This
week we are looking at a section of a
letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus while in prison
facing the possibility of death that is recorded for us in the Bible called the
book of Philippians. Yesterday, we looked on as the Apostle Paul commanded
followers of Jesus throughout history to "work out your salvation with
fear and trembling”.
We discovered that the point behind the Apostle Paul’s
command here is that salvation is not something that we simply receive as a
follower of Jesus. Salvation also is about something that we live out in our
day to day lives as followers of Jesus. The issue that Paul is addressing here
is not salvation. The issue that Paul is addressing is how we live out our
salvation as followers of Jesus. The issue that Paul is dealing with is how
saved people live out their salvation.
Paul’s point is that as followers of Jesus we are to
carry out the salvation that we have received from Jesus in such a way that
results in submission and obedience to Jesus and the message and teachings of
Jesus as One who is worthy of awe and reverence. We saw
Paul reveal for us the timeless truth our joy grows when we respond to what Jesus has done for us by living in
obedience to Him.
We saw Paul reveal for us the reality that our joy grows
as our obedience provides the evidence of our salvation. As followers of Jesus,
we are commanded to live in obedience to the message and teachings of Jesus
with a reverent respect of God in awe of God’s nature and character. And as we
carry out the salvation that we have received from Jesus in such a way that
results in submission and obedience to Jesus and the message and teachings of
Jesus as One who is worthy of awe and reverence, we provide the evidence of our
salvation for the world to see.
We discovered that Paul is not addressing salvation,
which is how we are rescued from our selfishness and rebellion so that we can
experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for.
Instead, Paul is addressing the issue of sanctification, which is the process
by which God works in us so that we become more like Jesus in character and
conduct.
Second, we saw the Apostle Paul reveal for us the reality that our joy
grows because our obedience is the result of God’s ongoing activity in our
lives. As followers of Jesus, God is actively at work in our lives to empower
us with the desire to live our lives in way that follows the message and
teachings of Jesus and that accomplish His purposes in a way that pleases Him. And
God is actively at work in our lives as followers of Jesus to give us the
desires and the ability to become more like Jesus as a result of the
relationship we have with Jesus.
Today, we will see Paul reveal for us a third way that
our joy grows when we respond to what Jesus has
done by living in obedience to Him in Philippians 2:14-16:
Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God
above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom
you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in
the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor
toil in vain.
Because of the reality that our obedience provides the
evidence of our salvation from the selfishness and rebellion that separated us
from God and because of the reality that God is actively at work in our lives
to give us the desires and the ability to become more like Jesus in our
character and conduct, Paul commands followers of Jesus throughout history to
do all things without grumbling or disputing. Now what is so interesting here
is that the word for all, in the language that this letter was originally
written in, literally means all.
When Paul uses the word grumbling, this word refers to an
utterance made in a low tone of voice. This word refers to conversations that
occur behind the scenes, so to speak. This word refers to conversations that
are talking about someone instead of talking to someone. In addition, when Paul
refers to disputing, he is referring to disputes or arguments.
Now a natural question that arises here is “Why would
Paul make these specific commands here?” I believe the reason that Paul made
these specific commands here is due to the fact that both grumbling a disputing
produce division and dissension. Last week, we looked on as Paul commanded the
members of the church at Philippi to placing others
first in a community that is marked by gospel-centered unity that is based on
our mutual encouragement as a result of our faith in Christ, our mutual love
for Jesus, and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence that connect us to Jesus
and one another.
But
nothing destroys community and unity faster than when people talk about others
instead of talking to others, right? Nothing destroys community and unity
faster than when people are engaged in disputes and arguments. Paul is
following up his command for community that is marked by gospel centered unity
by commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to rid themselves of the
grumbling and disputing that will destroy community and unity.
After
giving the command to rid themselves of the grumbling and disputing that will
destroy community and unity, Paul provides three reasons behind the command.
First, Paul explained that by ridding themselves of any grumbling and
disputing, the members of the church at Philippi would prove yourselves to be blameless. Now when Paul
uses the word prove here, this word means to come into possession of certain
qualities of characteristics. The quality or characteristic that they would
possess would be that they would be blameless. The word blameless here
literally means to be without fault.
Paul’s point is that by ridding themselves of grumbling and disputing,
the members of the church at Philippi would be without fault in the sight of
others.
Second, Paul explained that by ridding
themselves of any grumbling and disputing, the members of the church at
Philippi would prove yourselves
to be innocent. The word innocent here literally means to be pure or innocent
morally. Paul’s point is that by ridding
themselves of grumbling and disputing, the members of the church at Philippi
would be innocent in the sight of others.
Third,
Paul explained that by ridding themselves of any grumbling and disputing, the
members of the church at Philippi would children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and
perverse generation. To be above reproach is to live in such a way that no one
can point a finger of accusation against another that is accurate. Paul’s point
here is that by ridding themselves of grumbling and disputing, the members of
the church at Philippi would reveal their relationship as a child of God in a
way that no one could accuse of being otherwise.
And as a result, the members of the church at Philippi
would stand in stark contrast to those in the world around them, who Paul
describes as a crooked and perverse generation. The word crooked refers to
someone who is morally bent or twisted, while perverse is to depart from any moral
standard or values. And as a result of living in a culture that was morally
twisted and without any moral values, the members of the church at Philippi
appear as a light that provides guidance and direction to an otherwise dark
world as they revealed and reflected Jesus to the world.
Paul then explained that as they maintained a grasp on
the message and teachings of Jesus in a way that revealed that they possessed a
relationship with Jesus, the members of the church at Philippi would be a
reason for Paul to take pride in the fact that all of his efforts to proclaim
the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel had not been without purpose
or result. Upon Jesus return to earth at the end of God’s story here on earth,
all of the efforts that Paul had made on behalf of the members of the church at
Philippi would be revealed to have accomplished something of kingdom value that
would transcend the current circumstances that he found himself in.
And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us
the reality that our joy grows as our obedience reveals and reflects Jesus to
the world. As followers of Jesus, our obedience to Jesus is to be without any
behind the scenes murmuring or any disputes that lead to disunity. As followers
of Jesus, our obedience to Jesus results in us being blameless and purely
innocent in the sight of others.
And as followers of Jesus, our obedience to Jesus results
in us revealing our relationship as a child of God to the world around us. A
relationship that is to be morally blameless in the midst of a morally bent and
twisted world; a relationship that reveals and reflects Jesus to the world; a
relationship that maintains a grasp on the message and mission of the gospel; A
relationship that makes others proud when Jesus returns. A pride that one’s
effort and work was not without result.
Friday, we will see Paul conclude this section of his
letter by addressing the circumstances that he found himself in...
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