THE GOSPEL   |   QUESTIONS   |   ARTICLES   |   SERMONS   |   SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   ABOUT

biblestudy: Philippians (Part Four)

Philippians 2:1-13
John W. Ritenbaugh
Given 08-Aug-89; Sermon #BS-PH04; 83 minutes

Description: (show)

---

Well, if you'll turn back to the book of Philippians, why we will get started right in there right away. Well, we left off at the end of, of verse 4 of chapter 2, so I'm going to go back to the beginning of the chapter and get a running start before we pick up on verse 5. Paul at the very beginning of this chapter is beginning to address. The reasons why they should be able to resolve the one problem that he Uh, addresses in this epistle, and that is that that there was some division some disunity in the congregation. Uh, we have no idea what the problem was over. Uh, we do not know who was causing it except to know that there were two ladies involved, and somehow or another these two ladies. I guess had had talked in the congregation. They each one gathered some friends to their side, and there was a problem then, but we do not know exactly what the problem was was over. We can only guess at that and no guess I am sure would turn out to be to be very authoritative. But Paul is is teaching here how there might be unity in the congregation. And in the first couple of verses here, Paul gives 4 reasons why we should be able to have unity among us. Now if these things are going to be of any use to you, while you're going to have to apply them where there might be some disunity in your family or within the church family, they ought to work, uh. At least in the sense, I, I, I am not going to guarantee you that they are going to produce unity everywhere because Everybody has their own mind and they can set their will not to obey God, but if there are people with the spirit of God, both have the spirit of God, then there ought to be able to be unity produced, and here are reasons why. OK, the first one was. He says, if there is any consolation. Meaning, uh. We probably would not use that word today. If there is any encouragement is what he meant. Uh, any incentive, anything that would kind of motivate you in that direction. Uh, the sense is that if there are any grounds for Uh, there being unity, it was because they were in Christ. See, if there is any encouragement in Christ. Now what this did was it places obligations on you and me to yield to the commands that he has given. And One of those commands appears in the book of Ephesians that we are to endeavor. to make sure that there is no disunity. We are to work in that direction. So if we are in Christ, and have his spirit, then there ought to be something there that would make us move in that direction, to yield to his command that there be no disunity. OK, the second one is if there is any comfort of love. Now again, the word comfort does not mean to you and me exactly the same thing any longer. The word has changed in its usage over the years, and again it, it, it's a word that means something closer to the English word incentive again or encouragement. Now in this particular case, it's different from the first one. In that if there is any incentive. That comes from the sense of knowing that Christ's love is in you. In the spirit of God. Now, if it is there, then there should be something to impel you to be at peace with the other person. OK, the third thing. is if there is any fellowship of the spirit. OK, now this may have two possible meanings and or it means both of them at the same time. It means fellowship by means of the spirit, that is using the spirit as a tool. That is the spirit would be a tool that would tend to impel you together or it means fellowship motivated by the spirit. In this case, it means that the spirit would be giving you the incentive to make the move to humble yourself. We'll get to that next. OK, then the 4th thing is. If any affection and mercy or tenderness. Or sympathy. Now here he's appealing to our emotional attachment to each other. Uh, what we would call today family love. There is any affection for one another. There are 4 distinct and separate reasons why there should be unity in the body of Christ. We are in Christ, we have Christ's love, we have fellowship together, and there should be an affection for one another. Interesting, I did not think of this till now how he separates love from affection. So I mentioned to you the last time. That this is a good congregation. There is no indication. That this was a a congregation that was riddled with all kinds of problems like the flipping or the Corinthians were. I mean that was a congregation that had trouble. Uh, I believe if you would make a careful reading, you would probably turn up with about 21, I think that's what it is, 21 different problems that the apostle Paul, uh. directed himself to just in the book of First Corinthians. And they were clearly divided, as it says in the very first chapter. The division in this congregation apparently was just something that was maybe either just beginning. Or was not a, a very great problem at all by comparison to the Corinthians. But It goes to show that even the best of congregations can experience something like this, and there is a reason why, and that is that when you get people who are zealous. You're gonna, you're going to rub people the wrong way. Especially if they happen to be zealous in a misdirected, misguided way. I think we have to give these two ladies the benefit of the doubt that their zeal was misdirected. Uh, maybe there was some Uh, selfish ambition or conceit within it. He certainly indicates that in, in verse three, but nonetheless, we will give the ladies the benefit of the doubt that they were, were both zealous for what they perceived to be the right point of view. That was their perception of it. Uh, so there the zeal of this congregation would tend to make them knock heads. However, If they were zealous for the right things, the problem would quickly be resolved. And the reason why is that both of them would would humble themselves. I say that because I want you to understand that even in the best of congregations there can be clicks that might arise from