Living For the Glory of God

And, before we look at God's Word, let's pray together.

Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for Your goodness and love.

We thank You that we can come now and look at Your Word.

We recognize that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.

And we pray that Your Word will prove profitable to each one of us this day.

Not that, O Lord, we will be glorified, but that Your name will be glorified,

that You will be honored in all that we see in Your Word.

So bless, O Lord, this time around that Word. In Jesus' name. Amen.

So would you turn with me, please, to Philippians.

That's the passage that we're looking at together.

Philippians chapter 2, and reading from verse 12.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Philippians chapter 2, looking at verse 12 through to 18.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

So the Apostle writes,

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed,

not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence,

continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

in which you shine like stars in the universe,

as you hold out the word of life,

in order that I may boast on the day of Christ,

that I did not run or labor for nothing.

For even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith,

I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

And our prayer is that God will bless to us that portion from His word.

We began our time together this morning by being asked various questions,

and this message begins with a similar kind of question.

What kind of life am I living as a Christian, as a believer?

Do my friends know that I am a Christian?

Do my colleagues at work recognize me as a Christian?

Where am I as far as my Christian experience is concerned?

I know that there is the habit, so they can go up on Facebook, of doing selfies.

Well, sometimes they're just that, selfies, you know.

You're looking in on yourself for all the wrong reasons.

But we want to look upon ourselves this morning for the right reasons.

Am I all that I ought to be in the sight of God's camera, as it were?

Am I growing spiritually speaking?

The Apostle Paul recognized constantly the need to grow spiritually.

In chapter 3 and verse 14, he says,

I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

So even the Apostle, a great man that he was, with all his experience,

was still pressing on as he reaches the end of his earthly life.

And we remind ourselves this morning that our Christianity must never be a slot in the week.

Christianity is 24-7.

And what the Apostle Paul is encouraging us in, in these verses,

is that we too will endure to the end.

That we won't reach a time when we retire, as it were, as Christians.

That we will sit back.

That we will continue to live to the glory of God.

Now you'll notice that the reading that we had this morning begins with a therefore.

Well, as somebody has said, a therefore always has a wherefore.

So he's saying, in the light of what I have been saying.

Well, what has he been saying?

Well, way back in chapter 1 and verse 27, he says,

conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.

And then he goes on to explain how we can live our lives to the glory of God,

as we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.

To be different, to be united, to contend as one man.

To live, verse 29, in the light of what has been granted to us.

Namely, that we should believe,

but also to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.

To live selfless lives.

To live with the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's what he has been saying.

And he goes on to say more.

Therefore, my dear friends,

as you have always obeyed,

not only in my presence,

but now much more in my absence,

continue to work out your salvation

with fear and with trembling.

And to live like that

is to live to the glory of God.

So how can I live to the glory of God

by continuing to work out my salvation?

And I want us to concentrate on that phrase

and see how it is expounded by the apostle in these verses.

Let's first of all notice Paul's exhortation here,

that it is an exhortation to Christians.

It's not an exhortation to the unbeliever.

He says, continue to work out your salvation.

He's not speaking about a salvation of works.

They are saved,

but they must go on to live for the Lord.

Their salvation.

To use the analogy again of a camera,

it's a wide angled lens

looking upon the church at Philippi.

They've already been identified,

chapter 1 and verse 1,

as servants of Jesus Christ,

of saints, holy ones,

those who have been separated unto God.

He has spoken in chapter 1 and verse 6

of the one who had begun a good work in them,

that he will continue to carry it on to completion

until the day of Jesus Christ.

He has spoken in chapter 2 and verse 1

of what it means to be united with Christ,

to be comforted by his love,

to enjoy the fellowship of the Spirit.

Now you Philippians,

work out your salvation.

You have that salvation.

Work it out.

I wonder how people would have received this letter.

In Acts chapter 16,

Acts 16 · chapter mention

we have the foundation of the church at Philippi.

And we're introduced there

to three of the members of that early church.

And how they individually would have received this letter,

work out your salvation.

I think of Lydia.

We read about her.

She was a member of the church there.

And we read about her in Acts 16 and verses 13 to 15.

Remember, she was one of the women

who was praying on the riverbank.

She was a religious person.

She desired to serve the one and only true God.

But she needed spiritual eyes being opened.

And we know that there on the riverbank,

as the Apostle Paul and others

brought to them the gospel

concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,

that the Lord opened her heart.

And she invited Paul and his companions

into her home.

And there she gave them hospitality.

Lydia, work out your salvation.

She prayed then.

She worshipped the one true God.

She had an understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Her heart was open to the truth.

