Welcome to Day 2326 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Philippians-6 Working Out God's Inner Work – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 01/14/2023 Joy in Serving – Working Out God’s Inner Work – Philippians 2:12-18 Last week, we explored A Christlike Decent Into Greatness. “What’s the secret to a great life?” The Bible’s answer to that question isn’t long, convoluted, or complex. As indicated last week, we can sum it up in two words: selfless humility. This week, we continue our study of the letter to the church at Philippi. With the question, How can we allow God to work within us to become more like the perfect imager of Jesus Christ with selfless humility? Today's scripture passage is Philippians 2:12-18 on pages 1827 and 1828, in your Pew Bibles.  ¹² 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, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice>and service>coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Examples are wonderful things. People who have gone before us and lived admirable and exemplary lives are valuable because they can show us how we ought to live. We can study the lives of great women and men throughout history who have lived inspirational and motivational lives and have set the stage for us to do the same.   We have many examples of good and godly people to imitate, but ultimately, we can look to the radical obedience exemplified in Christ’s selfless humility, as described in Philippians 2:6–11. He left the glories of heaven to take on inglorious humanity and live amid suffering, /sin, /and death. He veiled the brilliance of His divine attributes in the flesh and willingly accepted the limitations of human life. He ceded angelic adoration>and praise to become a victim of torture and, ultimately, of an excruciating death on a cross. And He carried out all of this in perfect obedience. Not one flaw. Not one inconsistency. Not one impatient word. Not one misstep or stray thought contrary to the Father’s will.   Mark Twain once wrote, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” What about an impossible example? I’m not a God-man. Neither are you. Only Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, could embody this kind of supernatural humility and miraculous obedience! How in the world are we expected to follow Paul’s exhortation: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. (2:5) We can barely follow the good examples of fallen sinners like us! I’ve seen many people halfheartedly try to follow Christ’s example by faking it to please others or earn recognition. Like a pop star lip-syncing lyrics on stage, while adoring fans look on in ecstasy, some Christ followers put on an outward show when everybody’s watching. Then, they wipe off the made-up virtues where nobody can see. They focus on image rather than substance, doing rather than being. I’ve also watched people attempt to live obediently because they think God is some cosmic vending machine that you can pay with good deeds and receive what you want in return based on the ‘God points’ you earn. They imitate Christ, fully expecting to experience blessings here and now—usually material riches, physical healing, power, or fame. They want the ecstasy without the agony. They want glory without suffering. Perhaps they even want mature obedience without the long, buffeting work of patient endurance. I’m sure neither of these attempts at following Christ’s example in Philippians 2:6–11 was what Paul had in mind when he encouraged his audience to conform to the perfect example of Christ. Instead, he wanted them to have a radical new attitude and trajectory. This new trajectory would not lead to earthly perfection, but toward eternal perfection, in a long sanctification process (becoming more like Christ). It’s a life headed toward the perfect obedience of Christ but entirely dependent on the inner work of the Holy Spirit to progressively lead in that journey. Philippians 2:12–18 shows us what it looks like to work out that inner working of the Spirit. This passage strikes a perfect balance between our natural condition in which Christlike obedience is impossible and the supernatural inner work of God, which enables us to strive for Christlikeness. —2:12–13— With a conjunction meaning “therefore” or “for this reason,” Paul links 2:12 logically with his previous description of Christ’s preeminent example of selfless humility. In light of Christ’s example of profound obedience, the Philippians must build on their own non-hypocritical obedience. Paul gives them a strange command, although made a bit clearer in the NLT: “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (2:12).   With a cursory reading of 2:12, we might conclude that Paul suggests we must work hard to earn our salvation! And to make matters worse, we should be fearful that we might not do enough! If Paul had skipped straight to 2:14, we might be under the impression that Christlikeness is entirely up to us—that God did His part by giving us the example of Christ, and now we’re to do the hard work of imitation. But this would be a hasty and false conclusion. Remember that Paul’s readers are authentic, born-again believers in Christ. God had already begun a good work in them and would complete it (1:6). So this notion of working out their salvation is not meant to suggest that they are to work for their salvation.   We can better understand what Paul means by reminding ourselves of the broader context. What is Paul urging in Philippians 2? He begins by encouraging his readers to like-minded unity, love, and purposefulness, along with avoiding selfishness and conceit (2:2–4) as Christ demonstrated (2:5–11). In 2:14–15, he again emphasizes how they are to treat each other in the fellowship of the saints. He urges them to avoid grumbling and arguing, encouraging them to be “blameless and pure” amid a warped and crooked generation. So, we can understand the imperative of 2:12 in this context. The Philippians are to work out their salvation not in the sense of earning it, but expressing the reality of their salvation through their practical obedience and selfless humility. The emphasis is on sanctification (learning to live more righteously, an imager of Christ), not justification (being declared righteous as if you had never sinned).   