PHILIPPIANS 2:12-162006 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Philippians 2:12-16

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2006. Powerful portion of scripture this morning. And of course, we need to keep in context what we learned last week, the example of Jesus Christ.

Verse 12 of Philippians chapter 2, I'll read it again for you. It says, Now many have used this verse or tried to use this verse to teach that you and I must do good works in order to be saved.

Because it says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. They teach that you have to work for your salvation. And if you do enough good things and are hopefully good enough, then perhaps, hopefully, cross your fingers, maybe you'll be saved one day if you have done enough good things and you've acted rightly.

And of course, this idea, this concept is absolutely false. Completely contrary to what the Word of God teaches.

If you don't know it, you should spend some time to learn it. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Salvation is not based upon us being good or doing good things or doing enough good to please God. But salvation is based on grace.

Believing in what Jesus said and what he did for us. Salvation is not upon our works.

But it's upon what he did already for us at the cross. What we just spent some time remembering, what we talked about two weeks ago, or actually last week in Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 through 11. That's why in John 3, 16, it's for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

It does not say that whoever does a lot of good things or works hard enough or accomplishes much and gives a lot to charity. That's not what it says. It says that he who believes, whoever believes, can have everlasting life. Paul is not teaching here that you must work for your salvation. So then we ask, well, what is he teaching? And as we walk through this, I believe it will become very clear for us. Because he starts with the word, therefore.

Therefore, taking us back to what we studied last week, the example of Jesus Christ. And Paul is saying, since this is what Jesus has done, and since he is our example, here's what we are to do. And he'll go on to share. But what did Jesus do?

Of course, we remember that he humbled himself. He emptied himself of his glory. He was in the presence of God, is God, was God, but emptied himself of those rights and those privileges and the glory became a man. But then that wasn't low enough. After becoming a man, he humbled himself to become obedient to the point of death. And not only that, even the death of the cross.

He humbled himself to that extent. And as a result, God is lifting him up, giving a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess. Therefore, since that is true, since that is what Jesus has done,

We must do as Paul encourages us here. He goes on to say, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. And before we go on, let's just talk about that very briefly. Obeyed. He's not referring to, you know, Paul telling them what to do and they did it. They were obedient to it. But by saying that you have always obeyed,

Not just in my presence, but now much more in my absence. He's talking about obedience to the gospel message, believing what Jesus did for them. The word is used several times in the New Testament to describe that very thing. Romans chapter 6 verse 17. It says, but God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from your hearts that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

Obedience is speaking of receiving the gospel message and believing in what Jesus did for us. Acts chapter 6 verse 7 talks about many of the priests that were obedient to the faith. Romans 10 16 talks about those who have not obeyed the gospel. Second Thessalonians 1 8 also talks about those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so obey is receiving the gospel message and believing it. In essence, it's going back to verses 9, 10, and 11 from chapter 2 and bowing the knee and confessing with our tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord. That is what Paul is referring to as he said, you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. In other words, you believed when I was there, you obeyed the gospel message,

But now much more while I'm gone. Keep on believing. Keep on bowing before him and confessing that he is Lord. Keep on working out your salvation is what he goes on to say. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The questions that you have, the problems that you encounter, the test to your faith, the challenges to face, the decisions to make. All these things are before because in Christ, you're a new creation.

And all of a sudden there's these new challenges and new things that present themselves to you. Maybe you remember that. After receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and now you're living life from a different perspective and you ask yourself, okay, so now I'm saved, how do I handle this situation? What is a Christian supposed to do here? What decision should I make? How do I serve the Lord?

And many other questions that we had upon our hearts. And before, they could always go to Paul and ask him, Hey Paul, what do you think about this? What would you do in this situation? How would you handle this problem? What decision would you make? And Paul is telling the Philippians, Listen, you don't need to ask me about all these things. You have the model. The model is Jesus Christ. So just follow the model. Let the same mind be in you, Philippians 2.5, which was also in Christ Jesus.

