Man and God at Work

Transcript

GR 627
1/2/1983
Man and God at Work
Philippians 2:12, 13
Gil Rugh

Philippians Chapter 2, how are we to be functioning as God’s children. Chapter 2 we come to a section that has been often misunderstood because it proclaims an emphasis on working our salvation. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And many have misunderstood this to imply that we are to be working for our salvation. Paul will make clear that is not the issue. Now important that we put the section we’re going to look at in its proper context.

Paul had been writing to the Philippians encouraging them to walk in harmony and unity as believers. There was stress and pressure within the Philippian church. There evidently was dissention and some disagreement. Even in the midst of this Church which is basically a healthy Church, a Church that is commended by Paul, a Church that we will call a spiritual Church yet they were having a problem with the matter of unity. So Paul has exhorted them to be one in the way they think and the way they act.

The opening of Chapter 2 gave that stress in verse 2 to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. There is to be a unity and a oneness that characterizes us as believers. The example that he puts before them in verse 5 down through verse 11 is Jesus Christ. It’s not something that he is asking that is out of the realm of possibility or what ought to be expected, what he is basically saying is I want you as believers to think like Jesus Christ thought and thus the function as he function because our actions are results for the way we think. So if we are thinking like Christ thought that will manifest itself in the way they relate to one another.

And issue here is on how we are relating to one another as believers, that’s the tension point. And we’re all aware of that and we sometimes wonder why it’s seem that it is most difficult to get along with other believers. Sometimes you find it easier to be with those who are not even believers than with other Christians. But that’s often the way it is in our own physical families as well. There is more pressure there, those we are closest to more possibility for tension and disagreements and so on. So it’s among believers we are to be thinking as Christ thought and you can tell how I am thinking by the way that I act and what I do and how I relate to other believers.

So it’s not a matter well you don’t know what’s going on in my mind. What Paul is emphasizing through Chapter 2 is you do know what’s going on in a person’s mind because you can look how they live their life. And the way they live their life manifests how they think. We saw that with Christ. Think the way Christ thought and then how did he present that. Christ do had glory of God’s presence left that came to earth humbled himself and died the death of crucifixion.

See how Christ was thinking by what he did. He humbled himself that humility was seen in the way that he acted. So there is his mind revealed so for us as believers. Our mind is revealed in the way that we act and how we think about others believers as well as ourselves is seen in the way that we relate to one another as believers and that’s point that Paul is driving home to the Philippians. So we know how we think by just looking at what we do.

Alright down through verse 11 Paul tries together that illustration or brings it to a conclusion and then he is ready for the application with verse 12. So then in light of what I have said then do this. So he has given them instructions as the chapter opened up. Then he gave them the illustration Jesus Christ, now here is the application again. So then, do this and as we noted that great Christological passage on the humiliation of Jesus Christ is given as an illustration of humility. Not as part of the great discourse on the doctrine of Christ, but rather as an illustration of how we are to live in humility as believers.

Let’s have a word of prayer before we look at the details this morning. Father, we praise you today for Jesus Christ. Father for our salvation, for the privilege of knowing you. Father for the privilege of beginning a new year as your children with the expectation of your working in our lives. Lord, as we look into this world this morning we ask the spirit who’ll minister to us, prepare us to be more the people that exalt Jesus Christ, more the people that manifest his mind in our dealings with one another. Pray that the truce that we consider will be unfolded in clarity by the spirit of God himself to each one of us, we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

After you talk about the great work of Christ, it seems that it’s strange that in verse 11 he has been talking about what Christ did, in verse 12 he gives a command, be working out your salvation. The command is given the last statement in verse 12 work out your salvation with fear and trembling and the main verb in the whole verse is work out. Be working out your salvation. Now when you just emphasize the finished work of Christ, what Jesus Christ had done with complete salvation, now to give a command to go to work on your salvation can easily be misunderstood; but the context itself put it together when you’ve just presented the finished work of Christ obviously you cannot be commanding someone now to earn salvation.

The whole thrust of Jesus Christ leaving glory and coming and dying on a cross was so that he might secure a perfect redemption, a complete salvation. Now take verse 12, so then work out your salvation. That cannot tell me to be doing something to get salvation or to accomplish salvation Jesus Christ has done that in his death, he has provided salvation. So lot of the misunderstanding would be smoothed out and taking care of if we put verse 12 in the proper context of what goes before as well as what goes after. Work out your salvation that’s the basic responsibility that is stressed for us as believers. It’s given as a command in the present tense, something that we’re to be constantly doing that we are to require to be doing, we are commanded to be working out our salvation.

