Scripture Reading: Phil. 2:12-18
We know that the Epistle to the Philippians was written by Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul not only wrote Philippians; he also wrote the Epistles of Ephesians and Colossians as well. Each of these three Epistles has its own emphasis. Ephesians talks about the church as the Body of Christ. Colossians talks about how Christ is in the church. Philippians does not talk about such profound doctrines as those contained in Ephesians and Colossians; rather, it emphasizes one thing: freedom from disputes. Philippians 4:2 says, "I exhort Euodias, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same thing in the Lord." These two serving sisters did not get along peacefully. For this reason Paul specifically beseeched them.
Philippians places special emphasis on the matters of humility, peace, and love for one another. We may say that Philippians is a footnote to 1 Corinthians 13. Paul beseeched the Philippians to consider one another in lowliness of mind more excellent than themselves, not regarding each his own virtues, but each the virtues of others also. After this he mentions how the Lord emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men, humbling Himself, becoming obedient even unto the death of a cross. Paul told them that this was the mind of Christ; therefore, he beseeched them to let the mind that was in Christ Jesus also be in them. However, there was a difficulty here. Although there was a willingness, there was not an ability. Listening is one thing, but doing is another. The apostle Paul talked about how the Lord emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and became obedient even unto the death of a cross. With such a high standard, the two sisters undoubtedly thought that it was impossible for them to attain to this standard. Therefore, Paul continued and told them how it could be done in verses 12 through 18 in chapter two.
Verse 12 says, "So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." So then refers to the previous context. My beloved was used by Paul whenever he was giving a very important word. Since he used this designation, what follows must be very important. "Even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence." What is the meaning of this word? Paul said that in the past when he preached the gospel to them, they always obeyed. Since things had gone wrong, they should obey even more. They obeyed him when he preached the gospel there, when he was an example there, and when they had contact with him; therefore, they should still obey him. These few words contain three points. First, they obeyed Paul when he was there because he had contact with them. Second, in Paul's absence, they should obey even more because they were entrusted more to God. Third, they needed to obey so that they could work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (2:12b). We should read this verse several times. Fear is toward God, trembling is toward ourselves. On one hand, we should fear God; on the other hand, we should tremble toward ourselves. Temptation is strong; therefore, we tremble. God is great, therefore, we fear. How can salvation be worked out? We thank God that He has a way; salvation can be worked out.
The Bible has divided the matter of salvation into three stages. First, in the past, God delivered us from the punishment of hell. Second, in the present, God saves us from the power of sin. Third, in the future, God will cause us to enter into the kingdom to be co-kings with Christ. Let me give a few examples:
Second Timothy 1:9 says, "Who has saved us." This occurred in the past, and every believer has received this salvation.
Hebrews 7:25 says, "Hence also He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him." This is the present salvation, and it can be received today.
Hebrews 9:28 says, "So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time to those who eagerly await Him, apart from sin, unto salvation." This is the salvation in the future.
The Bible clearly mentions three kinds of salvation, one in the past, one in the present, and one in the future. Some Christians may have received the past salvation, but they may not have received the present and the future salvation. Some Christians have received the past salvation as well as the present salvation, and they are going to receive the future salvation. It is possible to be delivered from the punishment of hell and yet sin daily. It is possible to be delivered from the punishment of hell, but this does not necessarily mean that one will be a king in the future. I will mention three more verses in the Bible to prove these three stages of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved." This is the past salvation.
Romans 8:24 says, "For we are saved by hope" [KJV]. This means that we are in the process of being saved; this is the present salvation.
Romans 5:10 says, "For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled." This is in the future.
We thank and praise God that we have been saved! However, there are still two kinds of salvation which we have not yet achieved. Therefore, we need to pursue further. Some may not think that they are saved, so we tell them that once they believe they are saved. This refers to being saved from the punishment of hell. We have been saved from hell, but we still need to be delivered from the power of sin and pursue after the glory in the future kingdom. Therefore, we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Dwight L. Moody was a very powerful preacher and extremely capable in saving souls. In his lifetime he said that he had never seen a lazy person be saved! Even if a person desires to be delivered from the punishment of hell, he cannot obtain it if he is lazy. "Therefore He says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Eph. 5:14).
