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"A Life Worth Living" Sermon Series
Rev Philip Rowe
4. NEW RESPONSIBILITIES
| Philippians 2:12-18 | 'Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling' |
'A life worth living' is enjoying salvation - having the life/health of God. This is:
Past - Christ died so we are reconciled to God
Present - God changing us to be more like Christ
Future - Christ returns to take us to heaven
Today thinking about the present - 'work out your salvation'.
Work out is physical (gym), not mental (crossword).
Your own speaks of our personal responsibility.
1. How we work out: Fear and trembling (v12)
This is the ethos we should live by - humility, complete reliance on God. This is the fear hurting God by our failure, not him hurting us.
'It is God working in you'. We work out what God has worked in. Holding fast to the word of life (v16) - to Jesus himself and his message. Grasp the gospel as a torch bearer securely carries it.
The Christian life is both a commitment to what we have to do and reliance on what God is doing.
2. What we work towards: Without blemish (v15)
Not murmuring (selfish complaining, over criticism of small matters) and arguing (bickering,
more open)
Rather be blameless (above reproach, public view of us) pure (no evil in our inner heart).
So there is no good cause for others or us to condemn ourselves.
His motivation is two fold:
This world. Shine like stars in the world' (v15) - 'a crooked and perverse generation'. This is a dark
world, bent and distorted, topsy-turvy values. The world is living upside down, astray from God.
Personal holiness will stand out.
We should be a testimony to the world - exposing and thus condemning wrong behaviour, illuminating
and thus transforming to good behaviour.
The world to come. Paul refers that he 'can boast on the day of Christ Jesus that I did not run in vain or labour in vain'. (v16). We should be working towards what we will be - without blemish is what we shall be. 'to present the church, without spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind' (Ephesians 5:27). This has everlasting value and reward.
3. What our work achieves: Be glad and rejoice with me (v18)
St Paul is a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith' (v17). Christian example and ministry is a pouring out, it is sacrificing for the spiritual welfare of others.
This leads to Be glad (chairo) is joy within himself and
Rejoice( synchairio) is a united experience of joy.
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