Turn to a couple of passages with me. Back to Romans Chapter 4, just to see the scripture emphasizes that our salvation is not by works, we’re not saved by our works. So Paul cannot be saying that Paul wrote the letter to the Romans. In Roman Chapter 4 verse 5 he says, but to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. So you see when it comes to acquiring righteousness, being declared righteous by God it is not a matter of works because to the one who does not work but just believes God, his faith is accounted to him by God as righteousness. So salvation is not the matter of works, you don’t give righteousness from God by working; you get righteousness from God by believing, by believing the finished work of Christ.

Now look over in Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith. In Romans Paul makes clear if it is by grace, it cannot be by works otherwise grace wouldn’t been grace because grace means something that is undeserved or unearned, unmerited. So he says you’ve been saved by grace, that means you’ve not been saved by works otherwise grace wouldn’t be grace. You’ve been saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not a result of works, lest any man should boast.

Grace is not a result of works, you don’t earn grace, you don’t earn salvation otherwise you could boast about it, could say well, I am a little better than someone else or look at me, look at all the good I’ve done and therefore I have been saved no, it’s not a result of works. For we are his workmanship in verse 10 created in Christ Jesus for good works, now this is where we are coming to in Philippians we just pick it up now while we’re here which God prepared before him that we should walk in then. There is a place for works but it’s not in earning or acquiring salvation, but rather it is a manifestation of the salvation that we have by grace.

Look at one other passage Book of Titus, little more difficult to find after first and second Timothy, Titus crucial because all other religions are based on a principle of works for salvation except biblical Christianity. Biblical Christianity is the only religious system of I can use that, expression religious system broad sense, the only religion that is based upon salvation by grace through faith. All other systems are system of works which indicates to have not understood what the scripture teaches about salvation.

Titus Chapter 3 verse 5. He saved us, God saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness. Not even righteous deeds which we have done have brought about our salvation well the basis of God’s saving us but according to his mercy, mercy and grace go together. Mercy is something undeserved. If you ask for mercy you are asking for something you don’t deserve by the washing of regeneration and making new by the Holy Spirit. And the washing here is regeneration doesn’t say baptism, some read washing read baptism right away. It is the cleansing that regeneration brings. When you are regenerated, reborn by God you are cleansed. That wasn’t on the basis of deeds.

So come back to Philippians and there are many other passages we could look at, but that’s an emphasis you see that Paul has written in other letters. Paul wrote to Romans, Paul wrote to Ephesians, Paul wrote to Titus. Now Paul writes to the Philippians, he has stressed that salvation is not by works. Now he is not going to write to the Philippians and that tell them you are an exception. The Romans couldn’t be saved by their works, the Ephesians couldn’t be saved by their works, Titus couldn’t be saved by his works but I want you Philippians to get saved by their works, and it obviously be a conflict here.

Note what he says; work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Not work for your salvation, but work out your salvation there is a difference. If you’re working for your salvation you’re tempting to acquire or get something. If you are working out your salvation, you are manifesting what you already have. You are putting into operation what you already have you are putting to work in effect what you have. So that’s the point here, work out your salvation, the point is to live as God intends you to do, to be working like God wants you to work, to be living like God wants you to live that’s the point, that’s the issue at hand.

We’ll come around to this because the issue of work is coming up again but note what he says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. How am I to work out my salvation? How am I to live the Christian life? With fear and trembling, with fear and trembling. Now that seems strange because I thought we as Christians would have confidence. Paul wrote to Timothy and said God has not given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice but now I find out I am to be one who lives in fear and trembling. It’s hard for me to read those words and not have the first impact be someone cowering in the corner, shaking in fear over what is going to happen or might happen or has happened but that’s not the way how fear and trembling is used by Paul. If I am working out my salvation, it’s something that I have, it is the possession that is mine so I am putting it to use but I am to put it to use with the proper attitude, care, and concern.

