Year Two, November 1

Work Out Your Own Salvation With Fear and Trembling1

Philippians 1:27-30

27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. (Paul was very concerned that the Philippian Christians would be united in their zeal for the spread of the gospel and not back down because of persecution. The world looks on the message of salvation only in Jesus as being inflexible and the courageous saints who proclaim it as hardened heretics. But God looks on their boldness with favor.) 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

It would cheer the Philippian saints to remember that they suffered in good company. They were comrades with the apostle himself. We may rejoice when we are ridiculed for Jesus’ sake, because we are in company with the princely army of martyrs.

  

Philippians 2:1-16

1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, and comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (Paul pleads with them intensely. He multiples his words. Love among Christians is so precious that he begs for it as if he were begging for his life. Let us never fan the flames of party strife, but always work to increase holy love among our fellow Christians.) 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus is the divine pattern of love and self-denial. We should make every effort to follow his example. He is now exalted to the highest glory as the reward for willingly being humiliated. His disciples will also rise to honor by being willing to give up everything for his sake. We must stoop to conquer. The person who is willing to be nothing will possess all things.

12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (We work out what the Lord works in. The grace of God is not an excuse to be idle. It is a reason to be hard working! God gives us both the will to work and the work to do. Therefore, let us will with strong determination and work with fearless persistence. This is how we will fulfill the good pleasure of the Lord.)

14Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (We cannot be blameless if we complain and argue, because that naturally leads to sin. Our lights cannot shine if, instead of keeping our own wicks trimmed, we spend our time blowing out the lamps of others.) 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

We do not wish to rob faithful pastors of the reward of their labors. Yet that is what we will do unless we wholeheartedly join with them in spreading the gospel and do our best to live in holiness and Christian love.

  

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¹ Philippians 2:12