Philippians 2. I'd like to look at verses 12 and 13. Philippians
2, 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but
now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Well, that's a verse of scripture
that You need some instruction on it. Work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling. The Apostle Paul was thankful
for the believers at Philippi. Philippians 1. says this, I thank my God upon
every remembrance of you. That's a blessing, to be able
to thank God for God's people. I thank the Lord for you. I thank
God for this church. I thank God for you that Almighty
God has raised up and given a heart for Him. I thank the Lord for
you. He was confident, that is Paul,
that they were born of God. that they were going to be kept
by the Lord. Look at Philippians 1 verse 6. Being confident of this very
thing. That he which hath begun a good work in you will perform
it until the day of Jesus Christ. He that has actually been the
instrument of commencement. He which hath begun. The Lord
is the instrument of commencement. He will perform it. He is going
to accomplish it. The Lord does not leave salvation. We know this. He doesn't leave
it in the hands of His people. He puts no confidence in men. The stars are not pure in His
sight. How much less a man that drinks
iniquity like water. The Lord is going to keep His
people by power, by His will. Knowing this, the Apostle Paul
also relates to his brethren that even his imprisonment was
for the sake of the gospel to encourage God's people against
fearfulness, to encourage them to faithfulness and constancy. Look at Philippians 1, 27-28. Only let your conversation, your
walk, be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. For whether I come
and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that
you stand fast in one spirit, one mind, Striving together for
the faith of the gospel. Being faithful. Maintaining all
the things that he has gone through. Striving together. Striving together. 2 Corinthians 6.1. Just look at that for a second.
2 Corinthians 6.1. We then, as workers together with Him,
beseech you also that you receive not the
grace of God in vain. We, as workers together, that
working together and that striving In Philippians 1 verse 27, I
only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel, that
whether I come see you or else I may hear your affairs, that
you stand fast in one spirit, one mind, striving together for
the faith of the gospel. That striving together is the very heart of working
out. your own salvation with fear
and trembling. The Scripture does not say that we work for
our salvation. You know better than that. You
know it doesn't say that. It does not say that we work
in order to obtain, not by the works of righteousness that we've
done, according to His mercy saved us. But this striving together,
wrestling in company, seeking jointly, and laboring together
with, is the heart of working out your own salvation with fear
and trembling. I read a commentary on this. He was talking about a man and
his wife. They're married. They're already
married. They're married. It's not like they're working
to get married. They're already married. And what they do is
they strive together. Working out their marriage. Loving
one another. Meeting each other's needs. Caring
for one another. Defending one another. Striving
together. Working out their marriage. Working out your own salvation. with fear and trembling. Jude
3 says, "...earnestly contend for the faith which was once
delivered unto the saints." That is, struggling and defending
against the wretchedness of our old man first. I mean, there's
a battle that's going on. You say, well, you know, the
battle is all out in the world. The battle is right here. Here's
the problem right here. That old man that opposes and
fights against and wars against that new man. But there is striving on the
outside too. Striving against, defending against
false teaching, false preachers. this world and the cares of it,
contending for the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. I want
to be faithful. You know, sometimes people will
say, well, I just don't like old dry doctrine. This is the doctrine of Christ.
Doctrine means the teaching of. The teaching. The preaching of.
And we preach a person. I want to set forth a person. We're not here just for mere
thoughts and phrases. You don't want to just hear predestination. I want to hear about Him who
has predestinated His people unto the adoption of children.
I don't want to just talk about something that being a surety
and talk about surety means I want to talk about Him who is the
surety. I don't want to try to teach
you how to pray. I want to talk about Him to whom
we pray. The Lord. The defense of. I want to set forth Him. who
by His Spirit irresistibly called us unto Himself, striving. Now those who truly have a heart
to work out their own salvation, striving together with, the Lord
has called some people out of darkness in this congregation.
I am convinced of that. And I do pray, I do pray that
God have mercy and call out people who are sitting under the gospel
right now and listening. And if the Lord has not been
pleased to call you out of darkness, I pray peradventure He will. Perhaps He will. I ask His will. I pray that God have mercy. I truly, I truly desire according
to His will, His eternal purpose. I pray God have mercy today.