And just keep walking with Him. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Not talking about working for your salvation, but just hanging in there. Having a relationship with God. Working out what it means to walk with Him and have a relationship with Him and be a Christian employee or employer and be a Christian on the freeway and be a Christian as a part of the family, as a mother or a father or a child. Work it out.

Continue to bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord as you learn to walk in these things and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Very often within the church, we find those who are only able to bow the knee and confess with the tongue when the situation is right, when maybe others are around. You know, Paul says, hey, not just in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.

Quite a few years back now, we were very regularly going to American Samoa and supporting a church out there and doing the work. We still have a close relationship with them, but we haven't been able to go for a while.

But when we would go, we would send teams and they would do vacation Bible schools for the kids and it would be a wonderful time and we'd have these outreaches and we'd see the church and it would just be packed and bubbling with life and just full of exciting things that God is doing. But as we kept in contact with God,

the ministry there, we find out that there was many who would come around just whenever the team was there, just whenever certain people were there. They'd kind of come out of the woodwork and be excited about the Lord and bow the knee and confess with the tongue. But when those people were gone, so was their bowing the knee and confessing with the tongue. And when they'd come back, then they would come back out of the woodwork and it was always that way. And there's many and many times in our lives where we've done the same.

Paul says, not just in my presence should you be walking with the Lord and having relationship with God. You need to walk with God on your own. Even if I'm not around, even when nobody else is around. Don't just walk with God when I'm there. Bow your knee now. Confess with your tongue now. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Have your own relationship with God. And keep on going.

You know, it's often been said that God has no grandchildren, which means that the faith of someone else cannot save you. Just because your parents were faithful to the Lord and walked with Jesus, that doesn't mean that you are automatically saved. Or just because your spouse or whoever.

God has no grandchildren. We each need to have our own relationship with God. And so Paul says, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Learn what it means. As you have relationship with God, learn how you bow the knee and confess with the tongue that Jesus is Lord in your life and what he has called you to do. He doesn't leave it at that, though. He also says to do it with fear and trembling.

Fear and trembling. A combination that's used to talk about the soberness that needs to be there. And we need to approach it with seriousness. But another way that this combination is used with fear and trembling is that it's used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfill his duty. And that to me is powerful.

He says, work out your own salvation, but do so with fear and trembling, with the attitude of one who distrusts his ability completely.

but does his utmost, gives his best to fulfill his duty. The idea is, I don't think I can do this, but I will do my best. Keeping in context the example of Jesus Christ from verses 5 through 11, as we talked about the three things last week that we are to do, we're to empty ourself, number one, become a servant, number two, and humble ourselves to become obedient to death. And we look at those things and realize,

It's painful. And we say, I'm not sure I'm able to follow Jesus' example. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can't. But I need to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. Bowing the knee, confessing that he is Lord, and doing my best. I don't think that I can. I can't meet all those requirements. But I will do my best to walk with God, to empty myself, become a servant, and humble myself to become obedient to death.

Verse 13, he says, So Paul's saying, do your best because it's God who is working in you. God works in you and calls you and me to work it out, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, we just mentioned it a moment ago.

We're saved by grace through faith. It's not of works as anyone should boast. But the next verse, Ephesians 2.10, says that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We do not do good works to be saved, but as new creatures in Christ Jesus, we must understand that we were created for good works.

To do the things that God has, notice what it says, prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The idea is that God has this path of good works, of things that he wants us to accomplish. It's all laid out in front of us. And God's working in us, Paul says in Philippians 2, and he's got all the good works laid out before us.

And all we have to do is walk in them. He's already doing the work within. He's got it all set up without. And all we have to do is decide, will we be obedient? Will we walk in them? God has done the work within us and laid the works before us. He just calls us to walk. And so what is it that God works in us as we look at Philippians 2?