Lydia, work out your salvation.

You prayed then.

Continue to pray.

You practice hospitality then.

Continue to practice hospitality.

Don't stop.

An exhortation to Lydia, the Christian.

And then we go on to read in Acts 16

of the slave girl.

Remember, she was possessed of an evil spirit.

A pythoness.

Worshipping a demon.

Making manic utterances.

And that comes across in the original languages.

She was not a pleasant person,

but she was held captive to Satan.

And you remember how she was delivered

from that evil spirit.

Now I would agree with you

that nothing is said about her

becoming a believer.

But if you look at Acts 16 and verse 19,

you discover that when the owners

of the slave girl

realized that their hope of making money

was gone,

they attacked Paul and his companions.

You see, something had happened to this girl.

She had been delivered.

She was a different girl.

No longer making those manic utterances.

No longer involved with the worship

of the python spirit.

A different girl,

freed from the power of Satan.

A new creation delivered by the Lord.

And can you imagine

Paul's exhortation coming to her?

She would remember her past life.

She would remember her wonderful deliverance.

Step out and continue to walk on.

You're no longer under the dominion of Satan.

Continue to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Work out your salvation as a Christian.

Or think of the jailer.

We know his story.

Remember how he receives

Paul and Silas?

He puts them into the prison.

He puts their feet in stocks.

He doesn't treat them gently.

And there are Paul and Silas

in the prison

singing praises to God.

And the prisoners are listening.

And suddenly, this earthquake.

The jailer wakes up.

He's suicidal.

Sirs, he says,

what must I do to be saved?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

and you will be saved

and your household.

And there that jailer

in that prison

after the earthquake

sits before Paul

and hears more.

Tenderly now,

he washes their wounds.

And he is baptized.

And then later,

this letter comes from Paul

and he remembers that night.

Jailer,

work out your salvation.

Continue on

in your Christian walk.

work.

My friends,

if you're a Christian

here this morning,

you have a testimony.

You can look back

to a day

or perhaps

over a period

of time.

And the Lord

entered into your life.

He changed your life.

He began

a work

in your life.

Are you,

as a Christian,

working out

your salvation?

Maybe you were saved

from a religious background

like Lydia.

And maybe you were saved

from an addictive background.

Maybe you were saved

as somebody

who was just going about

their work

like the jailer

doing your job,

being responsible

with little thought

of God.

And then an earthquake

interrupted your life.

And you cried out,

Save me, Lord.

Whatever your testimony

is this morning,

the exhortation

is to you.

Work out

your salvation.

Don't stop.

Don't think

you've arrived.

Continue.

Grow in grace

and in the knowledge

of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

So the exhortation

is to you

this morning

as a Christian.

The second thing

we notice

is that it was

an exhortation

that was

very serious.

They were to

work out

their salvation

with fear

and with trembling.

They're solemn

words, aren't they?

And we can easily

pass them by.

Christianity

is serious.

Not serious

in the sense

that we can't

be happy

and joyful.

Yes, we can be

all of those things.

But there is

a seriousness

about it.

Work out

your salvation

with fear

and with trembling.

The Apostle Paul

is very aware

that every Christian

lives his life

in the sight

of God.

And he lived his life

with this sense

of awe.

The Apostle

would have known

the Psalm.

The Psalm is saying

the fear

of the Lord

is the beginning

of wisdom.

That fear

has a sense

of awe.

Living

in the sight

of God.

And the Apostle

Paul wants

the believers

in Philippi

to recognize

the seriousness

of his exhortation.

And he wants us

to realize

the seriousness

of the exhortation.

Psalm 139

is a psalm

that reminds us

that our God

sees all

and our God

knows all.

That our God

knows us

intimately.

He knows

all that we

think.

The psalmist

says,

you perceive

my thoughts

afar off.

Before a word

is on my tongue

you know it

completely,

O Lord.

Our God

is an everywhere

present God.

Where can I go

from your spirit?

As the psalmist.

Where can I flee?

From your presence.

Work out

your salvation.

Live

to God's

glory.

Remembering

that you do it

in the

sight

of God.

And the way

that we behave

is always

in the sight

of God.

And the only

way that you

and I can

live to the

glory of God

is by being

holy,

being sanctified,

being set

apart,

being holy

as our God

is holy.

It's a big

demand.

That's how

serious it

is.

It is to

have,

as the

apostle Paul

puts it

in chapter 2

and verse 5,

to have

the

mind,

to have

the

attitude

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

To walk

before our

God

with

humility.

To walk

before him

and to

recognize

we walk

before him.