time to time. And it doesn't mean that the congregation is necessarily bad. Uh, So you do not want to just link to the conclusion just because there might be a click, that click might be wrong, but it doesn't mean that the whole congregation is bad as a result of that one little click that arises. OK, verse 3, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. That seems to be at the at the basis of most division. That the zeal that is that is used is not used in a godly way. It is used in a selfish way, in a way to put oneself in a good position or a good, a good light, and unfortunately that's the way human nature is and people who advance themselves always take advantage. In the use of others. And How they use people to their own end. That is to get ahead. OK, now he says let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, but each esteems others better than himself. Now Paul does not mean that we should disregard our abilities for gifts. God has given everybody gifts. He tells us that in I Corinthians 12. He tells it in the context there that he has given those gifts for the service of the whole church. How we expect expects us to use those gifts. But he is saying here that our consideration of others must precede concern for self. In verse 4, let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. Well, that's pretty clear. OK now verse 5. Let this mind be in you which which was also in Christ Jesus. Now, he has been With the 1st 4 verses. Leading up to this section, which begins in verse 5 and ends in verse 11. A loneliness of mind is the way to produce unity in a congregation. Now what he's going to give Is the single most outstanding illustration. Of humility that that exists. And that is the humility that Christ exhibited in becoming a man. And not just becoming a man. But carrying his submission to God all the way to the point of death. I should say maybe not just his submission to God, but also submission to man as well. Because that was involved. Now he is going to show you how great. That Self condescension was? Khan means with Dissension meaning With descending, in other words, Christ put himself down. Now he did not neglect his gifts. Everyone knows that he used the gifts. That he had, but yet he did not exalt himself, you see, through conceit or selfish ambition. Even though he had the power, and even though we are going to see here, that maybe he had the right to do it as well, but he did not. OK. So here we have the outstanding example of humility and selflessness. And what Paul is saying is that our attitude ought to be like this. OK, you ready? Who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Now, very interesting. Oh, wait a minute. I want to back up just a little bit because I think that that this might be necessary to help understand humility, the way the Bible approaches it. I with me back to Jane. James the 4th chapter. And in verse 7. Now, here comes a A a series of commands. Therefore, submit to God. OK, now that's a choice that you and I have to make. God has set before us, life on the one hand. Yeah, on the other, and he's commanded us to choose. And submission to God plays a part. In choosing the right, that is choosing life. And so that's a choice we have to make. OK, the next one is resist the devil. That's another choice. We can either submit to them and give in to blandishments, or when we feel our mind being played with, why we can resist it. That's a choice. Draw near to God. That's another choice that we have to make. We can decide not to pray, not to study, not to fast, not to meditate on God's word, or we can decide to do it. We we choose how to use our time. Then he tells them to lament and mourn and weep and so forth. Now we get to verse 10. And he says, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Now in that context, it becomes very clear that humility is also a choice. It is something that we choose to do. It's not a feeling, it's not a look on a person's face, face. It is not the way a person walks around. It has nothing at all to do with the kind of clothing. It is a state of mind. In which, well, let's say which leads or motivates a person to make certain choices in his life. And that state of mind is prompted by a comparison between himself and God. And it has to be God. As long as we compare ourselves to men, there is going to be reason for elevating ourselves because we can always see flaws in other people. So we will exalt ourselves by looking at men. Say, well, I'm better than he is. After all, look what they do. But nobody can stand an honest comparison with God. So The comparison that leads to humility, you see, which is the choice, has to be between the person and God. And because the person correctly. Sees his position in relation to God, then he chooses to humble himself. And if he humbles himself, he's open to the advice from God. He is then open to making the right choice. He is open to living by faith. He's open to a lot of the good things that will make his relationship with God so much the better. So humility is a choice. I go to First Peter. And in verse chapter 5, pardon me. And in verse 5, Again, you see a, a series of commands, things to do, things that present us with with choices. Likewise, you younger people submit yourselves to the elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility. For God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble humble, therefore humble yourself. It's a choice. It's something that we choose to do. Under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. And now back to Philippians too. You're going to see this in action here, where Christ chose. To humble himself It was a choice that he made. Evaluating circumstances. And He chose them to put himself under the under God's hand. OK, back to verse 6 again. Now we see here that he was in the form of God, and he did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Now, the word for. It's it's the Greek word morphe M O R P H E. Hard And it means Form It means Outward appearance. That conforms To inward essence. Now that's its formal definition. Outward appearance That conforms to Inward effort OK, now, To give you an example of what morphe