It is easy especially with the passing of time to take our salvation for granted and to become rather careless or flip if you will in dealing with important eternal issues. So here he is saying work out your salvation with fear and trembling with a healthy and proper respect. Now what’s the context we’re talking about? We’re talking about the relationship of these believers as they function together. As I manifest the new life that I have in Christ in my dealings with other believers, I am to have a healthy concern that this salvation be manifested in a way that’s glorifying the God. A fear and trembling that will take care of the disunity, the bickering, the battling and so on that goes on. If I’m to have that healthy fear before God, that desire and determination to be what he wants me to be, then I cannot function in my relations with others in a careless indifferent manner looking at myself. It is not my salvation but it is his salvation that I have been the recipient of by grace, with fear and trembling.

Look with me at couple of places where Paul uses these words. First Corinthians Chapter 2 puts fear and trembling together, two words that we have in Philippians. And in First Corinthians Chapter 2 verse 3 Paul says, and I was with you, I Paul was with you Corinthians in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. Here you have in fact Paul saying this is the way that I lived my life among the Corinthians. So Paul is asking us to live our lives the way he lived his. When he came to the Corinthians to Corinth that he come trembling, with the idea of afraid to speak, hiding in a corner lest anyone discover him no, he came with boldness and confidence regarding the proclamation of the truth, regarding the ministry that God had given him. But in his attitude there was one of fear and trembling, a concern to live his life among them in a way that honored God, to proclaim the truth of God in a way that honored God, to preach in the context of Chapter 2 in the power of Spirit and not in the power of the flesh. That’s the attitude there. Well it doesn’t mean that the retiring, cowering fear but that healthy sensitivity to doing what I ought to do in the way that I ought to do it.

Look over in Second Corinthians Chapter 7 talking about Titus and his reception by the Corinthians in verse 15 and his affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all; how you received him with fear and trembling, that healthy spiritual attitude that they manifested in receiving Titus and the message that Titus bore it was with fear and trembling. Now note a healthy spiritual condition of a concerned and desire to be what God wants us to be in a situation. Doesn’t mean that there’s not a confidence there, doesn’t mean that we’re not aggressive, but it does mean that we have a healthy sensitivity and desire to be all that God wants us to be.

One other passage just before Philippians; Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 5 slaves be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh; with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as the Christ not as men pleasers. So you see it has to do with my functioning as Christ wants me to. So slaves with fear and trembling as I’m serving Christ, that healthy desire to be all that he wants me to be. That’s curious.

We come over to Philippians Chapter 2 then. Then he says work out your salvation with fear and trembling that healthy sensitivity that manifest a genuine concern that I want to be all that God wants me to be, that I realize in his salvation I have responsibility before God, to live as he wants me to live, to live in effect the life of Christ lived through me. But this responsibility placed on me to do it. You work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

And we’ve gone from the end of the verse, now we go back to the beginning verse 12. As you have obeyed always in my presence, oh not in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Issue here is of obedience, obedience to Paul, obedience to the word of God. And tremendous statement of the spiritual conditions of the Philippian, you have always obeyed, I want you to do it now while I am away from you. I want you to be about working out your salvation.

And you know that there is a little extra pressure there isn’t there? It’s like our children, we want them to function as they should function when we’re home but when we’re going out for the evening and you are going to leave them, a little extra pressure there. And our kids always say, I know Mom, I know Dad because what, we end up repeating ourselves. Now remember, don’t do this, now remember do this. They have been doing it every night for 10 or 12 or 13 years or whatever but we feel impelled to stress it why, while we are there, there is something of the pressure of our presence. Now Paul is not with them. Now when Paul is there, there is the pressure of his presence. We feel that we’re together as believers. There is a healthy pressure of the presence of believers regarding our conduct and behavior. When we are off apart from believers, perhaps with unbelievers, we need to be reminded that we are to live as Christ would have us to live. But you are an obedient people that’s a testimony that spiritual condition. Obedience always is and that’s the issue of the context here humility, the willing to listen and obey that’s the word here to listen under.

As you have obeyed listen under. Hearken to me it’s used of the children listening to their parents in Colossians and also in Ephesians were children are to obey their parents, listen under. Hear what they have to say and do it. Now the Philippians did. That’s an indication of spirituality. Some believers chase under happening to be obedient. We all do to one degree or another. As I grow in maturity I ought to be able to function as a submissive believer more and more as God would have me that was the character of Christ.

