Study in Philippians

We have a great men's Bible study. Occasionally I share some of the notes on this blog site that I write to the guys as we study. Here is a recent note in regard to our study of Philippians Chapter 2:12-13. Hope you enjoy!

Hey guys,

We have arrived at Philippians 2:12-13:
Phil. 2:12 ¶ So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
Phil. 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Last week we discussed that the key question to ask when we come to these verses is:
What is the believer's role in sanctification and what is God's role in sanctification?

And from last week we discussed:
It may be best described as follows:
1. The Christian is working out their life in Christ
2. And God is working in them

People over the years have thought that it means:
- work for you salvation
- work at your salvation
- work up your salvation

But we know that salvation is not by works but rather it is by faith.
Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Eph. 2:9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

What does Paul mean when he says "work out" your own salvation.
This is a verb that is present tense and in the imperative mood. The Greek word for "work out" means to bring something to fulfillment, fullness or completion. Now put all this together, we are to continually be acting this way and God has given this to us as a command. So we have a command for sustained effort and diligence in working out what has been already planted within us.

The ancient Roman scholar Straybo (spelling?) who lived approximately 60 years prior to Christ wrote using this particular word "work out". Supposedly the Romans had silver mines located in Spain and he referred to the Romans as "working out" the mines. In other words the Romans were extracting from what was within and bringing it to the outside.
Therefore the Christian is to mine from their life all that God has deposited in this matter of salvation. As we mentioned yesterday this seems to be an indicator of a true Christian from a professing Christian, in that the fruit manifested on the outside is good because of what has been planted on the inside. (Matthew 7:17-18)

Christians are committed to working out their salvation to the point where what is on the inside (Christ in you the hope of glory) is manifested to others on the outside.

Questions for your consideration in the working out of your salvation:
How much on a weekly basis are you reading and studying the word of God?
Over 5 hours
3-5 hours
1-3 hours
less than 1 hour per week

Right now I am focused on the first half of this verse that is talking about YOU working out your own salvation. Keep in mind that when we talk of the word salvation it means:
Past
Present
Future
But I am specifically talking about the present day to day living of your Christian life.

Guys I have conducted surveys in small group in regard to personal Bible reading and study. Do you know what might own survey statistics indicate? Most people spend less than 1 hour per week on reading and study time. Now between the two genders who do you think graded out higher? Well if you guess women you would be right. But who is supposed to be leading the family spiritually? Yes, the answer to that question is the men. Now do you see the dilemma that we are facing as Christians in America? Because the men are so busy providing lifestyle for their families, they have very little meaningful Bible reading, study and prayer time. Is this what Paul meant in Philippians 2:12 when he says "work out your on salvation." Do you think he meant whenever you can squeeze God into your active lifestyle then read a couple of verses, pray a quick prayer say Amen and then go live your life?

Let me give you an illustration that is close to home for all of us. Phil Clark recently went through a painful process in regard to identity theft. Phil, do you remember the priority that this occupied in your life over the weeks to follow? How many phone calls, emails, travel miles and personal hours you spent to get this problem resolved in your life? I remember talking to you on the phone at one point and you said that it had basically consumed your whole week. Now just move that illustration from what happened to Phil into the lives of most Christians that live in America. And what has happened to them is the precious theft of God Himself, and His word that has been stolen from them due to culture and desire for lifestyle. But unfortunately it doesn't keep us up at night, nor are we devoting our time, effort and energy toward being sure that it isn't stolen from us. We just gradually get into a casual, luke warm relationship with Christ. Guys if we really knew what was at stake here from the standpoint of eternity, then Phil's identity theft would look like a grain of sand compared to the Rockie Mountains. And Phil please know that I am in no way minimizing what happened to you in this particular situation. My point is that something much more important is at stake than our credit rating and it is our spiritual rating with King Jesus!
Will we be as diligent, serious, all consumed, passionate and intensely focused on His word and His will for our lives as we are other things? Is the Lord Jesus getting center stage in your life or is He pushed off to the side while you get on with the other important things in your life? Fellows please listen to me on this, Christ is not to be part of your life, He is your life!