is not. You could have a person Of a very evil nature. Murder rapist Somebody who's always preying on other people. But he puts her her face on. He puts a mask on. And he looked on the outside. A great deal different from what he is on the inside. OK, now, that is not morphe. With a person who had the form of God, as it says here. The outward appearance of Christ exactly conforms to the inward essence. Therefore, his nature on the inside was exactly what he was on the outside. What was it? He was got You know what Paul is saying here, what in essence then is. That Jesus Christ In verse 6 was God through and through, inside out, everything was God. He was God in nature, and he was God in form. So, his form was as a spirit being. But in nature, you see that which drove him, that which motivated him. With God, God is love. And so He, in this case he was everything that he appeared to be both inside and out. Now. It says that Being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Now some Bibles will translate that, did not consider it a thing to be grasped at or, you know, you know, reach out and hang on to for dear life. As though he did not want to let it go. Uh, the word means a prize or a windfall. You know, like something would come your way and you would latch onto it because you knew if it came, it would never come by again like the brass ring. But that's not the way Christ was. It is saying here that he was not tempted. By a chance that nobody else could have resisted. In other words, it's telling you that he was perfectly willing to give it up. He, he did not have to hang on to it. Now I did not have to hang on to it, you see. Because he was humble, that's the point. There was something else in mind that needed to be accomplished and so the giving up. Of being God was not something that he was going to cling to as though it was something that that uh. Well, he just could not do without. OK, now what, what are we saying here? Now in human terms were saying that he refused to seek his own glory. Now, let's compare this to somebody. Who did something entirely different. Adam and Eve. Now they were created God gave them the whole story. At least enough of a picture to make the decisions that that they needed to make. But somebody came along, the serpent. And he said to them, Why, if you just eat in that tree, you're going to be as God. They reached out and grabbed it. They could not resist what Christ did. You shall be as God. That's exactly what Satan wanted. So it tells you there in Isaiah 14, he said, I shall be like the most high. Or What I understand, the Hebrew says, I shall be God. Now look at the difference between the minds here. A Christ did not think being God as a thing to be grasped at. Satan wanted it until it was vile in his mouth. And Adam and Eve wanted it So badly they could not resist it. Let's carry it a little bit further. Verse 7 That he made himself of no reputation. Taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men. OK. Where do I want to begin? OK, he made himself. Now this is is very interesting. I need to read this a little bit further. Made himself of no reputation taking. That verb taking is very interesting. Now you and I, looking at this situation. From the standpoint of the English language. If I take this glass. What am I doing? You see, I am adding something to myself. OK, now that's what Christ did. Now, looking at it in the English though, we have a tendency to think that there was an exchange that was made. Don't be misled. There was no exchange here. And it has to do with the word form once again. Now remember in verse 6 the word form was morphe. Mm. And it means that the outward appearance corresponds to the inner nature, the inner essence. What you see was exactly what he was. OK, now the words form here, Paul did not use morphe. They use FEMA. And schema can be used in a situation. That allows for differences between the outward appearance and the inward nature. OK, now what did Christ take on in addition to what he was? He was God. And what he took on was the schema of man. OK, now then. When he did that, what was it? What was he on the inside? What was his nature? Anybody wanna say? God. What was he on the outside? Man. So now you see, What was on the outside was not what he was on the inside. And so on the outside, He gave the appearance of a man. But he was God. Through and through, he was God. And if he was not God, then you and I have no savior. When he died, that was God who died. That was his nature. But his life was the life of a man. I might say the life that carried the nature around. OK, now. He made himself of no reputation. Some Bible say that he emptied himself. Now what did he divest himself of? He certainly did not divest himself of his nature. Because he was God In the beginning was the word. And the same was in the beginning with God, and he was God. It was God in the flesh. So, he did not divest himself of God. What he divested himself was of was all of his glory, his power, his authority. He divested himself. Of all of the privileges that came with, with being God. So what he emptied himself off. was the manner of existence. As an equal of God. Oh Mark Twain wrote a Story one time. Uh, that is somewhat similar to this, at least similar in, in the with the prince and the pauper. I remember the story, where one of the sons of King Henry the 8th. Uh, one of the princes, he divested himself. Of all of the kingly majesty and power, or the princely majesty and power that went with the office of being a son of the king. But That did not change the inward reality. He still was the prince. But on the outside, he looked like a pauper. So he he divested himself of that glory. The existence of living like a prince or living like a king. So he then came in the likeness of men. Now turn with me back to the Hebrews too. Know your scripture here. Where Paul Repeats here in different words, what actually occurred there. It says in as much then. Here is 2:14. As the children That you and me have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil. Now, in verse 16, it says, for indeed he does not give aid to angels. But he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. He did not take on the form of an angel. He took on the form of a man, the schemer of a man. Though inside, in his nature, he was still God. OK, now Christ's attitude then. Uh, we are going to find in, in verse 8, it was that of a servan. Verse 8 and being found in appearance, this is back in Philippians 2 again, and being found in appearance as a man. Interesting wording there, found in appearance as a man. That's what he looked like. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. So, here he was outwardly in the form of a man. But within was the nature of God. Now his condescension, see his self putting down. His self humiliation. Didn't end there. He did not just become a man, but it carried all the way through to where it says he he humbled himself. That was the choices that he continued to make. So his choice did not end begin and end with his taking on the form of a man. It was just the beginning of a long series of choices that lasted 33.5 years till he was perfectly obedient to God and humbled himself all the way to death. Now it was not an ordinary death, but it was the cruelest form of capital punishment that the world had at that time. Let's go back to the Hebrews again. Hebrews 5 and then verse 8. Where Paul again reiterates the same principle. As though he were, though he was a son. Yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Including death. So Christ we can see here. laid aside of his own volition. He humbled himself. He made the choice. He laid aside. All of his rights, all of his privileges, all of his personal ambitions, he laid aside his self-will, all of his impulses, everything that might have come with being God and continuing in that way, and subjected himself to the nature. Amen. Might hold your finger in Hebrew because we are going to come back there in a little bit again, but let's go back to Philippians. OK, verse 9. Therefore, see here is the result. God also has highly exalted him and given him the name. Interesting, the specific article there, the, not a name, but the name. Which is above every name. Now, it it's where it says here highly exalted, it it can be super exalted in more modern English is what it means. The implication is From the verse That he has greater exaltation than he had before his humiliation. I do not mean his humiliation on the cross. I mean his humiliation when he voluntarily subjected himself to being empty. Of all of the rights and privileges that go with being God. Now that'd be possible to have a higher exaltation than that, that's the implication from the from the verse. You know what is the implication here, not only for Christ, but also for you and me. Well, it is that the way of self-denial. is what won him his sovereignty. We'll get back to that in in just a little bit. Because it has to have practical applications to you and me because Paul is writing practical advice to Christians here. He's not just shooting off his mouth, he is trying to help these people solve a problem. There is division in the family of God, and he is showing them ways that that division can be healed. And so he has used the supreme example of humiliation of a person, of being, in this case, God making the choice. To do that. And so we have to understand that making the choice. Uh, to humble ourselves is a major portion of settling differences within the family of God, producing the kind of unity that will make that family an enjoyable place to be and, and, uh. An instrument that will really accomplish a great deal of work. So self-denial is the root that produced the exaltation that he now is entitled to and was actually given. OK, now what is the name? Well, nobody knows for sure. But I'll tell you what the best guess is. That he Given a name That is the equivalent Of the Hebrew Yahweh. Now that word is translated Lord in the Old Testament. Now Christ was called Lord. In the New Testament, his disciples called him that. But it seems to have been used only in the sense. Of being Their master. Their superior, their boss, their supervisor. They had information every once in a while that he was God. Peter confessed it in Matt Matthew 16th chapter. That he was the son of the living God. But it did not have a great deal of impact until after the day of Pentecost. And by that time he was resurrected, and by that, that time, The exaltation to the meaning of this name had been given to him. He hasn't. Ascended to the throne yet, but the title is already given. Now turn with me back to Acts the 2nd chapter. One of the things that That Peter focused in on on his prayer there on the day of Pentecost. In verse 32 of Acts 2. This Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear, for David did not ascend into the heavens, but he said to himself, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstools. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus. Whom you crucified both Lord and Christ. Now the title seems to be Lord, which is the equivalent of Yah. In the Old Testament. Now back to Hebrews again. And in verse 4 of Hebrews 1. Up to the verse 3, who, being in the brightness of His glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. The name, Paul says in Philippians 2 and verse 9. Now in one difference that there is. Between the Jave Of the Old Testament and the Lord of the new. Is that the Lord of the new carries with it. The kingship. That Yahweh did not. He was still God But Lord As it is used here, as him now at the right hand of God and sitting there waiting for the coronation of being king in the kingdom of God. OK, back to the Philippians too. