“How’s Your Workout Going?”
Posted by hanguk859 on July 19, 2009
Pastor Crawford – 07/19/09 am
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)
Therefore, 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,
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure
The commandments of the Lord are NOT optional.
This text has a clear commandment:
Phil. 2:12 “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”
Work it Out
>>”Salvation” literally means to be delivered from danger.
>>”Sanctification” means to be delivered from the power and consequences of sin.
…Pastor Crawford made the point that, although this verse could be looked at in a general sense of salvation and sanctification, Paul was probably intending this word to mean something specific for the Philippian church…especially based on the previous passage that is referred to by the initial “Therefore…” …Paul had just been speaking, and continues to speak throughout the whole book, about the issue of UNITY.
How Do You Work it Out?
1. By Following Christ’s Example
Philippians 2:1-11 1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from rivalry 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. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, 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. 9 Therefore 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.
2. By Relying on God’s Resources
“for it is God who works in you, both to WILL and to WORK for his good pleasure”
God GIVES you what you need to WANT to work it out, and to actually WORK it out.
3. By Refusing to Give in to Sin
Phil. 2:14-16 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 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, 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.
I Corinthians 6:1-11 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
>>NOTE: it is better to be DEFRAUDED than to DISCREDIT the testimony of Christ<<
4. By Shining as an Example
We cannot expect to TESTIFY to the world about the power to change lives that Christ has if we do not MODEL the change ourselves!
5. By Upholding the Word of Life
v.16 “holding 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.”
1. BELIEVE it
2. APPLY it
3. USE it