So when we get up

tomorrow morning,

we're living

in the presence

of God.

when we go

to our

places of

work,

it is in

the sight

of God.

When we go

on a holiday,

we don't go

without the

Lord.

We live

our lives

and we seek

to work out

our salvation

with fear

and with

trembling.

The third

exhortation,

idea of this

exhortation,

is an

exhortation

that demanded

commitment.

It has

here that

we are to

continue to

work out

our salvation

with fear

and trembling.

He's

talking about

a process

which takes

a lifetime.

Now when we

believed,

when we

trusted in

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

at that

moment,

we were

justified.

We were

declared not

guilty.

The perfect

righteousness of

the Lord

Jesus Christ

was put to

our account.

So we are

justified.

We're right in

the sight of

God.

That's

immediate.

And that's

true of

every Christian.

sanctification.

But then

sanctification is

a process.

It's a

lifetime

commitment.

We're not

what we once

were, but we're

not what we

should be.

So work out

your salvation

with fear

and trembling.

We're coming up

to the

Olympic Games

and no doubt

we'll be

watching the

races and

some of the

things that

will be going

on there.

We will see

the sprint

which will be

over in less

than ten

seconds.

It's over,

it's quick,

and we would

at times wish

that life were

like that,

that it was a

quick sprint

and all the

glory that goes

with those

hundred meters

runners.

But no,

the Christian

life is not

like that.

It's a

marathon.

It's a

slog.

It's sometimes

going through

the pain

barrier.

It's a

commitment

moment by

moment.

And notice

how Paul

acknowledges

the commitment

that was

already in

the Philippians.

He prays

for them,

chapter 1

and verse 4.

And he

prays for

them with

joy.

Why?

Because of

your partnership

in the gospel

from the first

day until

now.

In other

words,

there had

been a

degree of

commitment.

In chapter

4 and

verses 14

to 16,

again he's

speaking about

commitment.

Yet it was

good for you,

he says,

to share in

my troubles.

moreover,

as you

Philippians

know,

in the

early days

of your

acquaintance

with the

gospel,

when I

set out

from

Macedonia,

not one

church

shared with

me in

the matter

of giving

and receiving

except for

you only.

Yes,

they were

committed,

they were

laboring for

the Lord.

There was

partnership

in the

gospel.

You have

always

obeyed,

he says,

in the

verses that

we're

looking at

this morning.

Not only

in my

presence,

but now

much more

in my

absence.

All right,

continue then

to work out

your salvation

with fear

and trembling.

Keep going,

keep forward,

don't stop

living to

the glory

of God.

There's

always room

for

improvement.

improvement.

Remember

that Paul

is not

sitting in

an office.

He's a

prisoner.

And he's

asking the

Christians in

Philippi to

be like

him,

to keep

going on,

even when

the going

is tough.

In verse

17 he

speaks about

being poured

out like

a drink

offering.

Later,

he would

write to

Timothy

and he

would say

as his

execution

approached,

I have

fought the

good fight.

I have

finished the

race.

I have

kept the

faith.

I remember

hearing of a

man who was

a very

faithful

evangelist

and he'd

heard the

message that

he had

terminal

cancer.

and people

were saying

to him,

stop,

take a

rest now.

He said,

no,

I'm coming

to the

finishing

line.

I'm on

the sprint

now to

get home.

Continue

on.

Don't

give up.

Be like

the apostle

and be

able to

say as

you

approach

God,

and none

of us

know when

that day

will be

when we

stand in

his presence.

But may

we all be

able to

say,

I was

committed

right to

the end.

I fought

the good

fight.

I finished

the race.

I have

kept

the faith.

I have

been

obedient

even

to

death.

So this

exhortation

of the

apostle is

to you

as

Christians.

It's

for you

to be

committed.

Live

to the

glory

of God

that you

might be

as you're

reminded in

chapter 1

and verse

10,

pure and

blameless

until the

day of

Christ.

Fourthly,

it's an

exhortation

that deals

with real

issues.

Look at

verse 14.

Do

everything

without

complaining

or arguing

so that

you may

become

blameless

and pure

children

of God.

Now this

verse deals

with the

whole idea

of being

obedient.

Not

arguing

or

complaining

about

what God

teaches

you

through

his

word.

Yes,

I know

it says

that,

but,

and we

argue

with

God's

word.

Yes,

I know

it says

that,

but you

don't

know my

circumstances,

and we

argue,

or it's

hard,

Lord,

because of

the situation

in which

I find

myself.

Do

everything.

Be

obedient.

That's what

he's saying

here.

It's

dealing with

real

issues,

issues in

your life,

and in

my life,

and in

the

Philippians

life.