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. See, the time is going to come when all of creation. And It seems to be primarily intended here that it'd be all of mankind, all of that creation which is able to communicate verbally, talks about confessing. that every tongue should confess. That Jesus is Lord. There is that title again. Let's see. You know, all of mankind. is going to bow and confess. By all means, submit. They're going to submit to him. And what it indicates is a submission that was similar to the submission that he gave to his father. Now what it means then in practical fact is that there is going to be universal submission to Christ, that is to his sovereignty, even by his enemies. Now that doesn't mean his enemies are going to like what they are going to have to do. They may not be happy about it, but they are going to have to do it. They're going to acknowledge that he is the sovereign ruler and savior. He is Jesus the Messiah. He is savior, he is Christ, he is king. OK, now, what does that mean? To you and me. This whole section here. From Verse 51. Well, the whole section In practical applications. And they summed up And I think Just a series of verses, illustrates it very well. Turn with me back to Matthew 16. I mentioned this before, the chapter, Matthew 16. Then Jesus verse 24. said to his disciples, If anyone desires to come after me. And now you want to follow Christ? That's what it's implying coming after us. Christ is the leader. We are following in his footsteps. And those footsteps will Follow a certain course of action, a way of life. And that life eventually will lead into the kingdom of God. I think that I have gone over before. That eternal life in the biblical sense, not only means Length of time, which is endless, but it also means a way of living. God lives a certain way, and only those who live that way are going to be given length of days. See, that will be without end. That's why we have to come to know God. The eternal life is to know God, and knowing God implies that one is living in the same way that God is living, not on the same level in terms of the glory of God and the exaltation of God, but we are living the same way in our human existence here. OK, now, that Those who follow Christ are then going to follow in his footsteps, and they are going to live the way he did, and eventually that path will lead into the kingdom of God. And the same kind. Though not to the same degree, but the same kind of exaltation. Now, if you want to follow Christ, What do you need? He tells you. If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself. That's exactly what Christ did. Being equal with God was not a thing to be grasped at. Held on to for dear life. Instead, what he did is he submitted to the will of God. He denied. The rights and privileges that go with being God, he denied those things to himself. And emptied himself of his glory. And he not only emptied himself of his glory, but he continued to deny himself what humanly he would have liked to have done, but which was against or contrary to the will of God. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. And whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it. Exaltation, you see, will come. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Uh, the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his work. Or right in this context, the works of denying. The OK back to Philippians too. OK, verse 12. Therefore, OK, here comes another summary. In the light of all this, what are we to do? Therefore, my beloved, You have always obeyed. Not in my presence only, but now in my absence, no, but now much more in my absence. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now, I think we need to begin by saying here that Paul is not rebuking these people. Like they have not been working. have not been submitted Because they have been. I think that's evident from the entirety of the book. He's actually encouraged them. Encouraging them To continue to pursue. After eternal life. Without an undue dependence. Upon his being there. In verse 27He encouraged them. To let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. And he did that in the in the light of his circumstance of being in prison there in Rome. Of course, they were wondering whether they would ever see him again. And it's quite possible that this was a weakness that they had, that they needed to be jacked up by him every once in a while by his personal appearance. But that's something that's encouraging to all of us. See in person, someone. That we lean on and depend on. And to get some encouraging encouragement from that. So He is encouraging encouraging them. To work out Their own salvation with fear and trembling. Now this is very interesting. Most of us have come out of a Protestant background. And even if we did not come out of a Protestant background, we came out of a Protestant nation. One that thinks in Protestant ways, even though there are Catholic churches. No less of an authority than Pope John Paul II. said that the Catholic Church in America is Protestant. in its thinking. They're protesters. Not only protesters, But they have been imbued. With the spirit of Protestantism. And they think much the same way. Now Protestantism Very frequently harps on the theme. Of no works being necessary for salvation. Now that we are saved by grace. And it has a good sound to it. And it is something that appears to be biblically based. But notice I said appears. Because there is a great deal of salvation or of work required by us. Now, remember, I think it was, it was either the I think it was two Bible studies ago. I mentioned to you The salvation is presented in the Bible. In 3 different ways. That it is a process that has a past, a present, and a future. And it begins The process begins With God's calling of us. Leading us to repentance We become baptized. We have hands laid on us. We see the gift of God's Holy Spirit. And we are impregnated with eternal life. By the Spirit of God. And even in that sense. Salvation is looked upon by the Bible as an accomplished fact. And it is doing that on the basis of the fact that God is able to finish what he starts. God is confident that he is able to save us. And so if all things continue as they are or were at baptism, then we will be saved. Now there is a present. In salvation as well. And that's what Paul is talking about. When we are called, we have obligations laid upon us. As a result of taking the blood of Jesus Christ. And that obligation is to submit ourselves in obedience to God. And that is something that has to be worked at. Because human nature, especially in the form of habits, still dwells with us. And overcoming human nature is something that even someone as great as the apostle Paul as he shows in Romans 