In the past few weeks I have mentioned many times that we are incapable in ourselves. If it is up to us to do anything, it will be very difficult. But if we are willing to surrender and believe, then Christ will do it on our behalf. While one should listen to this side of the truth, there is another side of the truth: to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. This is our responsibility for, if we do not do this, we are off. No doubt, Christ has died on my behalf, shed His blood on my behalf, and resurrected and ascended on my behalf. Some may think that since this is the case, all we need to do is just worship and be absolutely passive. There is no need to pray, read the Bible, and donate. However, we need to know that since God has done this, we can work out our salvation even more fervently. Since God has done it, we should work it out. How can we work it out? The following verse tells us the answer.
Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure." Verses 12 and 13 are two sides of a most glorious truth; they include everything. If you look at the first verse, you think that we should do everything. But if you look at the second verse, it seems that God will do everything. On one hand, we should work out our salvation, and on the other hand, God will work it out. This is not contradictory, but complementary. Verse 12 says that we should work out our salvation, and verse 13 says that God is able to make us do what we should do.
These two verses explain two very important aspects of truth in the Bible. In one aspect there are many severe commandments in the Bible from God. He commands us to do this and do that. It seems that God has given us a hard burden that we can hardly bear. It seems almost impossible to take any step forward. We seem pressed to death. But in the other aspect there are many promises from God. They tell us that this and that are taken care of by God. Everything is God's grace and God's doing. It seems it is not necessary for us to do anything. Due to a lack of understanding of these two aspects of truth, some people tend to go to the extreme. Some think that everything is a commandment from God and that they must do it all by themselves. They see God's commandments as heavy burdens. They are not able to bear them, yet they are afraid not to bear them. They seem to be pressed to death. Others think that everything is according to God's grace. Everything is God's doing, and everything is done by God. They themselves do not need to bear any responsibility. This invariably leads to laxity toward themselves. When man deviates — it does not matter which way he deviates — there is a danger that he will neither abide by God's commandments nor receive God's promises in the Bible. God's truths are balanced on both sides. God is working inside of us, and we are working outwardly — working out what God has done within us. If we only let God work inwardly, without our working outwardly, we cannot receive anything. But if we are working outwardly, and nothing is being done by God inwardly, we cannot achieve anything.
All things in our human life are covered by these two matters: the willing and the working. To will is an inward decision; to work is an outward behavior. Whatever is decided within, we fulfill without. This is the willing and the working. Willing refers to our inward situation; working refers to our outward living. But both our inward willing and outward working are God's operating within us, which operates until we fulfill His good pleasure. All our willingness is according to God's operating, and all our working is also according to God's operating.
Oftentimes, we want to obey God, but we cannot do so. However, God says, "I am operating in you; therefore, it is possible to obey; you can do it." Many Christians suffer so much because they cannot do so many things. Many times they tell God, "It is such a suffering to obey You. I just cannot do it. I want to forsake the world, but I cannot do it. I should not hate someone, but I cannot help it." However, God has no intention for you to suffer. He wants to operate within you until you can do it. Therefore, you should tell God, "Although I cannot obey You, and I cannot give up the world, nor do I know how to love others, I ask You to work within me until I am willing to obey You, until I am willing to give up the world, and until I am willing not to hate others." If you believe after you pray this way, there surely will be changes. Even if you have things which you have not been able to overcome for years, by committing and believing this way, you will be able to overcome.
