapter 4 verse 9, First Peter 4:9; says, “To be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” New American Standard says without complaint, the same word, to grumble, to murmur. So you know when you are hospitable, I guess we have them over but I still don’t like it and complaining, you grumble about it, Christians have to show hospitality without the complaining, without the grumbling.

Now look in Jude verse 16; God describes the ungodly and he mentions by name; as the ungodly, repeatedly in verse 15, and then in verse 16 he says these are grumblers finding fault following after their own lusts, they speak arrogantly. And see how the lack of humility and the grumbling go together, that is not an attitude of a servant and one who is submissive, functioning in humility as one who is finding fault with what is going on thus complaining and groaning. That is the characteristic of the ungodly; it ought not to be true of us as believers but how many of so called Christian churches are characterized by grumblers and complainers.

How often we are guilty of it ourselves that we are experts in finding fault in criticizing, I have shared with you something that some of you shared with me of a church that we are familiar with. Pastor has preached here at Indian Hills, a person in their church claims to have the gift of criticism, can you believe that seriously, claims that his gift is criticism, so if you have a gift from God that is criticism, all you can do is go around and grumble, goggusmos. Now we find all kind of excuses why and when we complain and when we criticize we always have “good reason” but we find that there aren’t any.

Come back to Philippians 2; all things without grumbling or disputing, and disputing means doubt, dispute, an argument. We get the word, English word dialogue from this word and is a give and take but here with that negative connotation often used of the thoughts in the inner man in the New Testament, so it is often that debating is going on within your mind as you are doing what you believe God wants you to do. So you are doing it but you don’t like it, so our grumblings and complaints is not always verbally expressed but you know the battle that go on in your mind when you don’t like what you are doing and you really don’t approve of what God is doing in your life, then we dispute about it and then that spills over and we dispute among ourselves, the complaining.

God says do all things without grumbling or disputing, I think you ought to know, underline all things because in the Greek sentence here the first word is all things, all things do without grumbling and disputing and they put the word in the first -- first in the sentence because they gave it emphasis just like we underline words to give them emphasis often. When you are writing Greek sentences you wanted a word or an idea to get emphasis you just put it first in the sentence. So the stress here is on all things, that is important because I can look in myself and say generally I do most things without complaining; that is probably true for most of us believers.

Most of the time I don’t complain about things but God says; all things do, all things be doing without murmuring and disputing. That is a blanket statement. So while I’m pretty good but there are a few things that really get my goat, that really grate me. Now wait a minute, he doesn’t say all things except those few that get under your skin, he says all things do because we back up, I’m to be working out my salvation, I better not be doing what God doesn’t want me to. If I’m doing something; I’m convinced God doesn’t want me to do, I better stop it now, not complain about it, quit it.

If you are teaching Sunday school and you really don’t believe God wants you to do it you are convinced he doesn’t want you to do it, you better quit doing it. But you better not continue doing it complaining about it because you see what happens; if doing it because I believe God wants me to do it, I’m not convinced he doesn’t want me to do it but I’m complaining about it, who I’m complaining against, not you, God, that is the problem. My complaint is against God because I’m doing and I believe he wants me to do it and I’m doing with complaint, who I’m complaining against, you, no, God.

I don’t like what I’m doing, that is why I became, the people were complaining against Moses, they were complaining against Aaron, you know what God says; they are complaining against me and I don’t like it.

Look at a just couple of passages, back to First Corinthians, Chapter 10, I don’t want to belabor the obvious, but by the same token we have got to grasp the point. First Corinthians 10:31, the end of the Chapter where we just were, where Israel is given as an example. First Corinthians 10:31; whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God, he works in me to will and to work for his good pleasure, so I’m doing everything I do that God might be glorified, what I’m complaining about, what I’m finding fault with, what is the problem.

I’m doing everything I should be, you are not and I’m complaining about you. No, that is a trick of the devil, if I’m doing it for his glory then it really doesn’t matter what you are doing, does it, doesn’t matter how you are functioning. If I’m preaching this sermon for the glory of God, your response is a secondary thing. O God why do I have to preach them, some of them sleep, some of them complain it is too long and this and that AND the other thing, wait a minute, who are you preaching it for.

