"…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…" - Philippians 2:12
Main Readings: Matthew 5:1-16 & Philippians 2:1-18
Related Reading: 1 John 1
Verse 12 starts with ‘therefore.’ What Paul’s gunna say, links to what he’s said. Already. There’s context. That context is Christ. In verses 5 & 7 we’re told ‘in your relationships with one another, ‘have the same mindset as Christ Jesus… he made himself nothing.’
Now we know. Sorted. Easy. Except we know it’s not! We were born with a broken mindset – we think in broken ways. On top of that, we’ve been handed the broken mindset of our culture. What’s that? Rule number one – you’re number one! Cos you’re something. Now that’s easy! I almost don’t need a mindset – or way of thinking – to do that. To think I’m something. I can do that without thinking. I usually do. Woo-hoo!
But hold on. I’m now in Christ. I’m a believer in Jesus. I’m being asked to challenge that thinking. That’ll be a challenge! Howma gunna do that? I’ll think harder! Christians – you already tried that? I did. I failed!
That’s like using a torch with a dying battery. You turn it on and it shines brightly… eeeuuuughh! For a second. And then it goes out. It looked so good. But then it went dark again. It didn’t work. Same for Christians. Try living by this new mindset in your own dying power and energy. It. Won’t. Work!
So, how can it work? Can it work? Paul’s says it can. By God’s power and God’s energy - supplied to us - we can. We can work out – what our God work’s in. That’s what this section’s about. Working out what God works in. Let’s see. Let’s start with Paul’s instruction to believers in verse 12 – ‘continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.’
That’s a troubling verse! Specially if you’re a Christian of the reformed flavour! Let’s be honest. Many of us here are from that type of Christian crisp packet! Is there anything more likely to fill us ‘with fear and trembling’ than being told to sort out our own salvation? This can’t be right! This can’t be what it means! So, what does it mean? What does it mean to ‘work out your salvation’?
‘Work-out’ – if I said to you, ‘I’m off for a work-out’’ - what would you think? You’d think I was gunna do some exercise. Maybe a work-out in the gym. Maybe outdoors. You’d know that I was gunna take the body I’ve been given and use it. In a practical – physical – actual - active way. What I’ve been given – I’m gunna put to good use. And that’s what Paul means here.
But not ‘continue to work out your’ bodies - ‘continue to work out your salvation.’ Salvation – that’s God’s gift. His saving of us in Christ. That gift is meant to be used – worked-out. So, practically, actively, actually. Used. Exercised. To good effect.
So why, ‘with fear and trembling’? Well, it feeds into verse 13. ‘For it is…’ What is it? It’s Almighty God. What’s he doing? Is he watching from afar? That could make you fear and tremble. But it’s far more serious than that! What - now that I’m a Christian – is he right alongside me? No, far more serious than that? Through Christ, he’s now in you – in Spirit - working away. That - that is serious!
Say I went to hospital for an operation. The surgeon comes to see me. They say, ‘Paul, I’m gunna be working in you today. But I know what you’re like. There’s two ways we can do this. Your way. Or my way. Your way – you can bring in an Xbox, and while I’m working inside. With my double-edged scalpel… you can wriggle this way and that. Concentrating on something else entirely. Or my way – you’ll be still and know who I am. And who I need to be for your life and prospects.
You’ll let me get on with it. You’ll not resist what I’m doing. You’ll take it seriously like you should - with fear and trembling. Cos the outcome of this operation can go either way. And it needs to go my way. Cos my way’s the best way. And you know it.
If we’re ‘in Christ’ then God’s in us. He’s working on us. He’s working in us. God’s operating. Note the tense here. It’s not in the past. It doesn’t say ‘for it is God who worked in you.’ This isn’t the idea that God changes our hearts and lives and mindsets all in one go - at the first moment of saving faith. No. No. No. ‘It is God who works…’ It’s present. And ongoing. Alleluia! Was the mindset that prevailed in your life yesterday that dodgy broken one? Did it work out? Well, there’s hope. Your old broken mindset may not work well. But your God does. And. He’s still working.
Working ‘in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.’ As the NLT puts it – ‘giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.’ Do you wanna do what pleases him? But struggle with the desire and power bit? It never works out!? He’s got that covered too. The only way for Christians to ever work out – to ever walk and talk and act in a way that pictures God’s loving forgiveness in Christ – is as God work’s in. But when he works in – we can work out. What a wonderful promise this is. Christians - hold onto it. Christians – by faith – hold him to it! Yes, in Christ, all things are new and turned about. The God who once held you to account. Now invites you to hold him to account. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10 23).