7, struggled valiantly against. Trying to keep it cooked, as it were. Like a spring that if you do not keep it suppressed, it's going to come leaping right back out at us again. And it's going to show itself in the way that we behave, the way that our attitudes react to things and lead us. So we have the obligation laid upon us. To obey Christ as our Lord. One thing you never wanna forget. And that is that this working out. Of your salvation with fear and trembling is not working for salvation. There is a difference there. If we were working for salvation, then that implies. That it is something that we can give ourselves just by being good. But it is not something that we can give ourselves. But we are working out, that is, we are performing the obligations laid upon us by God. As a direct result of acceptance of the blood of Jesus Christ, and that obligation is to obey God, to submit to him. But that will not gain us salvation even though it is necessary. For us to do so. Now what Paul is talking about here. is making Our beliefs. Operational, that is putting them into practice. Making them a part of our life and gaining experience in this way of life. You see, actually living this way. Not earning salvation but gaining experience in living this way. OK, now how does this work? Now let's go on to verse 13. And then I'm going to come back to verse 12, explain some of that. Now verse 13 is the continuation of the sentence. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Now when we put that in context with verse 12, He says, work out your own salvation, whether I'm here or there. Whether I'm in prison or whether I'm there in Philippi. He is saying in effect. That you cannot depend on me. Don't, do not work out your salvation depending on Paul, but depend on God. And we were told to work out our salvation. But we are also told that it is God who is working in us both to will and to do. OK, now. How is this done? Now there is a practical way that this is done. How does he do it? Well, he does it by his spirit. And now let's go to 2 Peter. We're going to spend a little time on this because I, I think it is very important. II Peter One. Beginning in verse 2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you. In the knowledge of God, put that in your mind. And of Jesus our Lord. As his divine power. Has given to us all things. that pertain to life. Meaning life here and now and eternal life and godliness. That means living life in a practical way like God would. Through the knowledge of him. Who called us by glory and virtue. By which have been given to us, Christians, exceeding great and precious promises. That through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. Now just think about that in a second. Spent a lot of time, Philippians 26 and 7 about morphe. And a bot schema How the Christ Morphe. He had the form of God. His nature On the inside was that of God, and on the outside, he was God. But when he became a man, He was still God by nature on the inside. But he was man on the outside. Now you and I We did not start out that way. We started out With human nature on the inside. And humanity on the outside. We're human. So our outward form. was the same as our inward nature. However, When God called us, When he led us to the knowledge of Him. When he led us to repentance, When we submitted our lives to him. When we were baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, and when we had hands laid on us, and we received the Holy Spirit, zap. The divine nature came into us. So that on the outside, We have the form of man. But on the inside, We have both. This is one of the things that makes it work so hard to work. But you see that divine nature is planted in there. And if The course continues that divine nature will keep on growing. Gaining the upper hand. Over top of human nature. And it slides into the background. What I want to get at right here now. is that we have been made partakers of the divine nature. We're led by His Spirit. He works in us both to will and do by His Spirit. We are begotten by His Spirit. The divine nature is in us, and it is working there. Let's go to another scripture back in John 16. John 16, Now let's begin in verse 7. And Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. Now nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go, the helper, the Holy Spirit will not come to you. There be no way to be partakers of the divine nature according to the plan that God was working out. So Christ had to go back in order to send the Holy Spirit. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he comes, now look what the Holy Spirit is going to do. He will convict the world of sin. And of righteousness. And of judgment. Now this is not all the Holy Spirit does. He's just giving us an overview. Of how the divine nature is working in us. Remember what Peter said about the knowledge of Him, the knowledge of God, the knowledge of Christ. Notice it did not say the knowledge about God or the knowledge about Christ. It's talking about Christ's knowledge, it talks about God's knowledge. Now here are specific areas in which God is giving us knowledge. That is coming out of his mind. It's coming out of his mind into our mind. Now, what do you expect that he wants us to do with knowledge? What are you supposed to do with knowledge? You use it. You think You meditate on it. You reason as to its use. And then you put it to use. You use it for analysis. Well, that's what he expects us to do. To arrive at decisions. Decisions that are no longer made solely on the basis of human reason, of human experience, of human knowledge. But now decisions that can be reached based On the knowledge of God. Boy, I'll tell you, if that doesn't give us an advantage. OK, now look, there are 3 things. That the spirit will convict convict the world of. Now it doesn't mean that this is going to happen all at once. It's a process. We were once part of the world, and while we were in the world, we became convicted of these things. Now what did you do with the knowledge? But you made a decision. God was working in you. And you set your will. On the will of God His will was, I want you. And so he started to give