Phil 2:12-16 Divine Energy in the Heart
Intro: We have been studying Phil. The epistle of Joy :
A)Thus Far Paul has shared w/ us 2 essential elements to experiencing Joy in the midst of Difficult circumstances –
B) First is having a single mind – 1:21 –For Me to live is Christ
1)
Thinking of Christ –
Christ the CENTER – life revolves around
C)
2ND is having a SUBMITTED MIND –
Mind of Christ – Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus
1)
Last week we covered a
great Passage – Paul talking about How Jesus emptied Himself – of his right to
walk in the Power & Glory as God
D)
How in Obedience to God the Father / God the Son – allowed His glory to be
concealed in His Humanity
1)
And as a Man – made
Himself –Dependant upon His Father - & was Obedient to His Father – That
the Plan of Redemption accomplished
Pick
up in v. 12 tonight : Read v.12-13
Therefore takes us back to what Paul has been saying about
Christ & How He was obedient to the Father even unto death
A)We should not miss the connection between the obedience Jesus showed and the obedience Paul expects of the Philippians
B) As Christ walked in obedience – you also are
to walk in obedience !!!
C)
Now notice here that Paul does not say to work for
your Salvation: He says to work it out !!!
1)
Our Salvation is a
work of God – Paul explains that in v.5-11 / Jesus did the Work of Salvation /
He died / He provided a way … saved
D)
Our Salvation is a gift that is given by God/ it is not of works lest anyone
should boast /Gift given we receive / Blessing we
choose to respond to
So our Salvation is not something that we work for – It is
a gift from God thru the work of His Son / We believe (Faith) We receive – the
Gift
A)So we don’t work for it – but we once we receive it we are to work it out !!! – What does that mean – {Think of it like this
B) When you are born as a Baby – you have muscles
in your body – they are given to
you – But you have to work them out / DEVELOP THEM
1)
If you don’t you are
going to be sickly & frail weak & under developed
C)And
your Body is not going to be capable of
doing what God intended it to do
1)
So there is a need to
work those Muscles & develop them so you can walk / run / write / Etc
The same thing holds true spiritually – When you receive
Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior – You are given Salvation
A)Term is a board term: It means that you are saved from eternally Damnation – fires of Hell –
B) But it means more than that you are not just going to hell –
1) It means that we have been saved from our
Sins – Forgiven & forgotten but not just saved from the Penalty – but also
the Power
C)
No longer to live in Bondage to sin / unholy habits & attitudes that
plagued my life before
1)
Some Christians never move past the fact that they have been saved from not
just the Penalty of Sin / but also the Power of Sin
D)
Jesus has Provided for them the means of living a life of Victory
But it is deeper still – we have not only been saved from
something Hell & Sin / But we have been saved unto something { Heaven
A)It means we are in Relationship w/ God / Fellowship – INTIMACY / Part of the family of God
B) And you have been given tremendous blessings & riches
spiritually that are intended for you to enjoy life to the MAX { Abundant life
1) To really experience life the way that God intended it to be lived
C) But it is not just that you have been saved from Something : Sin &
Hell / or even saved Unto something { entering into relationship/ experiencing
life
1)
But You have also been
SAVED FOR something – God has chosen you to be
a part of His economy – a vessel in His Kingdom
Ephesians 2 :10 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
D)
And so that is what Paul is talking about here when he says to work out your
salvation with fear & trembling – He is talking the whole Package
1)Taking
what you have been given in Christ & putting it to work/Exercising it – to
experience the most that God has for you { SANCTIFICATION
Justification ….Moment /Nothing but respond - Sanctification process of a life time
A)We are to work it out – we have a part to play in the Process
LJ
Sanctification is Christ being formed in us, our
nature being purged purified cleansed & perfected or completed the ultimate
state is that of glorification – Which occurs when we get to heaven
B)
Been said this way – We ARE Saved – Sin / Hell
Justification / Being Saved –Sanctification – set apart - / And we will be saved Glorification
1)
It is this 2nd
part that we are called to be a part of the Process in – to work out
spiritually develop spiritual graces – given to us thru Christ
C)
See the fact of the matter is many Christians are weak & frail & anemic
spiritually speaking because they are not working out their salvation
1)
They are not
exercising those spiritual muscles that are a part of the Salvation that God
has given to them
After my hip surgery back to the gym for PT – At the gym there
are weight machines – Cardio machines / Pool / some even Jacuzzi
A)Almost everything you need to be as healthy as you want to be in under that roof –
B) Here is the thing – it does no good for you to sit at home dreaming about
a good work out at the gym talking to your muscles { Push it !!!