I pray that the Lord call His sheep out of darkness today.
And for those that He's called out of darkness, here we are,
a body, a body of believers, striving together to work out
God's salvation. according to God's purpose, God's
will, God's glory, work out your own salvation. Philippians 2,
verse 1 says, If there be therefore any consolation, if there is
any solace, if there is any consolation in
Christ that He alone is my salvation, if there is one here this morning,
if there is that consolation, that settleness of heart, that
dependence upon Him, if it is there, if it be there, if there
is any comfort of love, if there is any comfort within that new
heart that the triune God has eternally loved you, If there's
any comfort of God's love toward me, if it be found in my heart
that He truly has called me, having chosen me in Christ, if
there's any comfort of love that the Lord who has loved me eternally
has died for me and put away my guilt, laid down His life,
If there is any comfort of love, God's love toward me, that the
Spirit of God has truly regenerated me by grace. If there is any
fellowship of Spirit, any vows of mercy, if there is
any fellowship with God's Spirit, fellowship of Spirit with Him,
If there is communion with the Spirit of God that He has taught
me, that I know according to the Scriptures that God Almighty
has given me instruction and knowledge of Christ. If there
is any true affection, compassion and concern for God's people, those that the Lord has shown
mercy to, And Paul says in verse 2, Then
fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same
love, being of one accord, one mind. He said if there is any
life there, if life is found, if you have a heart that knows
God, loves God, And God's people do be like-minded. Have the same love for one another
for Him. Verse 3, Let nothing be done
through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves. of believers. No place for factions. Self-seeking recognition of self. It's all about me and personal
praise. That only leads to division.
Believers are to strive together. That is, wrestle in company. Striving together. wrestling
in harmony. To gather one another for God's
honor, glory and praise. Esteeming each other as spiritually
superior to ourselves. If every believer, and we ought
to do this, Lord help us to, if every believer looked at every
other believer and said, I pray God teach me as He has taught
you. I pray the Lord settle my heart as He settled yours. I thank God that He has taught
you what He has. I pray He teach me that too. Ephesians 3 says unto me, who am less than the least of
all saints, Is this grace given? That was false. Apostle Paul
said that. Unto me I am less than the least. And I've said before, not for
one second do I believe he was trying to just false humility.
He meant that. He meant it. When the Lord teaches
a man or woman something of who he is and who I am, that person is going to acknowledge
I am what I am by the grace of God. If I'm a doorkeeper in God's
house, what a miracle of God's grace that I'm even there. 1
Timothy 1.15, Jesus Christ came to the world to save sinners.
Paul says, of whom I'm chief. I'm the chief. You know, when
you see yourself as the bottom of the barrel, that's a good
place to start abasing pride. Who are you? I'm the bottom of
the barrel. I'm the dregs. I'm the dregs
of this congregation. I'm the bottom. Verse 4 says,
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on
the things of others. Don't be seeking your welfare
above all others at the expense of your brethren. Our own honor and applause and
will. What is that? It's just pride.
That's all it is, just pride. I'm owed respect. No, you're not. You come across with that attitude
that you're owed respect, and I promise you, you don't have
it. You respect those that are not demanding it of you. Verse 5, let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Let this sentiment, let
this opinion be seen in you. Let it be evidenced in you. That
attitude that was in the Lord Jesus Christ, He who subjected
Himself to the humility of our flesh, He who subjected Himself
to the rejection of men and even the death of the cross. Verse 6, "...who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, who is
the brightness of the Father's glory, God Himself, the express
image of God's being of the triunga, all the fullness of the Godhead
in Him. Same essence, same nature of
the Father and the Spirit, the Son, who thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. What does that mean? What are
you saying, Paul? It means that he didn't seek
to obtain his deity, As the Jews did, by robbery. As Satan did, who said, I will
ascend, I will be as the Most High. He abased himself. He humbled
himself. John 10. Look at John 10.30.