So you have always obeyed do it now, be working out your salvation. That’s got to be put in the context now I want you through verse 13 then I am going to look at a number of verses that tie together. He tells me to work out my salvation, that’s my responsibility. And do it with fear and trembling, and sensitivity to being what Christ wants me to be. The reason is verse 13 for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. You work out your salvation because it is God who is working in you. They say now wait a minute, who is going to work this salvation, you want me to work it or you want God to work it. And that’s a kind of lines we often draw, to have expressions like let go and let God. What do you mean let go and let God? Verse 12 says you hold on, and verse 13 says God does it.

Now we come up with ideas like let go and let God, just like you just fall back and let him do it. There is an element of truth in that our salvation is by faith. It’s resting in its efficiency and adequacy of God’s provision not only from my initial salvation but for my continuing salvation to glory. However, there’s also the element of person responsibility where I am commanded to be working out my salvation. And that working out at the end of verse 12 is the word work with the proposition on the front that intensifies it. To be working it through, to be accomplishing it and carrying it out, for it is God who is working in you.

Now the reason I can work out my salvation is God works in me and if God does not work in you there is no possibility of you working out your salvation because salvation is his work from beginning to end we saw that over in Philippians Chapter 1 verse 6 that he who has begun a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ. So salvation is God’s work, but I have responsibility then as a child of God to be functioning as God wants me to function.

It is God who is at work in you. When I came to trust Jesus Christ as my savior God took up residence within my life and he began to work in me. I was born again and he began to produce his character within me. He empowers and enables me to be all that he wants me to be. But I am responsible as a personal creature to exercise my will, to obey him, to submit it, to him to that which he instructs me to do drawing on the powers that he gives me to do it.

Christianity is not a passive life; we swing from one extreme to the other. We have those over here who say that salvation is by works and they give their lives to working their way to heaven, that’s a heresy. We have those who have reacted that over here and say salvation is by grace and faith and that means I do nothing, and they set about proving it, they don’t do anything that’s a heresy because Philippians Chapter 2 verse 12 says you are commanded to work out your salvation.

And Philippians 2:13 says God is working in you and I do not have the option to say well I reject verse 12 and pick verse 13 and then I look down my nose on those who pick verse 12 and reject verse 13. No I have to pick both, I’m responsible to both. It is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Now note here the action on my will, first comes the desire and then the carrying out their desire. It is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

God is working, how is he working he is working on my will and is working on in the carrying out of my will. So you see what happens, why do I have the desire to please him, to serve him because he’s working on my will and I have to be careful. And we sit back and say well I don’t feel like doing it, the issue is not feeling, God is working on my will and gives me a desire. A person who has no desire for spiritual things and no desire for the word of God, no desire to be pleasing to God is manifesting is not a child of God that’s all. Among those who are believers God works on our will. Now it does not mean there are no struggles and not battle because we have the flesh, we have the world; we have the devil all in our position to what God is doing in our lives. But he that works in you is greater than he that works in the world.

First John, the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. So the one who is at work in me is greater than at work in the world and he is working on my will, he gives me the desire so even though his opposition, resistance I have the desire to serve him and to work for his good pleasure. Its one thing to have the desire it’s the next step to put the desire into action. Many people sit back and say oh yes, I’d love to know the scriptures, oh yes I’d love to be used by the Lord, oh yes I’d love to be more affective in my witnessing, oh yes I’d love, but they never do anything. You see he works in our will but he also works in us to work both with my will and in my accomplishing of that will it is God doing it.

So I put it in proper perspective. I can be commanded to work out my salvation because God is working in me and he is working in me to accomplish something, to produce the character of Christ. So he works on my will and gives me the desire and I take and submit it to that desire and put it into practice aren’t we to think like Christ thought, that’s the realm where the decisions are made in my mind I am going to think like he thought, God is working on my will and the desires I have and I put them into practice because he works in me also to accomplish his purposes for the reason I can work out my salvation is because of what God is working in me. He works in me and I work out that salvation because he has empowered me, he has enabled me, this is for his good pleasure. Crucial but the goal of it is his good pleasure.

Ephesians Chapter 1 we won’t take the time to look at it but ties it to the sovereign eternal work of God in election, he did for all his good pleasure. Why is God doing that for his good pleasure? Yeah, but what’s the most ultimate reason, his good pleasure. So God works on my will, he works on me in the accomplishing of that will because his good pleasure to do it. So that’s the picture, you believer work out your salvation why, God is working in you. If you are not working out your salvation you are resisting what God is doing in you. So the problem becomes the problem between God and me not between me and other believers.