Why I’m doing it, am I doing it for the glory of God, am I doing it because I believe God wants me to do it, then I better be careful about complaining over what God wants me to do, over whom God wants me to work with, over the tasks that he gives me to accomplish, the people he gives me to accomplish them with becomes a complaint against God. Colossians 3:17; just after the Book of Philippians, speaks to the same end, Colossians 3:17; in whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

I’m doing it in the name of the Lord Jesus, thankful to God so where has the complaint come in and if it is God who causes all things to work together for good in the lives of us as believers according to Romans 8:28, what I’m complaining about. So you see it becomes a serious matter, back to Philippians Chapter 2, put this in proper context for the Philippians. Their problem was among themselves as believers, the grumbling, and the complaining and the disputing was going on among believers at Philippi, that is what Paul is addressing directly in writing to the Philippians.

So to make that applicable here I have to analyze how I talk about believers in Indian Hills, look my attitude toward them has been, how I speak about them, do I criticize them, do I murmur against them, do I find fault with them, need to be careful. Alright he moves on, the purpose of this is given in verse 15; do all things without murmuring or disputing in order that verse 15, expression that denotes purpose, for this reason that you may 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.

That you may prove, literally that you may become and there is a picture of a process here as we are working out our salvation there is a process, we are moving towards the goal of perfection in Christ. We have the positional perfection, that ultimate perfection we will realize in every way in his presence but we are working out that salvation, we are becoming in practice what we are in position, that you may prove, demonstrate, be becoming blameless and innocent. Blameless refers to the judgment of others, that they can’t lay anything against you.

You see where I’m to be concerned, where you think you can speak against in my life, where you think it is not what it ought to be that you can lay hold of; as a charge against me, we see some of this kinds of characteristics, for elders and spiritual leaders in other portions of the word, they are to be true of all of us as believers. I’m to be blameless, nothing can be laid against me, and I have to be careful. You know what the emphasis is, that you may prove yourselves to be blameless. I want to become concerned about whether you are. No the concern is; am I blameless before the Lord.

Each of us need to be looking at ourselves to see if this is true of us, innocent, blameless and innocent, word that deals with the inner character of a person, literally means unmixed or unadulterated thus comes to mean pure or sincere. Was used of pure wine or pure metals, unalloyed, unmixed metals, a pure metal, not mixed with anything. So is my life unadulterated so to speak, is it pure, is it all that God says it ought to be or is it mixed with those things that have no place in my life as a believer.

God says I’m to be pure, blameless, and unadulterated children of God, this is who we are and who you are determines how you function. We are God’s children, of God’s family, we belong to him, so these are the ones we are addressing. We are not talking about the general person in the world who ought to clean up his act, so to speak, to be more acceptable to God, that is not the issue. Talking about those who belong to his family, who are his children by birth, now this is how his children are to live.

Now you become his child by birth, by coming to recognize your sinfulness and believing that his son Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for you sin, then you are born into God’s family, then God works in your life to bring about that transformation from the inside so that you can live in a manner that is pleasing to him, children of God above reproach and that word means unblemished, also means blameless. No blemishes, no spots, this is the third adjective he uses, negative adjective, he said that we are to be free from blame, blameless, free from adulteration, innocent and now free from blemish above reproach.

That is what our lives are to be as believers. This word unblemished, this was God’s intention when he elected us from before the foundation of the world, look just before the Book of Philippians to the Book of Ephesians, Chapter 1 verse 4; just as he, referring to God, chose us in him in Christ before the foundation of the word, that we should be holy and blameless and there is our word, without blemish, without spot before him. That was God’s intention in selecting us that we should be a people unblemished, spotless, not only in our position but in our practice, in every aspect of our character and our being.

Realize that has happened to us in Christ but the outworking of that is what Paul is emphasizing now, the fulfillment of the purposes of God, this is what God is working in us, to will and to work, to accomplish that we work out our salvation consistent with this. Look in Ephesians 5:27 where Christ gave himself up for the Church in verse 25, that he might sanctify the church, verse 27; that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot, there is our word, no blemish, no wrinkle or any such thing but you should be holy and blameless.

We are to be unblemished as the church of Jesus Christ, that is his intention for us, that is his plan. This word is also used of Christ, you can jot down Hebrews 9:14, First Peter 1:19; he is the lamb of God, unblemished and not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and god but with the precious blood of Christ, the unblemished lamb of God, so in effect we are to have the character of Christ, that is to characterize us, that is what he is talking about here.