1)
Nor does it do you any
good to drive up in your car sit in the parking lot & look at the Building
{ I went to the gym today
C)
It doesn’t do you any good to go inside & walk
around looking at the equipment – watching others work out/ It does no good to just sit in the Pool
1) No the equipment is intended to be used
Well here is the thing folks – Your Bible is like the Gym –
In it is everything you need to get healthy Spiritually { All things life
..Godliness
A)There are promises to stand on – Promises are like Pictures at the Gym { Every gym has pictures – Buff guy – Yoked –
B) Purpose of the picture is – You too can be
like – him – if you work hard enough & long enough – { Quit right
there -
1)
The word gives us a
Picture of Jesus & the Promises assure us that one day we are for sure/
going to look like Him – 1 Jn 3:2 see Him like Him
C) In this book there ARE Doctrines : Divine truths – teach you about God –what He is
like / about Yourself / that teach you how to live /
1)
Doctrine is like the
Instructors at the Gym – teach you about the Body and how to use the equipment,
how everything works together
D) In this book – there are
Exhortations – Challenges encouragements to go for it in the Lord – Specific
instructions: Love your wife / Be Holy
1)
it is like the aerobic
machines or Classes – Push it
E) Psalms – Jacuzzi
– Warms & Massages your heart
1)
Book tells us about –
Tools like Prayer & fasting – help grow
Paul saying take everything that
has been supplied to you & work it out The word work = to carry out to the
goal
A)It speaks of effort & Diligence /
and focus – Picture of Olympic runner/swimmer going all the way to the finish line
B)Now A man does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures, watching movies, reading books, or cheering at the games.\
1) He becomes a winning athlete by lots of hard work –
C) The
Words Fear & Trembling speak of a Vigilance and a Reverence / a
Caution & a Circumspection about our Sanctification
1)
It
simply means taking Seriously our Walks w/ the
Lord
D)Again LJ By my own
efforts & hard work I can never make myself a Christian that is a work God
does by his Grace – but once I become a Christian then I must work w/ all my
might & with all the energy & effort that I command
Now when it comes to working out Physically – where it
breaks down for most of us – is that we don’t like it { Rather Eat a burger
A)Easy to find excuses to not go – 3 weeks my gym
bag in the truck – going today – never make it { No one can get me to the Gym
B)
Spiritually we also deal w/ the problem of our Will – But God has an
answer – v.13 for it is God who works in you both
to will and to do for His good pleasure.
C) Now what does this mean & how does this fit in w/ v.12 – God works in you both to will & to do …. Pleasure ?
The word Works – in v.13 is the Word –Energize – It speaks of what the H.S. does in the life of the submitted Christian – He Energizes Him
A)So in v.12 we have Human responsibility and in v.13 we have the Divine enablement { The two go hand in hand
WW. There are two extremes to avoid here: (1) “I must do it all” and (2)
“God must do it all!” The first describes the activist, the second the quietist,
and both are heading for failure. “Let go and let
God!” is a clever slogan, but it does not fully describe the process of
Christian living. What quarterback would say to his team, “OK, men, just let go
and let the coach do it all!” On the other hand, no quarterback would say,
“Listen to me and forget what the coach says!” Both
extremes are wrong.
B) This is not a let go & let God type of
Mentality that is being advocated
1) But rather a partnering w/
the H.S. – in God’s Plan & purpose for our lives
a submitting to His leading / and a Depending upon His power
C)
To walk in the way that God has called us to thru the Power that He supplies
LJ
There are those who think that
sanctification is something in which you and I are quite passive. There are people
who teach that as you have been justified by just believing and doing nothing,
so you much receive your sanctification in exactly the same way.
They say that you are justified by faith,
and that the big mistake that most Christian people make is that they strive
and endeavour to improve and perfect themselves. That, they say, is an error;
you have nothing to do but to stop and give in and receive this sanctification
and then you will be held to be perfect. They put it sometimes in a phrase like
this - “Let go and let God”, and they
have based it upon this word that we are considering together.
You have nothing to do but to let go and
wait upon God and then you receive. And yet the answer is found in the
Apostle’s words here, which are an active commandment: “Work out”, do something, work out your own
salvation, with fear and trembling.