We have a couple of passages that will tie both these verses together. First we’ll at on some phrases that use this word work out that we have in verse 12. Just to see how it is not just my doing in my own strength but my doing it is a result to the work of Christ in me. Look back in Romans Chapter 15 verse 18. The context here verse 15 Paul says I’ve written very boldly do you want on some points, so as to remind you again because of the grace that was given to me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the gentiles, ministering as a priest to the gospel of God that my offering of the gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. Now see here the same mixture, it’s the grace of God given to Paul and he has now carried out by obedient to God and presenting the gospel to the gentiles as they had believed he presents them as a sacrifice to God, he can boast about that not in what he has done but what in God has done in and through him.

Verse 18, for I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished. And that word translated accomplished is the same word as we have worked out your salvation in fear and trembling in Philippians 2:12. What Christ has worked out through me resulting in the obedience of the gentiles by word and deed. Jump down to verse 20, and thus I aspired to preach the gospel. So you see the combination Christ is working out through Paul and Paul is determined to do certain things. I aspire to preach the gospel. He drove himself on humanly speaking to carry the gospel to other people why, because Christ was working out his plans through Paul.

So Paul was working out his salvation and it was God working in Paul, it was Paul working in the power that God gave. You don’t find Paul sitting back in a chair saying well, God is working in me and I am not doing anything and its all of him and not of me and why should I walk all away to Rome, take the boat and walk and so on or go to Philippi or any place else. If God wants to work he can work no, he had to determine what God wanted to do and then apply himself to do it at all cost and God provided the enablement but Paul also had to function.

Over in the Second Corinthians just one other passage where this is used this word, there are other passages but in this context. Second Corinthians 5:5 talking about the glory that we’re going to anticipate in God’s presence he says in verse 5 now he who prepared us, and that’s the word translated work out in Philippians 2:12. He who worked out in us for this very purpose, prepare us, accomplished this, worked this through for this very purpose is God who gave us the spirit as a down payment. So it’s God who is working out his plans in us and yet he commands me to work out my salvation but God working in me and me in obedience to him carrying out his purposes. One thing is I think it fits the context of Philippians is that this word is often used in the context of suffering and difficulty for believers. Impressed is I look through concordance and the places this word is used and began to swift out that’s used here in this context that several times this word ‘to work out’ is used for believers in the context of suffering and difficulty, and that’s the kind of issue that the Philippians faced. The end of chapter 1 to you it is been given not only to believe in Christ, but to suffer for his sake, and we work out our salvation often in the midst of difficulty and trial.

Look at a couple of passages with me. Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17, for momentary light affliction and its momentary and light but it’s of such character that Paul can see himself in the process of dying but he calls momentary and light affliction is producing for us, is working out for us, that word producing is the word translated work out in Philippians 2:12 is working out for us an eternal wait of glory far beyond all comparison. So in that context of suffering and difficulty, and often the breakdown that comes in our physical body is a result of the tremendous pressure. Paul says that’s working out for us, our salvation, the ultimate end of which is glory.

We live in a day where you’ve got to look out for your body, don’t want to put too much pressure on it, you got to be careful, don’t get into stress situations and so on. I think we have to take care of our bodies and exercise and eat right and that’s all good but need to be careful that I don’t pamper this body. Paul drove his own in a good sense and he say this body is being used up but praise God that’s working out for me glory because it’s being used up in service of Jesus Christ. That’s the context here, the suffering, the difficulty, the things that I don’t like but that’s the kind of context that I am working out my salvation.

Look over in Romans Chapter 5 verse 3. And again the context of the grace God we’ve been justified by faith in verse 1. We’ve obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand our present salvation. And not only this verse 3 but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, that word translated brings about is our word work out same word. Tribulation works out perseverance. Again the working out of our salvation producing more of the character of Christ takes place most often under stress and pressure. The very things that I don’t like that I look to avoid are the ways that’s using to build me to maturity. Oh, I want to be more the man that God wants me to be but oh I don’t any difficulties in my life, I don’t want any pressure, I don’t want any trials, I don’t want any tribulation but I have to work out my salvation and working it out implies working it out, not sweeping it out, not floating it out working it out. The applying of myself often under difficulty.