Here are 5 questions to ask as you read and study the Bible in the working out of your salvation:
1. What is God saying to me? This is such a critical part of Bible meditation. As you prepare your heart by confessing any known sin and then ask God by His Spirit to guide and reveal truth to you, get into the habit of just listening. Do you remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 13:13 - "and while hearing they do not hear." Jesus was talking to those with hard hearts. Maybe it would be good to evaluate what you are hearing in your quiet time with Jesus. If you aren't hearing what He is saying then check your heart.

2. What am I saying to God? I find this to be especially helpful to me when I come across hard verses that command me to do things I don't want to do. Nancy and I got into an intense Christian discussion on Saturday night. Oh by the way, Christian discussion is code word for an argument or a fight but doesn't discussion sound so much better? Anyway, I did my usual move of defending and deflecting back onto Nancy that she was in fact the problem and not me. I threw a couple of hand grenades and shortly thereafter we brought out the scud missiles When we attended church together on Sunday the message was on "How do you handle your anger?" The text preached on was from Ephesians 4:26-27 "BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity." Can you imagine what I said to God after the previous night with Nancy? Yes, Lord once again your word convicts me and I have gotten angry to the point where I did sin. Please forgive me and work in me to be the kind of husband that will love Nancy like you love me. Yes, God was talking clearly to me but it is important to examine what we are saying back to God.

3. What verses do I need to memorize or study in more detail?
I don't need to give more information about the importance of Bible memory. But let me make this one suggestion. When you come across a promise that speaks loudly to you then memorize it. For example Philippians 1:6 is a verse that we need to have in our memory quiver - "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Isn't this a wonderful promise? What God demands from you He freely gives to you! For example He demands obedience, holiness and service from you but it is God Himself who is the One effecting all that in you. Actually this is a principle that we will study more next week when we come to Philippians 2:13.

4. What principles apply to my life right now? We are on a principle at the moment of working out our salvation. Therefore since this is a principle that applies to my life and the life of other Christians how is this happening. Guys this may be a good time to discuss how you are working out your salvation in terms of:
- Bible study
- Prayer
- Financial giving
- Serving consistent with your spiritual gift
Each of you have full time jobs that require much time and energy. So how are you able to devote yourselves to these critical principles of the Christian life?

5. What truths that we are studying on a weekly basis are you sharing with others in your sphere of influence? Guys you could take these five questions and sit down with your wives or email you kids and challenge them to take a serious look at their Christian lives.
During the week, who do you talk to, who do you share spiritual truth with, are you on the phone, emailing or doing so a breakfast, lunch or dinner? These are not truths that we are just trying to learn but in learning we want to live them out in a way that Christ is demonstrated as great. Guys you could spend months working on Philippians 2:12-13 with those in your family.

The bottom line of our study time this morning is this question:
Are you working out your own salvation?

Guys, please ask yourself this and search your heart for an honest answer and then do this go and ask your wives. This person closest to you will be the one who can tell you best as to how you are working out your salvation. Obviously each of us have blind spots but others around us can look at our lives objectively. After you ask your wife then go to your kids. I would like to be with you this morning to ask "how do you think they will respond" and then to be there to find out "how they actually do respond." But guys this is where the rubber meets the road in the Christian life.

I have a recent example of a couple that Nancy and I have known for years. They have been in church and if you talked to them about their Christian faith they would have all the right answers and Bible verses. But when you get behind the doors of the home you see something much different. There is anger, resentment, pride and ongoing sin issues to the point that I don't see a working out of salvation. If you think I am judging them understand the Lord Jesus Himself told us to be fruit inspectors. If the fruit is not good then this means that the tree is bad. Please don't forget the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Do you need a greater motivation than the above verses to have you consider what Paul is saying in Philippians 2:12 and that is "work out your own salvation."

Blessings,