These 2 verses go together – can’t single out either one
& put it by itself because then you end up going in to the extreme in one
direction
A)If you single out v.12 – becomes a work of the flesh – trying to take the work – that has begun in the spirit & be made perfect in the flesh
B) Two things are the
result of that mentality – One is PRIDE
and legalism because of the areas where I am able to have some victory
in the flesh
1)The other is shear condemnation & frustration
because of the areas where I am consistently failing
C)
Some times I might even ignore the areas where I am failing & only focus on
the areas where I am having some degree of improvement
1) My whole walk w/ God & my inter action w/ others
is based on my performance – I keep telling myself I
am doing better
But if I only focus on v.13 – Hey God is working in me both
to will & to do for His good pleasure – if I take that to the extreme –
also problem
A)Because
I can take areas of my life ,that I know are not right & conclude I don’t
need to worry about this – God will deal w/ when He is ready
B)
Suddenly the excuse that I have for why I am still struggling in an area is
because God hasn’t given me the Desire yet to do that / Hasn’t
willed it to me
C)
Example : Here this often People say –
I just don’t have a desire to get into the word – but
I am praying for God to give me that desire
1)
That mentality
ignores the fact that God instructs us to Study to
show ourselves approved unto God - a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth
D)
It ignores that the Lord says – that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek after
Him
1) And that only those who seek after Him w/
their whole hearts are going to find Him / Those who hunger & thirst after
righteousness filled
E) God tells us to be Diligent like soldiers & disciplined like athletes
The Christian runner with
the spiritual mind realizes that God must work in him if he is going to win the
race. (John 15:5). “Without Me you can do nothing” God works in us that He might work
through us. As we apply ourselves to the things of the spiritual life,
God is able to mature us and strengthen us for the race. (1 Tim. 4:7-8) “Exercise thyself rather unto godliness!”
Some Christians are so busy “dying to self” that they never come back to life
again to run the race!/ But others are
so sure they can make it on their own that they never stop to read the Word,
pray, or ask for the power of the Lord.
The Key is understanding how the Lord works in us both to
will & to do for His good Pleasure
A)The HS is in us – given a divine nature – constantly challenging our old nature or the self will
B) God didn’t make us Robots – but free moral agents – ability to choose – He doesn’t Control our wills –
1) But He seeks to Persuade our wills –With the Persuading He supplies the Power if we would but Yield to His Promptings
C)
Now this is where some people get messed up – they say well God is not moving
me – not Persuading me in a certain area
1)
Love my wife – or –
Get rid of bitterness – So I am going to stay bitter until He works it into me
D)
That is wrong attitude because the very fact that God instructs us in His word
to do those things – is an indication that if there is an area in our lives
where we are in sin the HS is going to be Convicting – His Character
The HS persuades us or works on our will in 4 ways –
1st is a Holy Discontentment w/ ourselves – He convicts us and makes us feel miserable in our sin or with our current condition {never Stagnate
A)If I resist that conviction – that work He is doing in me is going to move from persuading to Chastening – { Not stay in our sin
B) IF I really don’t have any desire to Change or to grow – no conviction
concerning a situation – really need to question whether I am saved
1)
Or have I resisted so
long that my heart has become so hardened
C)
So First He gives us a Holy Discontentment w/ ourselves
2nd He gives us a desire to rise above –A Prompting to want to be Victorious / or to
grow { To Change
A)He Makes me anxious to work it out / The desire to Change to grow to get closer to the Lord is born out of seeing how far I am from the Mark
3rd He Produces w/ in us an assurance that the
desired goal can be attained – Make us more like Jesus
A)The HS produces in me thru the promises in the word that the end is in sight –
4th He then works w/ in us – a Determination to
do what ever it takes to reach the goal – I am ready to count the cost {
Experience the blessing
A)That Determination is MET w/ - Power to see it become a Reality – that which I may have never thought possible becomes a reality
B) How many of us – have said a time or two – I
will never get over this – or I will never be free from that / I will never be
able to do that
1)
But with that
Yieldness to the Lord – comes a Power & strength to make it a reality
C)
And so that really is how the Lord is working in us – Both to will & to FOR
HIS GOOD PLEASURE
1)
In other words it is a
Pleasure to God – when we submit to His plan of working in our Lives
D)
When we instead of resisting the work of His HS instead partner w/ the HS in
that area where He is wanting to work in us
Now if there is still any doubt that v.13 doesn’t axe out
v.12 & that the 2 don’t go together – the next thing Paul says makes it
very clear v14-16
A)Do all things w/out complaining & disputing
B) Language of Hell vs the Language of Heaven
1)
Note 2 things – 1st
Why are we to do all things w/out complaining & Disputing & 2nd
How
C) 1st why That you may become blameless and harmless, children
of God without fault:
Through
the display of a non-complaining spirit, we show ourselves to be true followers
of God. & Different from the world
D)Notice
how Unsaved people complain and find fault, w/ everything – Practicing for
eternity - but Christians rejoice.
1) Stand in Stark Contrast to the rest of the
World -
E) We Shine as lights in the mist of a crooked & Perverse
Generation
1)
Best
Neighbors / workers / Employers
Holding fast the Word of life is Literally Holding Forth
the Word of Life
A)Your
life is holding forth the Truth of God’s word – You might be the only Bible
someone reads
B) So
that is the Why we are to do all things w/ out complaining & disputing – the next thing Paul says I believe gives us the How –v.17,18
C) Poured out – as an offering – Great way to view life – Vessel
1) Jesus Pour into me – Pour me out –
D)
Less of Paul more of you –
So Paul says Work it out - My work to be in vain –