He says both to will and to do is what God works in us. He works in us both to will and to do. To will. It means that God is the one who gives us the willingness or desire. In our new lives that we have in Christ, we have desires that we never had before. A desire to worship God. A desire to serve God. A desire to know God and to walk with God.

That was not desires that we had prior because the scripture says there is no one who seeks after God. There is no one who desires to know God. By nature, we are opposed to God and have no interest in him. But because God works in us, he gives us the willingness and the desire to know him and to walk with him. Those desires are the result of God working in us. Romans 3, 10 through 12 describes it very clearly. There's none who seek after God.

And so it's God who works in us, both to will and to do. The word to do in the Greek, it's the word energeo, which literally means to prove oneself strong. God works in us, giving us the willingness and the desire, but also proves us strong. Or in other words, he gives us the power, the strength, and the ability necessary to fulfill the desires that he's given to us.

God makes you willing and able. He puts the desires in your heart and then he gives you everything you need to accomplish that. Maybe you've had some desires on your heart to start a Bible study or witness to a neighbor or share with a co-worker or serve in the children's ministry or go on a missions trip or flee from sin or get close to God.

And know that if He's given you that desire, He gives you the power that you need to do it. You just need to walk in it. The works are already laid out there before you. Just walk and do it. Work it out with fear and trembling. Because it's God who works in you both to will and to do. Now this is an important point because oftentimes people will come up and say, you know, but how do I know if it's God who's leading me to do this or do that? And I always...

step back and say, hey, well, let's just take a step back here for a second. Would Satan ever put it upon your heart to share the gospel with anyone? How about his demonic minions? Would they put it upon your heart to serve people and love them and share the gospel message with them? Would they put it upon your heart to start a Bible study or to share a scripture? Absolutely not. And it's not your desire, naturally, because Satan

We don't desire the things of God. If you have those desires, it's God who's working in you. But know that he is working in you both to will and to do. And so the desire is from God, which means he also has given you the strength and the power to do it. God's calling is his enabling. Believe it. Know it. Trust it. And act upon those desires and those things that he puts upon your heart.

Serve in the ways he's called you to serve and share with those he's called you to share because he's the one giving you those desires. It's not your flesh. It's not the enemy. It's God. He puts the desires in your heart. So do them. Work them out. And you know, that's something that's very comforting for me because I don't know if

If you feel like I do sometimes. But man, I wander away. I've got a wicked heart. My heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. The Bible tells it. And I believe it. I know it from experience. But you can trust. And you can know. If you have a desire to walk with God. If you have a desire to flee from sin. Even if you struggle with it. But if you have the desire to flee. To walk. To serve. To minister. To share.

If you have the desire to be close with God, know that that is God working in you. God is working. He hasn't given up on you. If you have those desires, keep on going. He's given you the ability and power and strength that you need. Just keep on pressing on. Keep on being faithful. Keep on working out your salvation with fear and trembling. Don't give up. He hasn't given up on you. That's why you have those desires.

And if those desires go away, then you need to be concerned. God's not working in you anymore. But when God's working in you, that's why you have those desires. That's why you want to be close. That's why it's a struggle. But you can take comfort and know that God is working. And he's giving you the ability and the power and the strength, everything you need to fulfill those desires. You just need to walk in it. He's working in you. He's laid it before you. Notice at the end there, verse 13, for his good pleasure.

All of this is for God's pleasure. He's working in you and he's laid the good works ahead of you for his own pleasure, for his own purposes, because that's what he believes is best and knows is best and brings pleasure to him. This might be a little uncomfortable for us, but you know, God is not primarily concerned with your immediate happiness. That's not his primary concern. He's not out to make you miserable, but God,

God wants what's best for us eternally because that's what really matters. What's best for us eternally is not necessarily what will make us happy today or right now. He's concerned with the things that will bring us joy and blessing for eternity, everlasting upon everlasting. And so he might work in you to will and to do things that you're not exactly comfortable with or excited about.