One more passage on that James Chapter 1 verse 3 same context as we just read in Romans verse2 count it all joy my breather when you encounter various trials, now that’s strange, here’s something to really count as joy when you’ve got a lot of difficulties in your life why, knowing that the testing of your faith works out endurance, it works out endurance that word produces, that word work out accomplishes this is the result its endurance. So you see patients and endurance are the result. So what we are doing, we are producing more of the character of Christ and we work not our salvation with the sensitivity to be God wants us to be in these situations you see what is happening, the spirit of God who works in us is producing the character of God we are being more and more conformed to his character. So often we get so absorbed with the difficulty and the trial we lose sight of the glorious process that is being carried out in our lives. And I am to be working out my salvation in this trial, this difficulty just the opportunity that God is provided to see that, that is accomplished.

God is at work in you. Many passages in New Testament that stress the work of the spirit of God. In John Chapter 14 verses 16 and 17 Jesus promised the spirit who would indwell us and empower us the himself would indwell us with the father and enable and empower us. First Corinthians Chapter 6 verses 19 and 20 speak of the fact that the spirit of God indwells us and thus he is the one who empowers us.

And look back in Galatians Chapter 2 and Philippians 2:13 it says for it is God who is at work in you that word work there God who is at work is the word that used in Galatians Chapter 2 in verse 8. Note verse 7, but on the contrary seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter with the gospel to the circumcised for he who effectually worked and that’s the word for its God who is at work in you, for he who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles recognizing the grace that had been given to me.

You see God at work in Peter for a purpose, God at work in Paul to a purpose that Peter might effectively minister the Gospel to Jews, that Paul might effectively minister the gospel to Gentile. It’s God who is at work in you. I have in verse 7 been entrusted with the gospel. Paul was not passive he was active in fact that God was working in Paul manifested itself and that Paul was at work. So that’s crucial, Paul was at work and presenting the gospel and God was at work in Paul. Passive Christians doing nothing, going no lace are not manifesting the work of God in their life because when God is at work things are happening and I am working and functioning.

Ephesians, Galatians, Ephesians and I want you to stop at Ephesians Chapter 1 the related word here that we’re looking at, verse 19. And what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might, the working of the strength of his might, same power at work in us that was at work in raising Christ from the dead and that is what he saying.

Over in Chapter 3 Chapter 3 of Ephesians verse 7 of which I was made a minister, a servant of the gospel from verse 6, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of his power. You know it was God’s power at work in Paul through grace so that they might bring to light the mystery of God so something might happen, God working in Paul resulted in the gospel being proclaimed ultimate goal wasn’t Paul slept better at night and Paul had alight with less problem, it was that spiritual things happened the gospel was proclaimed.

Down in verse 20 of Ephesians 3, now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we think or ask, according to the power that works within us. He does exceedingly beyond by the power that works in us. I wanted to dwell on that as believer something in me as a child of God, God is working in me and you stop and think about that. God is working in me in my life to accomplish his purposes and in light of that overwhelming great work of God in my life I am responsible to be working out my salvation, to be abound what he wants me to be doing in the energy and work that he provides and incidentally this word we’re talking about is where we get the English word energy from and one who energies us. Don’t like to use that word its associated batteries and you think you know but that’s the idea, it provides the power, the working.

Now Colossians Chapter 1 in verse 29. This verse very similar to what we have in two verses in Colossians 1:28 and 1:29 similar to Philippians 2:12 and 2:13. Verse 28, and we proclaim him, note how many of these context we’ve been talking about, Paul talks about what he is doing, we proclaim him, he’s doing something, he is working and you study the life of Paul and you see the proclamation how much work it entail in opposition and tribulation and so on. We proclaim him admonishing every man, teaching every man with all wisdom that we may present every man complete in Christ and for this purpose also I labor striving according to his power which mightily works within me. And see I bring the two together, I labor, I am striving, saying oh boy Paul’s really confused on the doctrine of grace.

You don’t realize you just let go and let God no, I labor, I strive why, it’s according to his power, the one who works mightily within me. So the fact that God is working within me what, causes me to labor, to strive, toiling to exhaustion the thrust here. We need to take some lesson to consideration as we attempt may be to pamper our bodies. I draw the lines little carefully oh, can’t get into this, oh, no I might get too tired if I do this and life is going by the weeks, the months the years another is gone by no more opportunities back there for service for him. Oh I am laboring; I am striving according to his power working in me. That’s crucial if you skip his power working in you then you just doing something in your own power and energy that has no significant. But as believers where God is working in us, we ought to be a people who are applying ourselves with reckless abandoned.