With that Christ as the example of humility; earlier in Philippians Chapter 2 and how did he live his life, in humility, unblemished, unspotted, undefiled. Come back to Philippians Chapter 2; now there are those who are not the children of God, we as the children of God live in a world that is not characterized by the things we have been talking about, rather there is a contrast, we are the children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world.

In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and that word crooked, we use the word; we say he is crooked; we speak of crooks today, unscrupulous, dishonest in their conduct and in their manner of life, perverse means twisted or distorted, denotes an abnormal moral condition. A person who has been twisted in their character, in their moral character and one builds on the other, being crooked is a result of perverseness of being twisted in your moral character. And a person twisted in character; we call it their depravity, as a life that is unscrupulous, it is dishonest before God in the way that they live.

Have a note here, I have underlined in my Bible, children of God above reproach in the midst; that expression in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation is crucial, very important. We are not those who withdraw from the world for protection but we are to live free from blame, free from adulteration, free from blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. There is the tendency to want to pull back and pull in for my crooked and perverse generation because we want to preserve our purity but that is not the way God intends for us to live.

There is an article in one of the news magazine on a group that has withdrawn into the monastery and no contact with the outside world, they are totally confined and limited. They give themselves just a prayer, singing; not God’s intention for us and that attitude affects us. We like to withdraw together as believers. It is most comfortable when you are here with other Christians and that is where all our social activity occurs, that is all our personal contacts, and if I only didn’t have to have that job with those unbelievers then I have it all together. I can only get a job at Indian Hills and then I will work together with believers who are perfect in practice as well as position and it would just be heaven on earth.

It is not God’s intention for us, now some do work at Indian Hills but generally God thrust us out in various ways and various places, so that job with those unbelievers who are crooked and perverse, isn’t that we say; O they just grate on me, they have no scruples, they are twisted in their thinking, and I say, I want to put you right in the midst of them. That is right where you belong, so how I’m going to be blameless, how am I going to be unadulterated and free from blemish in that environment.

By the work of God in you, drawing upon his power to be what he wants you to be in the midst of that generation, those people because it is God’s intention; that way we be a testimony for him. The gospel of John in the 17th Chapter; Jesus high priestly prayer for his disciples and those who would believe in him, the night before he was crucified. In John 17 verse 15; I do not ask you to take them out of the world but to keep them from the evil one. Note, Christ doesn’t ask that we be removed from the world but to be preserved and kept from the power of Satan.

They are not of the world even as I’m not of the world, sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth, we are coming to this in Philippians, so remember this verse. The key of the truth and the word of God, where our purity and preservation, sanctification occurs, as you did sinned me into the world I have also sinned them into the world. Now note that, sanctified, sent into the world in the midst of a generation that is crooked and perverse.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 2, now you can see why Paul has to stress; our lives, our testimony that we be different, the danger of being in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation is that we be influenced by that generation to become like it in various ways. So O boy, you just can’t live with a Christian in our society, you better live as a Christian in our society; that is God’s intention for us. Now it means you are going to stand out as unique and different but that is the purpose, now he goes on; among whom, again that stressed that we are among that crooked and perverse generation but not part of it, among whom you appear as lights in the world.

Where is the difference, this crooked and perverse generation is in spiritual darkness and we are placed out there as lights in the midst of the darkness. We say; O let us get all our lights and pull them all in together so we don’t have that darkness around us. No, we are thrust out to be lights in the midst of the darkness that is the intention, so that we can shine out there but a light has its impact because it’s different from the darkness. What does light do in the darkness, it stands out, it’s different and if you are going to be blameless and unmixed, and unspotted, you are going to stand out in the world.

You are going to be different, but you there; they are a testimony to reveal the character of Christ and the truth of God. Look over in Mathew 5 verse 14, Jesus speaks, “you are the light of the world,” now note that, you are the light of the world, we get set on being lights for one another as believers and there is a way when we do impact one another as believers very definitely, but we are to be lights for the world, so we must be in the midst of the darkness.

You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do men light a lamp and put it under the peck measure but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Lets your light shine, be for men in such a way, now note the rest of this that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. You appear as lights in the world men, see your good works so you see our character, our lives, the way we live, the things we do, our works, our revelation of the character of Jesus Christ before unbelieving men.

And it says they are exposed to the light of the truth of God in the way we live and what we say that the spirit draws them into salvation in Jesus Christ. Does our lives have the impact for Christ, how easy to pray; O Lord help us to witness, help us to reach more people for Christ, here is God’s plan that I live the kind of life that I should before the world and say the kind of things I should say. We are coming to that in Philippians, there is no such thing as we talk about; just a silent testimony any more than there is a verbal testimony apart from the light.

