Work out

 

     Over the next few weeks, we will be camping in Philippians 2:12-18. I believe these verses give us an important insight for us as Christians. That insight is: how to live in God’s truth in a crooked place.

 

Most of you know, one of my hobbies is running. After years of walking across dealership lots, my body is still accustomed to working in an office. Running is my way of dealing with limbs that grow restless.

 

     As a high school student, my fastest one-mile run was 5:15. When I was in the military, I had to do a two-mile run in a certain amount of time. My fastest time for that was 13:00. In 2020, it was many years removed from any of that. My ego had to accept that I had spent years eating Big Macs, ice cream, and other things without so much as the thought of exercise. But I had to start somewhere.

 

     Just as physical exercise is important for our bodies, we are to exercise our faith. This is not to say we will be starting church aerobics or incorporating exercises while holding up a hymnal during our services. Having to work out our faith may have never occurred to us, and the task seems daunting. But we must start somewhere.

 

     Before we can start though, it is important to know what we are working out and how we are to go about it. As a runner, I have a route in mind, likewise, we are to spiritually work with a plan in mind. Paul gives us those answers in our passage today.

 

     Philippians 2:12-13(CEB):

 

     Therefore, my loved ones, just as you always obey me, not just when I am present but now even more while I am away, carry out your own salvation with fear and trembling. God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good pleasures.

 

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

 

 

     The section we are studying is very much in line with Paul’s purpose in writing the whole letter. Paul is writing while in prison, why he says in verse 12, “My loved ones, just as you always obey me, not just when I am present, but now even more while I am away.” The apostle’s goal is to encourage the Philippians in their faith, while also letting them know he was still confident in his own.

 

     Verse 12 goes on to say, “Carry out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” The phrase “carry out” in other translations is “work out.” The idea is applying effort to bring something to completion. Paul is not telling the Philippians to earn their salvation by working, he is telling them to seek to understand God’s ways and be obedient in living them out. This will give evidence of their faith.

 

     Paul ends verse 12 with “fear and trembling.” Again, this is not about dreading God or His presence. God wants a relationship with us, and no healthy relationship is based on fear. Rather the idea is to keep in mind the consequences of failing to be obedient. The consequence of sin is death, Jesus already paid that debt, and failure to be obedient on our part is to make a mockery of Christ’s sacrifice. Grace is available to live in obedience to God, just as much as it is to provide for our salvation.

 

     While we should certainly look at this from a personal standpoint, it also applies collectively to the church. The integrity of the church depends upon us to individually work out our salvation in our own lives so we can collectively work it out together. In our everyday lives, we are to work out our salvation so that when we come together we can do so together. When I am running, my leg muscles are not the only ones being put to use. My abdominal muscles and upper body are also working. Breathing is critical to the whole operation, but I must train my lungs to work in tandem with the rhythm of the rest of my body in movement. As members of Christ’s body, this is what we must do.

 

     Verse 13 says, “God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes.” Paul is highlighting who is responsible for the work of salvation. It is not us by our doing, but God in His graciousness to us through our faith. God is doing this work in our hearts and minds, aligning our ways with His ways. This begins with repentance, leads to entire sanctification, and continues until the Lord calls us home. His work is more than enough to transform us and at the same time draw us together under His banner and in His Holy Spirit. We are not passive in allowing this to happen, but active in surrender and obedience. And this should encourage us because it is not our work, but God’s work. He allows will finish what He starts.

 

     Paul has clearly outlined to us what we are working out and how we are to do so. We are each working out our salvation so we can work it out collectively, allowing God’s power to work in us and through us. Our salvation is worked out by us being obedient to God’s ways in an outward demonstration of His inward work in us.

 

     But what does this obedience look like? How do we live it out? The first way is very plain and the key to the whole thing. We must have faith in Jesus. Second, that faith in Jesus will lead us to a community of believers so we can join in worship with them. Not because they are perfect and have it all put together. They worship and we worship with them because God is doing a work in each of us with our lives becoming a symphony of His grace. Each of us comes in marching to our tune, but God takes us and makes a note in His glorious and harmonious song.

 

     Faith that is worked out only in a church service is not sufficient. It is like coming to the dinner table after going a week with nothing. Individual time spent reading God’s word throughout the week is critical to working out our salvation. Yet, according to a 2021 Barna report, only 34 percent of adult Christians read their Bible at least once a week. The reason so many believers leave church feeling underfed is not the result of the church, it is the result of only eating one time per week. Our souls were designed to crave more. Devotionals are great and can help us, but the greater way is to read the Bible itself for ourselves.

 

     Just as critical as reading the Bible is to working out our salvation, so is prayer. Pray is us communicating with God, allowing Him to open our eyes to the things unseen. By lifting our needs and the needs of others, we are inviting God to intervene. At our last prayer and worship night, I challenged those present to pray for our church every night at 7:50 pm. Why that time? The Church of the Nazarene officially recognized the organization of our church on August 14, 1950. 1950 in military time is 7:50 pm. And I can tell you since we have started, I can already see God moving! Many of the ways I cannot tell you.

 

     Working out our salvation goes beyond reading the Bible and prayer, but spills over to us doing the work of ministry. Whether that is stepping into a role at the church, which we have many, or finding ways to serve as we are going about life. All these are us working out our salvation in obedience to God and bringing Him glory.

 

     [Invite the worship team]

 

     Where are you at? Have you put your faith in Jesus? There is no better time than right now. Have you wandered away from the faith? There is no better time to return than right now. Are you working out your salvation? There is no better time to start than today.

 

     On the altars, I have placed a “gym membership card.” This card is not a physical gym for a physical workout. There is no fee, but a fantastic rewards system. It is a card of committing ourselves to working out our salvation. If you are committed to this, I want you to come forward and take one. Put in your Bible, in your wallet, on your car dashboard, or on your bathroom mirror. Place it somewhere to remind you that God is doing a work in your life, and He invites you to work out what that means in your life.