Sometimes looking at those in other areas of life sports those kinds of activities they are totally reckless, they give themselves to what they are doing with absolute abandoned and I think this guys are crazy, they don’t care for anything. I mean look at Paul and that’s the way he lived his Christian life with reckless abandoned if I can use that in the proper frame that I am talking about. So he gave himself without restraint to the task that God had given him. It didn’t matter that he was tired, it didn’t matter that he was worn out, he had allowed to labor, I am striving because God’s working in me and I should prop my feet and say God’s working in me. Oh God’s working in me; I have got a ministry to carry out. I have got a message to proclaim.

And the balance in this we could look at when we were in Ephesians, just jot down Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 2. The unbeliever is driven as well because this same word is used in Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 2 of the work of Satan in the unbeliever, the one who works in the sons of disobedience. So he energizes his children, he works in them and that explain some of the motivation in drive that the unbeliever can have in areas opposing Jesus Christ and the work of God. They are empowered supernaturally also but from Satan himself rather than God.

Two passages and we’re done, lots of passages today and I left the Lord out. First Thessalonians Chapter 2, now here you see the word of God working in us. Why are we here studying the word of God today, because as God works in us he uses his word and the inner-development of us to prepare us, enable us to work out our salvation so in First Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 13, and for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you recede from us the word of God’s message you accepted it not as the word of men but for what it is, the word of God which also performs its work in you who believe. Here’s the same word we’re talking about, it performed its work in you who believe. For those of us who are believers the word of God is an empowering force.

We take in the word of God not that we might have more knowledge and more factual understanding that’s part of what happens but that is so that we might be conformed, that it might be a assimilate as food into every aspect of our being so that I might be driven in working out in my salvation in the power of God. The sustenance and the enablement in the power is found in his word that’s crucial, that I am going to be called to strive and to labor working out my salvation. And you can’t do that if you have eaten a good meal in six months and if you don’t have a good diet of the word of God you cannot work out your salvation as God intends you because here is the food that is the intake like new born babies we are be to desire in the pure milk un adulterated milk of the word of God that we might grow with respect to our salvation.

First Peter Chapter 2 in verse 2, I need to take in the word so what are we doing this morning, taking it in and also that we can tuck this Bible under and say well you know that message was good and bad, no, so I can assimilate this into my life. The spirit of God can take it and use it in every part of me as I submit to it as nourishment, so that I can function as God wants me to function and I am going to need all the strength spiritually that God provides to do what God intends for me to do.

Verse that summarizes this well is First Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 9. Paul talks about the labor and we’re promised in verse 8 each one, in the last statement in verse 8 of First Corinthians 3. Each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor for we are God’s fellow workers. We are workers together with God and that’s an awesome statement. I am not sure that I understand all that it entails. I know that it does not mean that my salvation is a result of God and I working together; the scripture is clear on that. What it does mean that is one who has become a child of God I am involved in a task together with God as I labor and toil in serving him. It is he that is working in me that empowers and enables me. I am a fellow worker with God.

Oh curse on the heads of those who are teaching that the Christian life does not involve work, does not involve toil, does not involve labor. We are going to be rewarded for our labor for Jesus Christ those who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ; I have come to trust him and his death and resurrection for me for my salvation. And I’m trusting nothing else. Now God indwells me and empowers me and as a result of his working in my life I am going to apply myself with all my diligence and all my energies and all my efforts to labor faithfully for him until he comes.

The context in the Philippians that means I am going to apply every effort. Avoid no inconvenience to be sure that the harmony and unity and peace of the body is preserved, that we might serve him in unity. I am not going to sacrifice the truth but I am going to sacrifice my own petty desires I am going to apply myself with diligence to work out my salvation that in our relationships with one another we’ll be functioning in a manner in a way that demonstrates and evidences the work of God in our lives.

Let’s pray together. Father, we praise you today for the work that you’ve done in us in Christ. Father for the righteousness that is ours by your grace as we believe in him; Father thank you that you continue working in us as your children. Lord for your good pleasure you work on our wills to accomplish that which is well pleasing to you. Lord, pray that we might be a people here in this local Church who heed the command to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Give us the proper sensitivity. Lord to you and your desires for us that we might spend our lives in serving you, that we might labor and toil according to the mighty working of your power within us. We pray it in Jesus' name, amen.