When Mr. [Chapman] first began his ministry, his congregation grew day by day, and he had a large chapel built. When Mr. Moody heard of his name, he took a train to listen to his preaching. After Mr. Moody arrived at the meeting hall, he sat there silently listening. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Chapman, who knew Moody, came down from the platform to Moody to ask his opinion. Mr. Moody said, "Brother, what you have ministered is a failure. It is not a success. There is some flaw in your life." When Mr. Chapman heard this word, he was not happy. He thought, "Mr. Moody should not have criticized me in this way. He has no authority to say that." However, Moody had said what he said. At any rate, Mr. Chapman knew that there was one weakness in himself. He realized that he was too attached to his wife and children. He felt bad for two or three weeks. Finally, he said to God, "I have no way not to love my wife and children, but I pray You would work until I can." From that day on, he learned how to love his wife and children. Later, he ministered effectively. Someone asked him to give a testimony, and he said only a few words: "If I know how to preach the gospel and minister, or if there is anything good in me, I know where it came from. It came from that time when I obeyed."
God wants to work to the extent that we are able. Abraham asked an old servant to bring back Rebekah. The servant had to bring her to Canaan, but the camel for the journey was prepared by Abraham. The Samaritan helped the robbed one on the way to Jericho ride on his beast and sent him to the inn. By ourselves we have no strength to walk. We are damaged by our sin, and we can never have the strength to walk by ourselves. However, God operates within us to cause us to will, work, and perform. Everything that can fulfill God's good pleasure comes through His operation within us. He makes us to will and work for His good pleasure. We will be on the right way if we can remember this.
D.M. Panton of England said once, "Whatever God can do, we can do also, since we have God abiding in us." When one sister died, there was a word about her on a sign which said, "She did what she could not do!"
Every day we live a life which we can hardly live. If we want to obtain full salvation, if we want our life to be clean and perfect, we need God's operation. Many have tried to imitate Christ, but it can never be done. It is God who operates; consequently, we can work. Every day we should hold on to the fact that it is not we, but God who operates within us. We can only do what God has done. If we see the Bible as a high standard, think that we should do all of these things, and try to do them, we will surely fail. We should only ask God to operate until we are willing.
Mr. Panton told another story: There was a doctor who instructed a nurse to ask a patient to do a certain thing. The nurse asked the patient to do it. However, the patient said that he could not. The nurse reported to the doctor what the patient had said, and the doctor then went to see the patient. After an examination, the doctor said that it was not that he could not do it or was unwilling, but rather that he himself could not be willing. We are not willing inwardly and not able outwardly. If we are inwardly unwilling to forsake the world, we will be outwardly unable to forsake the world. However, God is able to operate within us until we are truly willing and able to carry out His good pleasure.
Since God has worked in us, we can work out. Because God has operated within us, we can work out His good pleasure. We should pay special attention to carrying it out. Whoever is a believer has Christ abiding in him. Second Corinthians 13:5b says, "Or do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved?"
There are two common mistakes: one mistake is to think, "I want to do good, I hope to do good, and I hope to obtain a spiritual life." The second mistake is to think, "I am already saved, and there is no need for me to move a finger." It seems as if Christ will make this one zealous without prayer, reading, or making any offerings. The former mistake is thinking that one can do good by himself; the latter mistake is thinking that one needs to do nothing after he is saved. When a person is saved, he cannot have a spiritual living if he is not diligent. But if he does not trust in God, he will not succeed either. He must believe that God is operating within to enable him to will and work, which results in being able to pray, read the Bible, and testify. Believing comes first, then the working out. The kingdom is taken by violence, and only violent men seize it (Matt. 11:12). Day by day we have to diligently work out our salvation. We are not hopeless because God has operated. Since we have received this operation, we will surely be able to do it. Let us consider an example.