you knowledge. And then the first thing you know, your will begins to become in harmony with his will, and you start making decisions. His what? But it's coming through knowledge. Now here is specific areas. OK, now he says here. That he will convict the world of sin. OK, now what What is he getting here at here? What he will convict the world is that the root of sin lies in the desire of Mankind to live. Their life in self-centered independence of God. All I have to do that is to prove that is go back to Adam and Eve. They are the representative human beings. They did not want to submit to God and be dependent on him. They wanted to be as God, they wanted to be independent of him, and so their desire to be independent of God and not have to submit to him led them to sin. That's the root cause of sin. That's at work in every one of us. The self-centered desire to be independent of God. And not to be as, as Satan would describe it, not to be under his thumb. But to be master of your own destiny, be independent, you shall be as God. OK, he also said he will convict the world of righteousness. Well righteousness is simply right doing. And what he's talking about here, you have to consider the speaker and the speaker was Christ. And that God through his spirit is going to convict the world that what Jesus said was right. Now the proof was in his resurrection. God resurrected that justified what Christ said. That I am God. OK, the next one, he says he's going to convict the world of judgment. That is that all mankind. is going to have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There is a judgment. And that Satan already stands judged and condemned. Now we are not judged and condemned. The judgment is now on the on the household of God, and we are standing as it were before Christ. We are in our judgment. OK, now can you see the pattern that is here? God begins the process of, of conversion, the process of that will end with us being born into the family of God by convicting us of our sin, convicting us of our independence of God, so that we come to the place where we desire to be under his. Authority, we become convicted that indeed Jesus was right in what he said, not just that he was God, not just that he would be resurrected, but all of the things. This whole book, you see is the mind of Jesus Christ and what's in this book is right. And it comes to convict us, you see that judgment is on us. We better do something. Not working for salvation. But doing the works That are necessary As part of the work of God. There is one more verse here in John that I want to go back to in John one. And in verse 9, That was the true light which gives light to every man. Who comes into the world? He was in the world and the world was made through him. And the world did not know him. He came to his own Meeting the Jews In a broader sense, he came to mankind. And his own did not receive it. I did not preach to the others, but he did preach to the Jews, so the Jews was more specifically correct there, but. As many as received him. To them, he gave the right. Or some translated privilege, some translated authority, some translated power. To what? To become children of God. Even to those who believe. In his name Who were begotten, it should read, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. OK, now. It is God who works in us both to will and to do. Now it was God's will that we be sitting here tonight. And God has given you and me the knowledge necessary to make decisions that are relative to eternal life. Tremendous advantage we have over other people because they are in bondage they can't do that. But you can see that God is working through an educational process. Jesus said the words that I speak to you, they are spirit. And they are light. Now by those We By the Spirit of God. You are moved, motivated, prompted to set your will. To conduct your life in a certain way. It's not going to earn you salvation. But it is going to Earn you conformity to the will of God. Now, what, what about this thing of God working in us? We're going to carry this one step further. Because he doesn't just work us, work in us in terms of knowledge. There actually is a power there. We'll see another aspect of this. Let's go to I Corinthians 15. I Corinthians 15 and then verse 10. For I am the least of the apostles who are not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. And by the grace of God, hang on to that word grace. And by the grace of God I am what I am. What was he? He was an apostle. He's an apostle That he says right here That his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored, work out your own salvation more abundantly than they are, yet not I, but the grace. Of God, which was with me. Oh, that's interesting. Paul labored Yet not I. And now let's think of this again in the light of Philippians 2:13. We have 4 things there. The will and working of God and the will and working of man. Now everything would be simple here if we could just assign. Certain categories or certain parts to God. And certain parts to you and me. In other words, we do this and God does this. I mean, we go 20% of the way, God goes 80% of the way. It would be nice if everything was just segmented in a way that we could you know, grasp very easily. But That is not the way that God has ordered it. He has determined that we have to live life by faith. OK, now what we have going for us here. Is the grace of God. Now Grace Means to most of us in this Protestant world. As God's Free unmerited pardon, forgiveness of sta. But it means more than that. It is that. Now where we get that, Is from what grace really means. It means a gift Now, This grace It's more than Graciousness. Now we talk about people having charisma. And that's where the word grace comes from, charisma. They have a personality that is magnetic. And it seems to induce people to do something. Well, Grace in the biblical sense means a gift. Which we cannot do without and which we cannot supply ourselves. OK, now that's where they get the idea of the forgiveness of sin. We cannot supply that ourselves. It comes from without. It's not something that we can work out. It's not something that, that