It deals,

if you like,

with the

nitty-gritty

of life.

Let's

remember that

the apostle

is writing

under the

inspiration

of the

Spirit of

God.

He's

the apostle

who's

speaking

with

authority.

And let's

remember,

he's not

using words

for the

sake of

using

them.

He's

not only

calling for

obedience,

he's

speaking to

specific

situations

that applied

to the

church

at

Philippi.

You see,

there were

people there

in the

church,

and they

were made

up of

different

people.

from

different

backgrounds.

People

from

different

cultures.

People

who were

rich,

or

were born

to a

rich

background.

Some

who had

a slave

background.

Different

personalities.

And they

were all

part of

the church.

Well,

you do

everything,

no matter

what your

background

is,

that you

may be

pure and

blameless

children

of God.

God.

He speaks

to a

specific

issue,

because he

is dealing

with real

issues.

In chapter

four and

verse two,

I plead

with

Euodia,

and I

plead with

Syntyche,

to agree

with each

other in

the Lord.

One

commentator

says about

their names,

and he

said that

they should

be altered

slightly.

They should

be odious

and soon

touchy.

And I

think there's

a lot to

be said

for that.

But at

any rate,

they were

people who

were complaining

or arguing.

They were

causing

problems in

the church.

Now,

you two

ladies,

work out

your salvation

by agreeing

with each

other in

the Lord.

Stop

arguing.

Stop

complaining.

And there

were others

in the

church,

chapter four

and verse

six,

who were

anxious and

worried about

different things.

Do not be

anxious,

he says in

chapter four

and verse six,

about anything.

But in

everything,

by prayer and

petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your

requests to

God,

and the peace

of God,

which transcends

all understanding,

will guard your

hearts and your

minds in

Christ Jesus.

Real issues

in the

church.

Don't fret.

Don't complain

about your

lot in

life.

Why?

Well,

so that you

might live to

the glory of

God,

so that you

might be,

as he puts

it here,

become those

kind of people

that are

blameless

and pure,

live as

children of

God.

Notice the

force of

Paul's words

here.

Live so

that you're

recognized by

the family

likeness.

You have a

heavenly

father.

You have

been bought

with the

precious blood

of the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

The Holy

Spirit has

witnessed with

your spirit

that you

are sons

of God,

daughters

of God.

Take on

the family

likeness.

Are we

Christ-like?

Are we

like our

elder brother,

the Lord

Jesus Christ?

So the

force of

Paul's words

are there for

us all to

see.

Take on

the family

likeness by

living sanctified

lives.

Live to

the glory

of God

day by

day,

moment by

moment.

Happy in

doing the

will of

God from

the heart.

Constantly

live to

God's

glory.

When our

children are

young,

at least some

of them,

we might

say to

them,

would you

make me a

cup of

tea?

And they

say,

oh, do I

have to?

Yes, you

do have to,

you know,

make a

cup of

tea.

But then

the day

came,

and they

said,

would you

like a

cup of

tea?

They

didn't have

to be

asked.

I think

the barbecue

is going

on later

on today,

so I hope

somebody is

listening.

But, you

know, the

whole thing

is doing

all to

the glory

of God

without

grumbling or

complaining.

We're

before our

heavenly

Father,

to do

it gladly

from our

heart.

Not because

we must,

but because

we want

to be

pleasing

to the

Savior.

Fifthly,

it was

an exhortation

that was

delivered

in a

hostile

world.

Work out

your salvation

as Christians.

Be

committed.

Be

committed.

Deal with

the practical

things in

your life

that need

to be

dealt

with.

Work out

your salvation

even though

you're living

in a

hostile

world.

Look at the

latter part

of verse

15.

Without

fault,

in a

crooked

and depraved

generation.

salvation.

In a

world,

verse 17,

where I am

being poured

out like a

drink offering,

work out your

salvation in the

Roman pagan

world of the

day.

Work out your

salvation in a

world that is

hostile to the

message of the

gospel.

people.

Work out

your salvation

where the

world is under

the dominion

of Satan.

Work out

your salvation

where Christians

are suffering

martyrdom and

imprisonment.

That's where

you're to work

out your

salvation.

We're living

in an

increasingly

hostile

world.

We see

that in

laws that

are passed.

We see

that in

so many

different

ways.

In the

secular world

in which we

find ourselves.

Work out

your salvation

even though

everybody is

against you.

Was it

Athanasius,

an early

Christian who

was told,

the whole

world is

against you,

Athanasius?

Well, he

says, if the

whole world is

against Athanasius,

then Athanasius,

is against

the whole

world.

To stand

firm

in a

hostile

world.