They both are inseparably linked in scripture, you better live like you should and say what you should and that makes you a light in the world. Jesus Christ is the pattern, did he go from city to city saying; I’m not going to say boo but they will see my light and no I’m different. No, he lived a different life but everywhere he went he proclaimed the message of truth, we are lights, now look at all the lights right here. Those who are believers in Jesus Christ are lights and all the believers in the city, this city ought to be saturated with the light of the glory of Jesus Christ and the message concerning him.

It will shine in every place we go, a city exposed to the light in various ways, in various places. Come back to Philippians 2; you appear as lights in the world, note verse 16; holding fast the word of life, a word that can also mean holding forth the word of life, perhaps both ideas you hold it fast and hold it forth, the idea. The Philippians have to have a grasp on the word of life that is why he says; it is not just how we live, it is also the truth of God reflected in our lives and in our words because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

So people must hear the message, we are those who hold fast the word of life, so I’m living a life of purity in the midst of an impure world, proclaiming the glories of the message of life to those who are condemned to eternal death, that is God’s intention for how we shine in the world. So you see how our lives are so crucial. We started out, remember, don’t murmur, don’t complain, see what has happened to the testimony of so many believers and so many churches. They skip verse 14 and they wonder why people aren’t being saved.

They wonder why our testimony has no impact. We think we can grumble and mumble and complain about one another as believers and go out and have an impact on the world, and God say that is not the way that he works. He starts out telling us how we are to live, how we are to relate to one another, our attitude of humility in relating to one another and he talks about our shining as lights in the world, holding fast the word of God. We think we can proclaim the word of God irregardless of our life, that is not the way God causes us to shine in the world as lights for Jesus Christ; he the one who is the light of the world.

Holding fast the word of life, Paul has a personal interest in this so that in the day of Christ I may have caused to glory because I did not run in vain nor toiled in vain. Now note that, I want you to hold fast the word of life, hold on to it securely, be a light in the world so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toiled in vain. The day of Christ, that expression was used in Chapter 1 a couple of times, verse 6; for I’m confident of this very thing that he began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ, verse 10 of Chapter 1, so that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.

And we studied that expression in Chapter 1, we noted, it refers to bema seat of Christ, that judgment seat on which believers will stand on that day when we are called into this presence to give an account of the things done in the flesh whether good or bad as Paul wrote to the Corinthians. So Paul says in the day of Christ; on that day when we stand before him, to be rewarded for the faithfulness of our service in this life, I will have cause to glory, amazing how Paul viewed it. I want to stand in the presence of Christ with a reason to glory.

You know what his reason is; the Philippians faithfulness, you have appeared as lights in the world, you have held fast to the word of God and Paul saw that his life had an impact on them, as their life has an impact on others that would be a cause for him to glory before Jesus Christ in the day of Christ. Note the last part of verse 16; because I did not run in vain nor toiled in vain. I did not run in vain or toiled in vain, this metaphor; to run, Paul uses a number of times. It denotes great effort, great expenditure of effort and energy, I didn’t run in vain, I didn’t apply myself with diligence in the running of this race in vain or toil in vain.

That word to toil; we have seen it before, kopiao is a verb, it means to labor to exhaustion. Let me read you what a Greek dictionary says; to become weary, tired, work hard, toil, strive, struggle. It indicates exhausting work; we stress this when you talk about work out your salvation in verse 12. Paul is not talking about fun and games; he is not talking about that which you coast on. But I did not toil, I did not struggle and labor to exhaustion. In vain you see how Paul lived his Christian life, it wasn’t laidback let go let God, hum when is he coming.

No, he was running, he was toiling, I don’t wanted to be for no purpose, I’m not running to give myself something to do, I’m not laboring to fill in the time till Christ comes. I’m doing it that I might glory in his presence, that I might stand honorably before him as one who has served faithfully. In vain; that is repeated twice, I did not run in vain, I did not toil in vain, the word that means; to no purpose. You Philippians don’t turn out all my work to you -- with you is to no avail. You see how careful you have to be, you say well, he did it for the Lord, it doesn’t matter whether they turn out or not. Paul says it does because he sees his faithfulness as tied to the Philippians faithfulness; he has invested his life in them.