just comes out of the, the goodness of our heart. But rather it is a gift from God. But it's more than just forgiveness. Now maybe I can explain it this way or illustrate it. In one sense, All the powers of nature. are like the grace of God. We can't work them up. They are there. And we can use them. We can have knowledge of them and use them in the right way, but they are something. That is given and it is something. That we can work with. For example, Our YOU kids are thinking of going sailing. Sometime in September, I think it is. OK, now on a sailboat. You have to have a sale You have to set your rigging. You have to steer a course. You see, you are working. But what makes the boat go? The win It's the gift of God. If there was no wind, the boat doesn't go. No matter how much work you do, if there is no gift from God, the boat doesn't move. OK. How about planting seeds in your garden? You have to go out and kill the soil. You prepare it for the receiving of seed. Maybe you've done it about a bit. Put some rose in there. You put the seeds in the grass. You're working. Does that make it grow? No. It's the gift of God. You see those natural forces that are working within the seed in which the ground, which actually cause it to grow. The power to grow actually comes from God. OK. So it is with the grace of God. It is something that comes from the outside. And works with The work and energy. Reasoning processes and decisions. Of the human. It's very similar to A tide, let's say a fairly strong tide that is moving through the sea. And you're swimming. OK, if you are swimming, the tide will carry you along in the direction that it is going. But swim you must. If you do not swim, you sink. And it is the same way with the grace of God. It is a tide, as it were, that is moving you to the kingdom of God, but it is requiring that you and I work. And the combination of us working to stay afloat combined with the power of that tide, the grace of God that is moving toward the kingdom of God is going to ensure that we get there. With the combination of the two, we will not arrive. So it's going to take the two of them. Working together. OK, now where does the grace of God come from? It comes with the spirit of God. From the time of our calling, the grace, the spirit of God is working with us. Remember how Jesus told them? That the Spirit is with you but shall be in you. He differentiated when God began to call them, they were not begotten of the spirit of God, but the Spirit of God was already beginning to work with them. It was beginning to convict them of sin, beginning to convict them of righteousness. It was beginning to lead their mind toward the decision processes that would make them make the right decisions. They were being moved along in a current toward the kingdom of God, but they still had to make the decisions and they had to make effort on their own. To go in that direction. Now Christianity It's a moral religion. There are a lot of moral religions. Buddhism is a moral religion. The Christianity Is a moral religion that has something those other moral religions do not have. It has the spirit of God. The others have the spirit of Satan the devil. And they are counterfeit And so the spirit of those religions cannot carry those people toward the kingdom of God. And it is something that they cannot work up themselves. It is a gift that has to come from without. It is something that we absolutely need, but we cannot supply from our own inner reserves. And what this thing does, once you begin to understand, it puts absolutely the kibosh on all these psychological ploys that you hear from psychologists that you can, you know, pick yourself up by your own bootstraps and you can become the great better you. Now people can make changes based on those things, but they will never make changes relative to the kingdom of God. I guarantee you that. Because the wrong spirit is in those things. You have to understand that. to be connected to the right source. One that's working to salvation in the kingdom of God. We just go very quickly to Romans 5 In verse one. Therefore, having been justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace. This spiritual aspect. That we have that Christianity has. is the result of a relationship established by means of faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Brethren, this relationship we have with God by faith in Christ's blood is everything. Without it, there is nothing. If we do not have access to God, we do not have His Spirit. It is the source of all power to be able to get into the holy of holy. And communicate with him. To be in his presence, so his spirit imbues us. With the gifts that we need, the powers to carry on. Without prayer and Bible study, brethren, we are going to die on the vine. Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. That's our hope. To be born into the family of God and have the glory of God. Not only that, but we also glory in tribulation. And we can now see them in their proper in their proper light, in their proper perspective. There is a great God, a great creator who is leading and guiding the things in our lives. So that we come to the place. Combined with his creative efforts and enable us to be in the kingdom. No knowing that tribulation produces perseverance or steadfastness or stability or constancy. And perseverance character. Tried, true, tested. Integrity And character hope. Now hope does not disappoint. Because The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Well this relationship That provides the grace of God. is established by faith. In the blood of Jesus Christ. And then that relationship I carried forward by continued belief. Faith, trust, reliance. Experience In living this way. You're working out your salvation. When you live by faith. Submitting your life. To God You know, His coming You see, all the while. It is God Who is leading you forward. Helping you to set your will. And giving you the strength. To stay afloat. And keep on going. And carrying you, you see, to his kingdom.

JWR/aws/drm

 

 

Sermon Topics

False Gospels

Jesus Christ's Return

Life after Death

Repentance

Resurrection

The Gospel

The Kingdom of God