But recognizing our inability to practice this kind of Christlike obedience on our own, Paul explains how Christian obedience actually works. It’s like Paul removes the skin from the Christian life, and we catch a brief glimpse of the inner workings that would otherwise remain unseen. (Pull out board) We’re able to work out this salvation in absolute obedience because God Himself—through His indwelling Spirit—is at work in us: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (2:13). In this analogy, the organs which function within our bodies is like the Holy Spirit functioning in our Spirit. As we submit ourselves to the working of His Spirit, He gives us both the desire and the power to accomplish His will. He does His invisible work in us by grace; we do what He has commanded. (Bulletin Insert) If we could see the invisible inner workings of God with our eyes, it would take our breath away. He’s the One who is striving! He’s the One at work! He’s the One empowering us to do the impossible. It’s not our spirit that somehow self-motivates us and perpetuates obedience. The Spirit of Christ works within us to make us into the people He wants us to be. —2:14–16A— Next, Paul provides a more detailed picture of what working out God’s inner work looks like. It affects our attitude (2:14) and actions (2:15). We’re to do everything “without grumbling or arguing” (2:14). The word Paul uses for “grumbling” as a word that sounds like what it is, like “BOOM!” or “CRASH!” or “WHOOSH!” or “whisper.” In Greek, the word for “grumbling” sounds like a person mumbling complaints under their breath: gongusmos. This is coupled with “arguing,” which refers to complaining and arguing with others, stirring up discord and causing strife. These reflect bad attitudes of discontent and discord—the opposite (antitheses) of joy. By checking these joyless attitudes, we demonstrate ourselves to be “blameless and pure” and “without fault,” as Christ was (2:15; cf. 2:5). Our actions will cause us to shine like brilliant lights in a dark world (Turn on flashlight), or like unbending pillars in a crooked culture. God’s goal for His children is not that we retreat from this world into secluded communities. Nor is it His desire that we blend into the world so much that our witness wanes. We are to “hold firmly to the word of life” (2:16), letting nothing slip our grasp as we seek to illuminate Christ to all we encounter. Jesus said, You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matt. 5:14–16). Not only did He say it, but He lived it. And He wants to continue to shine forth through us. Christians who live with an attitude of joy rather than grumbling and whose pure lives shine like lights in the world will be the talk of the town. They’ll transform the morale at the office. They’ll become agents of change at school. And if the church focused on fueling the lights of joyful Christlikeness rather than feeding the fires of mean-spirited conflict, imagine what that could do for our nation or even our world! —2:16B–18— When the Philippians truly lived out the reality of the inner work of the Spirit in both joyful attitudes and faithful actions (2:14–16a), Paul would be able to see a positive return on his investment of blood, sweat, and tears on their behalf (see 1 Cor. 9:24–27). Paul’s lingering concern for all the churches he had planted is that he not be like the runner whose endless hours of training achieved nothing, or like the laborer whose exhausting work produced no results (Phil. 2:16b). Instead, Paul prays that his labor will positively impact the Philippians’ ongoing, Christlike, sacrificial service to God.   In 2:17, Paul’s tone switches momentarily as he focuses on the grim reality that he could conceivably pour out his very life as a sacrifice for the faith of the Philippians. On the sacrificial imagery, Paul uses in this verse, one commentary notes, “In the ancient world, sacrifices, both pagan and Jewish, were usually accompanied and completed by a libation of wine poured out either on top of the sacrifice or at the foot of the altar to honor the deity.” Paul felt his life draining away during his long wait for trial, and he was prepared to give his life for the Lord on behalf of the churches he served. However, throughout his apostolic ministry, Paul had come face-to-face with all sorts of mortal dangers. His imminent trial before Caesar’s court was just the latest looming threat that could result in execution. But in classic Pauline style, he balances his somberness with joy. Even if his life were “poured out as a drink offering,” he would rejoice, viewing this as a “service” toward the Philippians (2:17). Paul also invited the Philippians to “be glad and rejoice with me” and share their joy with him (2:18).   William Barclay adds some perspective to this mutual joy: Paul was perfectly willing to make his life a sacrifice to God; and, if that happened, to him, it would be all joy, and he calls on the Philippians not to mourn at the prospect but rather to rejoice. To him, every call to sacrifice and to toil was a call to his love for Christ, and therefore, he met it not with regret and complaint but with joy.   Application: Philippians 2:12–18 - Personal Enemy Number One From Paul’s perspective on working out God’s inner work in the Christlike life, we recognize that we have one primary enemy who will keep us from walking in step with the Spirit’s work: SELF—the sinful self-centeredness inherent in our fallen nature. As soon as we begin to make a little headway, SELF is there to tell us we’re pretty special and deserving of praise. That’s when true selfless humility flies away, and Spirit-empowered obedience comes crashing down.   Even with Christ’s example and the Spirit’s power, living out our new inner life won’t be easy because of SELF. Inside each of us is a rebellious nature that will do everything possible to upset our Christlikeness. It will grouse, dispute, pout, shout, and pull all sorts of shenanigans to convince us to leave God out of our lives and trust in SELF. Don’t let it! Remember Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.”   Let me share two things to remember as we seek to work out God’s inner work by the power of the Spirit in following His perfect example:

1. Control SELF’s urges to take the credit. Like Paul, make it your goal to exalt Christ, not SELF, in everything. Granted, that won’t be easy, but through God’s power, our hearts and minds can learn to live for Him more than ourselves. It won’t happen overnight. It will require God to mercifully and repeatedly pick you up after stumbling. But eventually, with God’s enabling grace, SELF can be weakened and begin to lose more battles than it used to win.
2. Conquer SELF’s tendency to take charge. SELF doesn’t like to sit in the back seat or take the passenger seat. SELF wants complete control. Don’t give in. It is a winnable conflict. But expect a lifelong battle, because SELF will never surrender, never negotiate, and never give in until we die or Christ returns and transforms our sinful SELF into conformity with His glory.

  If we depend on our own fallen nature, we’ll never work out God’s inner work in our lives. Instead, we must lean on Christ to work in us by the power of the Spirit. If we do, He’ll help us maintain a Christlike walk, not in constant panic, but with inexplicable joy.   Next week, we will continue studying in Philippians, focusing on Joy In Serving in a message titled: A “Son” And A “Brother.”  Please read Philippians 2:19-30 in preparation for next week.