When the Lord taught His disciples, He said, "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and turns again to you seven times, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4). Right after this word, the disciples prayed, "Increase our faith." The disciples knew they could not do this. It is difficult enough to be sinned against once, twice, or three times. But if someone sins against you seven times a day and repents seven times, it becomes rather annoying and hard to endure. Therefore, they asked the Lord to increase their faith. How did the Lord answer them? "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you would have said to this sycamine tree, Be uprooted and be planted in the sea; and it would have obeyed you" (v. 6). How is this related to forgiveness? Because you have faith within, you are able to say to your hating heart, "Hatred, get away from me." Since you have such faith, when others ask you for forgiveness, you are able to say, "I forgive you." Since you believe that God has done it, you are able to do it. Faith is needed not only in forgiveness, but also in reading the Bible, praying, and not loving the world. If you believe that God makes you able, you are able.
Philippians 2:14 says, "Do all things without murmurings and reasonings." The apostle told the believers that it was God who operates within them to will and work. The result of this kind of operation is peace with others without murmurings and reasonings. Being without reasonings is having nothing doubtful or indecisive. Being without murmurings is being able to believe others and love one another. Verse 13 tells us that God's life is operating within; as a result, in verse 14 there is complete peace.
We see this not only in Philippians, but in similar examples in Ephesians and Colossians as well. After Ephesians 3:19, "That you may be filled unto all the fullness of God" (verses 20-21 are words of praise), 4:2-3 immediately says, "With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing one another in love, being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace." When the inward operating of the power of God is manifested in a believer, the result is peace. Colossians 1:11 says, "Being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy." The might of His glory is God's great power. We think that if we have the might of God's power, we can do marvelous things, perform miracles, and accomplish great things beyond understanding. Little do we realize that long-suffering and forbearance is the supreme expression of God's power.
It is more difficult to pray to God and ask for an answer than it is to be patient with a bothersome saint. Long-suffering is hard, but God's power can enable us. All three Epistles speak about a Christian being able to have peace with others and being long-suffering and forbearing once he receives the operating and filling of God.
Philippians 2:15 says, "That you may be blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as luminaries in the world." "Blameless" means that others have nothing to say against you. "Guileless" is being inwardly single and not double-minded. "Crooked" is not straight, while "perverted" means disjointed and unrelated. The word "generation" in this verse can be translated as "species" according to the original text. The main point of this verse is that a Christian is distinct in the midst of a species which is crooked and disjointed from the will of God; he is single and blameless. He is like a light in the world. To "shine" is an expression of life.
Verse 16 says, "Holding forth the word of life, so that I may have a boast in the day of Christ that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain." Some believers think that it is not necessary to open their mouths to testify and that they only need to lead others by good behavior. However, this is only what quiet believers would say. We should hold forth the word of life. We should bring forth the word of life; in other words, we should lift it up purposely so that others may see. Not only do we need to testify by our lives, but by our mouths also. The Bible never tells us to testify only by life, without our mouths. Among our relatives, friends, and people we have contact with, we must open our mouths to testify; otherwise, we have not held forth the word of life. It is true that Matthew says, "You are the light of the world" (5:14). However, the Bible also tells us to confess the Lord's name. If you are able to believe, please believe that you are not only able to shine among those around you, but you are also able to testify to them as well. Paul meant that if you do this, you will be perfect.
"The day of Christ" is the day when Christ will reign. "Run in vain" refers to finding the sinners and preaching the gospel. "Labor" refers to serving the saints, shepherding them, and preaching to them. The apostle was indicating that if the Philippians would hold forth the word of life, he, in the day of Christ, would not have run in vain, neither labored in vain.
Philippians 2:17 says, "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with you all." This is the same as Romans 12:1 which says, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice." Paul meant that if the believers were able to present themselves to God, he was willing to even give up his life and die with them. If they really presented themselves as gifts to God, he was willing to even give up his own life.
Paul had rejoiced already. However, he also wanted them to rejoice with him. Philippians 2:18 says, "And in like manner you also rejoice, and you rejoice together with me." Verse 17 says that Paul had rejoiced already and that he would rejoice with them all. In this verse he said that they should rejoice and rejoice with him. Oh, those who have God's power operating within them have nothing else but joy.
Brothers and sisters, we should believe in what God has done; then we will also be able. Now all we need is to be willing.