Just hold your finger there in Philippians. John 10.30. He thought it not robbery. He
didn't try. He wasn't trying to steal that
from God. John 10, verse 30 to 33 says,
the Lord says, I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone him. And Jesus answered them, many
good works have I showed you from my Father. For which of
those works do you stone me? The Jews answered, saying, for
a good work. We stone thee not, but for blasphemy,
because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." He didn't have to make himself
God. He is God. He is God. He thought it not
robbery. He wasn't stealing God's honor.
He is God. And the one who is God himself humbled himself and made himself
of no reputation, let that man, the apostle Paul back in Philippians
2, be in you. That's what verse 7 says. Philippians
2, 7. Made himself of no reputation. I looked that word up. where
it says he made himself of no reputation. He emptied himself before men
of his dignity. He emptied himself in their sight. He never ceased being God. But he made himself of no reputation. He emptied himself. before them of who He truly is. And walk before men. That's why
they got so mad at Him. I'm going to pick up a rock. I'm going to knock you. For what? What good work? Not for a good work, but because
you being a man. In their opinion, just a mere
man. I know you. You're Joseph and
Mary's boy. But you being a man, just a man,
he made himself before them, before this world, emptied himself
of dignity. But John said, we beheld His
glory. God's people see Him. They know
who He is. This is the Holy One of Heaven.
This is God. Who do you say I am? You are
the Christ. You are the Son of the living
God. But before men, had no respect for Him. Made Himself of no reputation. Took upon Him the form of a servant
made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as
a man, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. He amazingly, he outwardly stripped
himself of his rightful privilege and dignity and honor and appeared
truly as the Father's servant, never relinquishing his divinity,
God Himself. But his people saw him. And the
Lord said in Matthew 13, verse 16, Blessed are your eyes, for
they see, and your ears, for they hear. You are blessed people.
You know, God's people, they hear of the glory of Almighty
God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we behold Him as the Scripture
sets forth Him to be. God's servant gave Himself, laid
Himself upon the cross, laid down his life, gave his life
as sheep, put himself into the hands, humble. Think of this, humility, humility. God himself took upon himself flesh as an
embryo, just a cell. in the womb of a virgin. In the very woman that He created
and that He sustained by the Word of His power. And that son
that was given, that child that was born was keeping her alive. And He maintained her and everyone
else, everything else, all of it. Here He is, humble Himself. and nine months stayed in the
womb of a virgin. Humble himself. We can't even
comprehend the humility of our Lord. Humble himself. Wherefore, verse 9, God also
hath highly exalted him and given Him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things
in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to
the glory of God the Father, that obedient servant, He who
redeemed His people, the Son of Man, Son of God, who is now
exalted, seated in the heavenlies, seated at the right hand of the
Father. Wherefore, wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always
obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and He who has humbled
himself. He who is deserving of all respect. He who is deserving of worship. He who is deserving of all the
praise. And we who deserve nothing. We who deserve nothing of ourselves. who because of our foolish nature,
that old fallen, depraved nature that wants to be exalted, that
old nature that demands to be exalted, and that blessed new
nature that God has created, imparted, and given to His people,
now that causes the believer to realize I am an object of God's mercy. And I am deserving of nothing.
Lord, forgive me for Christ's sake. Now, with that attitude,
knowing that, work out, strive together. Pray for one another. Pray for those that are hurting.
Hurt with them. Lord, give me a heart to see
my brethren greater than myself. Lord, give me a heart to lift
them up and defend them and pray for them. Lord, and call their
names before your throne, seeking your honor in their good. For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His
good pleasure. Thanks be unto Him. who is worthy. You know, we're a family. We're
a family. We're His body. We're members
one together. God's called you out of darkness,
given you a new heart. You're the body of Christ. He's
the head. We're the body. If He's called
you out of darkness and given you a heart, work out your own
salvation. Striving together. praying together. And if you know Him not, I pray
God have mercy upon you. I pray God be pleased to give
you a new heart, call you unto Himself. I pray that you don't
leave this world without a substitute, without a mediator. May the Lord
bless these words to our heart and to the honor of our blessed
Savior. of the path that you live.