So, what’s it gunna look like? Well, Paul’s gunna give us instruction. He’s already been doing that in Philippians. Some really hard stuff. Like, think about death like it’s ‘better by far.’ Like ‘have the same mindset of Christ.’ Like, be ‘nothing.’ I mean, really challenging stuff. But now, he’s gunna top it off. With an instruction for our lives - and our church life - that’s possibly the hardest thing in the whole of God’s word.
Verse 14 – ‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing.’ How’re we gunna act like that. It takes me back to Acts – Acts 26 24. It makes me feel like that Roman governor, Festus. ‘At this point Festus interrupted Paul… ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’’ But I suspect Paul would answer me as he answered Festus. ‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus.’ Ok - he’d probably leave out the ‘most excellent’ bit. And replace it with ‘most rubbish.’ But he’d keep in what he said next. He said, ‘what I am saying is true and reasonable.’
But how? Grumbling. Arguing. That’s me. That’s my everyday. They’re part and parcel of my daily routine. Like brushing my teeth! Except… I don’t limit grumbling and arguing to 30 seconds on a morning - and twenty on an evening! And my wife’s thinking – ‘Oh please do!!!’
‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing.’ But if I get rid of them – what am I left with? ‘Do everything without…’ Oh just ‘do everything.’ Just the doing it appears. Just do it! How modern? How up to date is God’s word? Yes, 2000 years before Nike, the apostle Paul was telling the church of Christ – ‘Just do it! – Christians – tick that box.’
But its sounds so firm and demanding. It seems such an absolute – hard and fast - instruction. Sometimes the Bible gets applied in that way - mis-applied. Cos we aren’t supposed to read this and think, ‘well if I don’t remove all trace of grumbling from my life then I can’t be a Christian.’ That is ‘insane’! This is not easy. When we examine our lives today – or tomorrow – this can seem so challenging – hard - even crushing. But God’s design for his people is not that like that. These words are not meant to crush Christ’s people with a sense of their old failure. But to encourage them to new hope.
Grumbling – that kinda inward, inferred, attitude of discontent (heart) – that’s gunna be there. Arguing – where our discontent – spills out of here (mouth) – that’s not gunna vanish into thin air. Life will challenge us with these things. But as God’s work in – we’ll be a bit more able to challenge that broken way of thinking. And ask the question, ‘Is my heart – are my words – what they should be? Are they Christ – or do I need more? More of Christ’s healing power - to heal them too?’
As we work out what God’s works in, what will it look like? Extra-ordinary! So, so different. Verse 15 says, ‘do (it)… so that you may become blameless and pure….’ The suggestion is we’ll become less harmful – less corrupting – to life around us. What a thought! And it goes on, ‘so that…’ ‘you may become… ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’’
It’s in quote marks. Cos Paul’s quoting. From Deuteronomy 32. That’s chapter’s about people. Not just any old people. It’s the people group called ‘Israel’. On the face of it, they appeared to be God’s people. On the face of it. But at the heart of it… most of them weren’t. And we read this – ‘They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.’ It’s beyond sad. They called themselves God’s people. But they did not look like it!
But what transforming power God works in to Philippians 2 15. Cos Christ has turned it all around. Look at what Paul says that Christians – those in Christ - can become. ‘You may become… children of God.’ And Paul’s not saying that believers in Christ aren’t already children of God. They became that when they first came to saving faith in Christ. He’s saying, like, not only can you be Christ’s - but you can actually look like you are too. And Paul sets our newly God-worked - Christ shaped - lives against a backdrop.
Hey - what a coincidence! It’s the same backdrop as thousands of years ago when Israel were wandering. It’s the backdrop of ‘a warped and crooked generation.’ It’s no coincidence though. Since the first sin - broke humankind’s relationship with God - these words have always been true of human society – corrupt – warped – crooked. Always. But children of the living God don’t forget this. As you work out what God – in Christ - has worked in. You – and you only – no-one else – it isn’t possible. You can be Christ.
What will it look like then? Paul continues. ‘Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky…’ ‘You will shine.’ But hold on. Didn’t I say earlier that Christians were like torches with drained batteries. Yes - when they try to shine using their own power and energy. That’s guaranteed to go flat. But this is all about working out what God has worked in. Being powered by God’s power. Being fuelled by Christ’s Spirit-energy. In that way we can shine. And not like one of them dodgy torches from Poundland. ‘Like stars.’ We may never be one of God’s brightest stars. Most of us won’t be. But - we’ll be his.