But your happiness is not to be a basis for the judgment of what you do, if you're obedient or not, if you fulfill those desires or not. Because we must understand it's for His good pleasure. He's not concerned primarily about our immediate happiness. It's just like if you were to go on an all-candy diet. I give you permission. Unless you're a kid, you've got to ask your parents. If you went on an all-candy diet, you might be happy for a little bit.

You might enjoy it for a little bit, but you would quickly discover it's not the best thing for you. You're going to make yourself miserable and sick. You're going to hurt yourself. It might make you happy now, but in the long run, it's going to be damaging to you. And in the same way, the desires and abilities that God gives us may involve things that we're not very happy about with right now or may keep us from things that we're not very happy about right now.

But that is not to be the basis. We must know that he does it for his good pleasure. He wants what's best for us. And so we can obey in faith, trusting that in the long run, in the long run, it will bring us joy for the rest of eternity. As we're looking at this portion this morning, there's four things we're learning from the Apostle Paul. We've looked at the first two already. Number one is we need to have our own relationship with God.

It's so important that we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and have our own walk with God. Number two, in verse 13, we've discovered Paul's taught us that it's God who works in us to will and to do. Number three, we find in verse 14, where he says, do all things without complaining and disputing. The third thing we learned from Paul is that we are to do all things without complaining or disputing.

This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where this study becomes very difficult now because of this simple command that Paul gives us. Are you ready? You maybe need to buckle your seatbelt or strap yourself in because the flesh does not like this. And we will want to flee and tune out and turn off. But Paul says, do all things without complaining and disputing. He gave us Jesus as the model and now he gives us...

The way to apply it to our lives. The command to follow. To follow the model of Christ. The question is, will we be obedient to the word? Will we follow the example of Jesus Christ? God calls you to. And therefore, he gives you everything that you need to do so. But will you do it? Will you walk in it? Why is this command so difficult? First off, he starts out with the word, all things.

All things. Now, all things is not just a kind of a big blanket statement, but literally it means each and every thing individually. Each and every thing specifically, individually, we're to do without complaining and disputing.

And so we can't just generalize and say, well, you know, I do most things without complaining and disputing. For the most part, I don't really complain or dispute in my life. No, the fact that it's each and every individual thing forces us to evaluate every part of our lives, the way that we take out the trash.

The way that we behave at work. The way that we serve at church. The way that we drive. The way that we spend time with our family. You name it, we are to apply it to every aspect of our life. We're to do each and everything without complaining and disputing. We're to put others first and serve them. That's what Jesus did. He gave us the example. We saw it last week and also in John chapter 13 we see it so clearly. And we're to do it

Without complaining and disputing. The word complaining means a variety of things. Let me read off some to you. It means to grumble, to murmur. It means to have a secret debate or displeasure. To murmur, to grumble, to have a secret debate or displeasure. We're to do everything, each and everything, with none of those things present. No grumbling, no murmuring, no secret debates, not the open...

You know, you have to say, well, yeah, of course you're not supposed to back talk or, you know, openly rebel. But even the secret debates or the displeasure, that's to be absent from us in our obedience to Christ. It means really that we're to have a great attitude in everything that we do. When your spouse does ask you to take out the trash, not grumble, grumble, murmur, you know, I work all day, my feet are tired, why get the darn kids to do it? When your boss asks you to do something,

Then you turn to your co-worker. I hate it when they ask me to do that. I don't even know what they're doing. I don't understand. Pastor Cisco, always enjoy that, right? Why do you ask me to clean the bathroom? I'm supposed to teach or lead something or make decisions or influence people or counsel. I expect to clean the bathroom. Tom Cisco, we all love him. But we're not to have that. Paul says, follow Jesus' example. He'll give you everything that you need to do it, but you have to make the decision to do it.

So make the decision. Have a great attitude whenever you're asked to do something. Don't grumble and murmur about your spouse or talk about your boss behind their back or to their face for that matter. Do it without complaining.