Work out

your salvation

when people

are disagreeing

with you,

when people

are making

their life

difficult,

when your

bosses are

making life

difficult,

when things

are difficult

in the home

situation.

Work out

your salvation

there.

And as you

work out

salvation there,

you're to

hold out

the word

of life.

Verse 16.

In the

hostile world

of their

day,

they were

to make

the Lord

Jesus

Christ

known.

They were

to make

known that

which was

of first

importance,

that Christ

died according

to the

scriptures,

that he was

buried,

and that he

rose again

according to

the scriptures.

Live your

life,

not only in

what you

don't do,

but what

you do

do.

Let people

know that

your parable,

that you're

seeking to

live before

men,

let them

know the

meaning of

it.

Why I am

living like

this is

because I

belong to

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

I'm living

this way

because of

what Jesus

Christ did

for me upon

the cross

of Calvary.

I'm living

this life

because he

rose again

that I might

be justified.

I'm living

my life

to the

glory of

God

in a

hostile

world.

And in

this hostile

world,

I shine

as stars

in the

heavens.

I'm a

luminary

in a

dark

world.

In

Daniel

Daniel 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12

and verse

3,

we have

these words,

those who

are wise

will shine

like the

brightness

of the

heavens

and those

who lead

many to

righteousness

like the

stars

forever

and ever.

Oh,

that that

would be

our

testimony

in the

world in

which we

live in

Carragiline,

an exhortation

that was

delivered

in a

hostile

world.

The last

point,

it's an

exhortation

that can

be

worked

out.

I don't

know

if you

felt like me

as when I

was preparing

this message.

How can I

do it?

I might as

well give

up now.

it's

impossible

to live

like that.

I might

as well

give up.

I'll never

make it.

And I

would agree

with you

if it

wasn't

for

verse

13.

Work

out

your

salvation

with

fear

and

trembling

for it

is God

who works

in you

to will

and to

act

according

to his

good

purpose.

God

in his

grace

in his

mercy

in his

love

has revealed

his son

to you.

He's put

his Holy

Spirit

into your

life

through the

miracle

of the

new

birth.

Your

very body

as a

Christian

has become

the temple

of God's

Holy

Spirit.

We are

indwelled

by the

Spirit

of the

living

God.

And because

of this

power

that is

at work

within us

we are

enabled

to work

out

our

salvation

with

fear

and

trembling.

There's

an old

hymn

that says

this

every

virtue

we

possess

and

every

conquest

won

and

every

thought

of

holiness

is

our

his

alone.

He

has

worked

therefore

the

virtues

that I

have

in this

evil

world

is

because

of

him

and

every

victory

I'm

able

to

accomplish

is

because

of

his

work

in

me

and

every

thought

that I

have

the

desire

after

him

is

because

he

is

at

work

with

me

in

me.

I

can

continue

to

work

out

my

salvation

because

he

is

at

work

and

he

will

bring

that

work

to

completion.

I

can

live

to

the

glory

of

God.

I

can

be

committed

to

him

who

loved

me.

I

can

deal

with

the

real

issues

that

are

bothering

me

in

my

life.

They

can

be

dealt

with.

I

can

live

in

a

hostile

world

to

the

glory

of

God.

I

can

do

it

because

of

his

work

in

me.

It

wouldn't

be

possible

would

it

apart

from

that

work

in

me.

So

are

we

going

to

live

for

the

glory

of

God?

Will

we

be

a

rejoicing

church

because

I

believe

that's

how

the

apostle

Paul

brings

his

section

to

an

end.

He

says

even

if

I

am

being

poured

out

like

a

drink

offering

on

the

sacrifice

and

service

coming

from

your

faith

I

am

glad

and

rejoice

with

all

of

you

so

you

too

should

be

glad

and

rejoice

with

me.

The

apostle

as

he

sees

the

Philippians

living

to

the

glory

of

God

working

out

their

salvation

he

rejoices

he

hasn't

run

in

vain

the

Lord

has

blessed

his

ministry

and

he

sees

the

church

growing

and

becoming

stronger

and

living

to

the

glory

of

God

God

and

he

rejoices

and

the

church

rejoices

there's

nothing

sad

about

living

to

the

glory

of

God

may

the

Lord

enable

us

over

the

days

that

follow

and

the

years

however

many

they

may

be

if

life

be

short

or

if

life

be

long

may

I

be

glad

to

glorify

my

God

let's

pray

together

father

we

do

thank

you

that

you've

given

us

your

word

and

we

thank

you

father

that

by

your

enabling

we

are

enabled

to

live

our

lives

to

the

glory

of

your

name

help

us