Living as a Servant, part 5

And the third way to Live as a Servant, is to
 

Work Out Our Salvation

After leading the Philippians in this beautiful worship song, the Apostle Paul brings a practical word for them, and for us. We read it in verses 12–13, where he says, “Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose” CSB.
 

This is one of those verses in the Bible that, at first glance, seems contradictory. After all, Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “We are saved by grace, through faith.” Right? Yet, it’s the same Apostle Paul who said, “We are saved by grace through faith,” is now saying, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
 

What Paul is saying is this: we have been given salvation, God’s free gift, as we put our faith and trust in Jesus. It is a gift. Having received the gift, our only reasonable response is to work toward imitating the example of Jesus. That will take some work on our part. But the work itself does not and cannot save us.

Christian philosopher, Dallas Willard, said, “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” Friends, Jesus has won it for us, but it is our job to water, grow, and make it beautiful under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
 

If I give you the sapling of a tree to plant in your yard, it’s a gift. The actual planting and nurturing of that tree is then your responsibility. It’s your responsibility to water it, trim it, and not to run over it with the lawnmower.

See the difference? We do not want to be the kind of person who fails to respond to God’s grace. The truth is, Jesus gave me a free pass to heaven and He has been trying to make me fit for heaven ever since! But it requires me, and you (if you too, have accepted His free pass), to yield to the Holy Spirit’s influence and pruning in our lives.
 

I fully understand this can sound challenging, even for people who are not facing persecution! But the path to Christian maturity is the same in good times and in bad: humble yourself because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 

So really, in good times or bad, there is simply no other way to reflect Jesus Christ other than surrender to Him and His will for your life.

The fourth point about living as a servant is
 

Hold On, and Hold Out

Philippians 2:14-18, “Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firmly to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”
 

The Apostle Paul was quite the communicator: immediately after singing the worship song, his teaching becomes very practical. He tells us to “do everything without complaining and arguing.”  This is true for both individuals and for the community of faith. To set aside complaining and arguing is a corporate discipline that is the only possible when people realize the blessings of God’s grace and salvation. We have been saved by grace. What is there to argue and complain about?
 

What would we look like to the unbelieving world if we, “The Church” (with a capital C), were a community who could live together without complaining and arguing? If there were no gossip or backbiting? If love was truly the language? We would shine forth like the stars in the heavens. We would be seen as pure and blameless, even though we would be well aware that God is the one who changed us.
 

Finally, the Apostle Paul tells us to hold on to the Word of Life. This is a wonderful and challenging command. But if we can hold on to the Scriptural word of life, given to us by the Holy Spirit, we will also be able to hold out the words of life offering them to our families, friends, and our community. This would be a demonstration of God’s kingdom on earth.
 

This second chapter of Philippians puts us in touch with the ancient worship of the earliest Christian and the very heart of what it means to follow Jesus. When Paul wrote this letter of comfort the brothers and sisters in Philippi, he pointed to Jesus as their and our, example. The Lord’s example does not require of us miracles and supernatural signs and wonders. These things are wonderful and certainly possible, but they are not a requirement for following Jesus, nor are they the biggest proof of His presence or power in our lives. No, friends, the heart of our faith is to follow the humble example of Jesus, especially in times of trial and persecution.
 

His example of humility and service is within our reach. Indeed, it is our calling, both individually and as a church. That is how we show the servant heart of Jesus to a world that desperately needs it.  END