No secret debates. No grumbling. No murmuring. Even if it's in the tents at home when nobody else is around. You're not even to have displeasure within you of being told what to do by this person. What they told you to do. We're to be obedient. Submissive. With a great attitude. Without complaining and disputing. Disputing has a list of things that it means as well. Inward reasoning. Questioning. Hesitation. Doubting.

or arguing. Our obedience, our submissiveness, we talked about that last week, the order that God has given to us and we're to submit to the Lord first and our government and husbands and wives are to submit to one another and parents are to submit to their children and we're to submit to the spiritual authorities that God has placed in our life. Any type of authority in our life, God has called us to submit to

Without complaining or disputing. Without inward reasoning and questioning and hesitation and doubting and arguing. It means that we're to do it, whatever we do, everything we do, each and everything we do, willingly and eagerly with a great attitude. Not thinking to ourselves, you know, I think I could do it better. I don't think that's the best way. If only they would listen to me and all of the things that we can come up with in our heads. We're to do everything without question, without hesitation, without arguing or talking back.

Pastor Tom used to share with us about his dad when he was growing up and his dad would tell him, yours is not to question, but to do. And parents love that. But it's the reality. And we're not just talking about kids. You and I as adults, when your boss tells you to do something, yours is not to question, but to do. And to do it willingly, without hesitation, not grumbling or murmuring, but with all your heart, with a great attitude.

We're to serve one another. Colossians chapter 3 verses 23 and 24. Paul tells us there, Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ. Everything that we do, we're to do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. Because it's from the Lord that we will receive the reward and it's Him that we're serving.

And any authority that God has placed in our life, we must understand that we serve them as to the Lord. If you're complaining and disputing, you are not serving.

You are not doing it as to the Lord. Let everything be done without complaining or disputing. When your boss tells you to do something, you are to obey just as if it was Jesus there telling you to do that. With the same attitude that you would have, with the same heart, giving it your all. Because Jesus has commanded you through your spouse, through your boss, through your parents, through your pastor,

You're to be obedient with a great attitude and a willing heart. If you're serving around here at this church or any church anywhere, but if you're complaining and disputing in it, then you need to stop serving. You're not doing anybody any good. God doesn't need your benevolence in that way. If you're grumbling and complaining about it, if you're disputing or having secret displeasure or secret debates, stop.

God doesn't want your service if it's done grudgingly. He doesn't want your money if it's given with complaint. He doesn't want your time if it's given reluctantly. Only give to God what you can give to him. Only do what you can do willingly and joyfully with all your heart. And some might say, well, you know, I want to serve the Lord. I just don't agree with this or that or that.

Or maybe, you know, hey, I woke up today. I don't want to serve in children's ministry. Why did I sign up for that? Man, I regret the day I did that. You've got to be faithful, though. Why? Who are you benefiting? Because you're to serve the Lord and not men. Only do what you can do willingly, joyfully unto the Lord. Do it all without complaining, without grumbling. If you're complaining and disputing, you are not serving. You're not doing it as to the Lord.

Now, if we apply this attitude and this heart that Paul is telling us here, the result will be incredible. If we do everything with a great attitude, willingly and eagerly, two things will result, he tells us in verse 15.

Verse 15 says that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world. The first result that we will see as we are obedient to this command is number one, we will be blameless, harmless and without fault.

Blameless and innocent. Because you'll be doing everything with a right heart, a good attitude, not hiding things, not holding grudges, not having secret meetings or secret debates or secret things. We will not be able to be accused of anything because we're doing everything with a great heart, a great attitude as to the Lord. We'll be blameless and harmless. Children of God without fault. But the second thing that will take place, that will happen as a result of our obedience to this command,

is that we will shine as lights in the world. Because as Paul describes, we're in a crooked and perverse generation. If we have this attitude, if we do everything without complaining or disputing, we are going to stand out and the difference will be like night and day. We're going to be different. It will show. We'll be witnesses for God. And he gives that contrast.