It does matter, it does make a difference. It does matter whether he can stand in the day of Christ, proud of them in the good sense, to glory in what God did in his life and through his life in their lives. I don’t want to be to no purpose, that you Philippian have not worked your salvation in a manner honoring to him. Look back in First Corinthians 9:25, Paul uses this metaphor of; to run in a race, verse 24 of First Corinthians 9, do you not know that those who run in a race; all run but only one receives the prize, run in such a way that you may win and everyone who competes in the game exercises self control in all things, they and they then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable therefore I run in such a way as not without aim, I box in such a way as not beating the air but I buffet my body and make it my slave, less possibly after I preach to others I myself should be disqualified.

Not lose his salvation but not be qualified to the rewards that will be given at the bema seat, that is why he is concerned about the outcome in the lives of the Philippians. Back to Philippians 2, just note verse 17 and 18 briefly; but even as I being offered, even if I’m being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all and you too I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Two key verses, we are not going to spend much time because we are going to delve into this area later in Philippians.

How you view your life determines how you throw yourself into the battle and the struggle. Paul says my life is a sacrifice for Jesus Christ, that is what he says, “even if I’m being poured out as a drink offering, even if I’m in the process of giving my life for Jesus Christ, this imprisonment results in my execution, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” Paul in effect is saying; I will give my life as a sacrifice offered to God, see this in Romans Chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 where we are exhorted to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Paul says now this body may be poured out as a sacrifice, uses this word one another time to be poured out as a drink offering.

Just jot it down Second Timothy 4:6, and in Second Timothy 4:6 he is writing just prior to his execution. Paul is saying; here my execution is a possibility but if that is coming, that is fine but I want you to note here; the drink offering, jot down numbers 15, 8, and 10. The drink offering was poured out as an accompaniment to the major sacrifice. So you have a major sacrifice or offering you brought to God, you brought a drink offering as an accompaniment, we might call it the finishing touch, the icing on the cake in a respectful way.

It was not the major thing, it was just a finishing touch to the major offering, now this is significant because Paul says; I see my life as just the finishing touch to your major sacrifice. Your service and sacrifice of faith, you are giving your life in service for him, or if I die, executed as an Apostle of Jesus Christ; that is just been the finishing touch to your sacrifice. That is humility, Paul is saying; O what I have to offer, that is just the accompaniment to the major thing you are doing.

You say; O that is false humility, I believe Paul really viewed it that way, that is why he could write and say let each one account others better than themselves, he could look and say; I’m just a minor offering, what you are doing is the major one. You know Paul’s attitude; how he could invest his life without restraint, that he could go hog wild, full-bore, # you are doing the major thing, I’m just giving my life as an additional puff of smoke, just poured out and gone, yours is the major sacrifice, you know what he says; I rejoice, I share my joy with you, it’s a privilege to do it.

Four times, twice he says rejoice, twice he says joy. I rejoice and share my joy with you, you too I urge you; rejoice in the same way; share your joy with me. That emphasis on joy and rejoicing, I’m doing this and it’s a privilege for me, I want you to view that in the same way in your attitude towards me, share your joy with me. There ought to be that oneness, that harmony, the way they go about it # say; is just one sacrifice, I’m just accompanying your sacrifice and it’s a privilege for me, even if it means giving my life I’m happy to do it.

What’s our attitude, how do we approach things, how are we working out our salvation. Is it without murmuring, disputing, complaining, with that purity of life, living it out in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, shining as lights, holding fast to the gospel, the word of Christ. We see our lives of what they are, sacrifices, my whole life is to be a sacrifice for him, offered to him, I don’t want to do that in a way that’s acceptable, that I might glory in his presence some day. I’m burdened that you turn out, you are to be burdened that I turn out, you know why; you would be the cause for one another’s glory in the day of Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray together. Father we thank you for the great work you have done in our lives, for the greatness of our salvation. Father for the privilege of proclaiming this salvation to a world that’s lost in darkness, crooked and twisted. Father, pray that we might be a people who shine as lights in a manner that is honoring to Jesus Christ, that our light might be strong and clear, that the spirit of God and your grace might draw men and women, young people to salvation in Christ. Father, give us the attitude that’s reflected in Paul, that we might see our lives as a sacrifice lived out for you, that we might be willing to spend and be spent, that we might be willing to be poured out. Lord, in accompaniment to the sacrifice that’s being offered by fellow believers. We pray it all in Jesus’ name, amen.