And don’t misunderstand the backdrop. Get this right. Christians can get so troubled by the sin around them. So challenged by what they see in the corrupt and warped and crooked society that they live in. That they feel they’ve gotta challenge society at every turn. Like, cos it’s warped – bent out of shape –Christians must bend it back somehow!
We can have this attitude towards wider society. We can have this attitude in school/college/university. Or the workplace - I can so struggle with that! Why is it that these people don’t behave more thoughtfully – more honestly. What? Like they’re God’s children? They’re not. Cos they’re not in Christ. Cos God’s not working in them. How can I expect them to work it out?
Do we challenge this and that and the other around us? When what we’re actually being asked is to challenge this (heart). And that (head/mindset). And the other (mouth)! Cos - if we challenge them - we’ll shine.
We’ll ‘shine like stars in the sky as…’ well as Paul says, ‘as you hold firmly to the word of life.’ We might think, ‘well that’s the Bible innit!’ Umm. When these words were written the Bible was still literally being written. Christians still didn’t have what we have. We have it all. We have 1 John 1. There, John says this about the ‘Word of life’ - ‘which was with the Father and has appeared to us.’ It takes us back to those first 11 verses of Philippians 2. Who was with the Father and then appeared to us? Who is the Word of life? It’s Christ. The Word of life is Christ. And it’s the word – the message - with him at its heart.
It’s the only way we’ll ever shine. A legalistic – so conforming to a strict moral code - type of life, that won’t do it. Paul will cover that in chapter 3. Others may not see through that illusion. And - sadly - you may not. But God does! Only a life that grip Christ - depends on him – only that type of life will shine.
Only Christ’s people can hold firmly to the word of life. Only Christ’s people can hold firmly to Christ. Only Christ’s people can hold him out to others. As their lives shine. Through the darkness that others’re all livin’ in.
When do the stars appear to shine at their brightest? When the backdrop of the night sky is darkest. That’s why these verses 15-18 are so hopeful. It’s like they shouldn’t be. Paul’s talking about the dark and desperate surroundings that Christ’s church is being built in. Paul’s aware of the surrounding threat. He’s aware of the danger. And the darkness. But he’s hopeful. It’s so easy to be overtaken by the darkness of life. To think that’s it’s all gunna end badly. But Paul believes that - ultimately - it’s gunna end well.
And so… So. That’s how Paul finishes in verses 17 and 18 with ‘so’. ‘I am glad and rejoice with all of you. (v.18) So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.’ Joy is Paul’s conclusion here. Can it be ours?
But life’s so tough! - I’m not sure! The apostle Paul found it easier than me! Maybe he did. Probably he didn’t. But we’ll only find it works out. In the same that he did. As his God - and our God - works in.
I’ll finish with an example from my work. I unload shipping containers. By hand. It’s hard. On my hand. And arms. And the rest of my aging frame. Sometimes I open the back doors of a forty-foot container. And waddo I see? A load of boxes? No. More than that. A metaphor for life.
Cos, it’s full of stuff to shift. And it appears to be too much. But then I realise - I’m not on my own. I’ve got a helping hand. It’s the young man from the employment agency. The tough work is still tough. But when you’ve got someone young and strong and working alongside you. Tough work soon feels like so much lighter. And easier. And the impossible feels maybe possible.
But that’s not Philippians 2. Philippians 2 is Christ. And like Hebrews tells us - Christ is ‘better.’ The Christian life – church life – can be oh so tough. But we’ve not just got someone young working with us – we’ve got a God who is like new every morning. Oh, and great is his faithfulness. Cos the lad from the agency sometimes doesn’t turn up. He misses the bus or sleeps in.
Sometimes, I judge my God by that standard. I think he’ll be a no show today. But – even though he searches my heart and knows those thoughts… perhaps because he knows them – he always turns up.
And He’s not just strong. He’s mighty – He’s the Almighty. And he isn’t just working alongside us. He’s working in us. Giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
We’ll get it done. ‘Work out your salvation.’ On our won we can’t. But as God works in, we can. Can this be our new mantra. Walking on the Christ-Way saying, ‘As God works in – as God works in – as God works in.’ Knowing that as he does. It will work out. And so will we. Because in Christ – we’re ‘children of God.’ And in Christ – and in Christ alone - we can, and we will shine.