You ever been around a light that's really bright and you close your eyes, but the light is so bright that it still pierces through your closed eyelids? That's the effect of this attitude on the world around us. Even if people try to close their eyes, if you are obedient to this command, the light is going to pierce through. Even if they try not to see it, to ignore it, the light will pierce through. You will be a witness to

For God. Matthew 5.16 says, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. When he talks about letting your light shine before men, it doesn't mean calling attention. Hey, look over here. I'm giving to the poor over here. I'm serving in this way and I'm teaching this. And that's not what letting your light shine is all about. But we let our light shine by following the example of Christ.

Verse 16, he says, The fourth thing we learn from the Apostle Paul in this portion this morning is,

is that we need to hold fast the word of life. Paul says you're going to have or you need to have a good attitude and be obedient without questioning and complaining. But a good attitude is not enough. A positive self-image and a good attitude is not enough. You must hold fast to the word of life, the Bible, the gospel message, the truth of Jesus Christ. Salvation is only found through him. And so Paul asks the Philippians to hold fast.

That he can rejoice in the day of Christ. Because then in the day of Christ, if they hold fast, they'll be there with him. Because they had held fast. The only way that we can be saved is by holding fast to the word of life. Not compromising the word of God. Not straying away from it. But being faithful and true, obedient to it. Paul says, I want to rejoice when I stand before Jesus Christ.

Reminding them, back in chapter 1, he says, hey, I'm between two things that are really difficult. I want to depart and be with Christ, but to be here in the flesh is more needful for you. And so I'm going to continue on and press on. The reason why I'm living is to teach you and build you up. And so Paul says, I want to make sure it's not in vain that I'm continuing on and enduring this and dying to myself. I want to make sure that it's not in vain that I'm doing all of this and that you'll hold fast the word of life and that I'll get to see you in heaven.

And I'll get to see you in eternity. You know, Paul expressed great concern for that in his letters. The concern of running in vain. Because he ministered and served and died to himself to serve others with the hope that it would not be in vain. That those people would develop a relationship with God. That they would work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. That they would hold fast to the word of life. I would ask you and I this morning, what are we doing?

Paul did all of this to ensure his entrance into the kingdom of heaven. He wanted an abundant entrance. What are you doing in preparation for your entrance into eternity? Next week we'll look at three examples that Paul gives us, himself included, in giving himself to minister to others that they might hold fast to the word of life. Are we giving ourselves to those around us, shining the light, being obedient to this because it's more than this life.

but doing it so that they might see the witness, that they might hold fast, that they might spend eternity with God. The four things we learned from Paul this morning. Number one, have your own relationship with God. You need to have your own walk with God. Work it out with him, what it means for you to bow before him and confess that he is Lord in your life, in your family, in your workplace.

Number two, God works in you to will and to do. He's the one who gives you the desires. And if he gives you the desires, he gives you the ability to do it. So be faithful and walk in all that God leaves before you. Number three, do all things without complaining or disputing. No grumbling or murmuring or questioning, but do everything with a great attitude, willingly and eagerly, and hold fast. Number four, to the word of life.

I close with the words of the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 13, 20 and 21. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Heavenly Father, that is our prayer this morning.

for this body, for this congregation, for our own selves, God, that you would make us complete in every good work, that we would do your will and the things that are pleasing to you, Lord, because it's you who works in us to will and to do. And so, Lord, may we take these lessons from Paul to heart. May we apply them to our lives, Lord. Develop our personal relationship with you. Give us a thirst to walk with you, to know you. Lord, help us to take advantage of this new covenant that you've given to us.

and dwell and spend time in your presence. God, we ask that you would remind us that it's you who works in us to will and to do. And so, God, when we have those desires, may we be faithful to complete them. May we step out in faith, believing that you will give us everything that we need to do them. May we be obedient to you, God. And Lord, may we do it without complaining and disputing, Lord, as our bosses and our husbands and wives and our parents and our spiritual leaders and those you've placed in authority over us.

Instruct us.