A SPIRITUAL WORK OUT /

 CARRYING A BALANCED LOAD

SCRIPTURE: PHILIPPIANS 2:1-15

             If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Phil 2:12 NIV)  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

            WORKOUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

  WHAT IS IT THAT GOD WANTS TO TELL HIS CHURCH TODAY? WHAT IS IT THAT GOD WANTS TO TELL THE WORLD TODAY? WHAT IS IT THAT GOD WANTS TO TELL YOU TODAY? THE WORD OF GOD IS LIKE A TWO EDGED SWORD IT IS ABLE TO TOUCH YOU RIGHT IN THE AREA OF YOUR LIFE THAT YOU NEED A TOUCH AND TOUCH THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU IN A TOTAL DIFFERENT WAY TOUCHING THEIR NEED.

THE MAIN VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT TODAY TELLS US TO WORK OUT OUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING.

WORK OUT = KATERGAZOMAI / AS FOUND IN EPH. 6: 13 (Eph 6:13 NIV)  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT OUR DAILY WALK. OUR DAILY BATTLES. AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT EVERY DAY IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE. TRANSLATING THIS WORD AS WORK OUT IS APPROPRIATE HERE ESPECIALLY IF ANY OF US HAVE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM. IN ORDER FOR US TO GROW OR EVEN MAINTAIN OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH WE HAVE TO WORK OUT. MOST TRAINERS CALL FOR A DAILY WORK OUT.

IT IS NOT SAYING THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH OUR OWN SALVATION. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT ALL OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS WHEN COMPARED TO THE GLORY OF GOD. WE CAN NOT COME CLOSE.

WHAT ABOUT THIS FEAR AND TREMBLING? IS THIS WHERE WE START PREACHING THE FIRE AND BRIMSTONE. MAYBE SO. OR IS HE REMINDING US HOW EASY IT IS TO SLIP BACK INTO SIN. GOD CAN DELIVER YOU OUT OF ANY SITUATION THAT YOU HAVE FALLEN INTO BUT YOU NEED TO WALK DAILY IN THE LIGHT OF HIS LOVE AND “KATERGAZOMAI” TO STAY OUT OF THAT PIT.

NOW IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW ANY BETTER YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE WRITER OF THIS LETTER WAS PURPOSELY TRYING TO CONFUSE US WITH THIS NEXT VERSE. FIRST HE TELLS US TO WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION THEN HE TELLS US THAT IT IS GOD THAT WORKS WITHIN US. WELL MAKE UP MY MIND DO I HAVE TO WORK THIS THING OUT OR IS GOD GOING TO? NOT WITHSTANDING THAT THE WORD “WORK” IS A TOTAL DIFFERENT GREEK WORD I THINK WE CAN GAIN SOME RELEVANT TRUTH BY LOOKING AT THESE TWO VERSES.

IF I DON’T GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN USE IN YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE THEN I HAVE NOT DONE MY JOB. THE BIBLE IS OUR DAILY INSTRUCTION MANUAL TO LIFE. TOO OFTEN WE DON’T READ THE INSTRUCTION AND TRY TO GET BY BY JUST LOOKING AT THE PICTURES THINKING WE CAN DO THIS THING. AT OTHER TIMES WE CAN READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BUT NOT USE THEM AND STILL WONDER WHY OUR LIVES LIKE THE CHILD’S TOY AT CHRISTMAS WHICH SAID” SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED” DOESN’T QUITE SEEM TO BE GOING TOGETHER THE WAY IT SHOULD. ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WITH OUR FINANCES. WE WONDER WHY WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH OUR FINANCES AND WE KNOW THAT GOD TELLS US THAT HE WILL BLESS US IF WE PAY OUR TITHES. YES WE KNOW ITS TRUE. WE’VE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BUT IF WE DON’T FOLLOW THEM WE END UP WITHOUT THE BLESSING.

LETS TIE THESE TWO VERSES TOGETHER AND TRY TO APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES TODAY. FIRST OF ALL REMEMBERING THAT WHEN THEY WERE WRITTEN THEY WERE NOT SEPARATED BY NUMBERED VERSES AND SECONDLY THEY WERE WRITTEN IN GREEK USING TOTALLY DIFFERENT WORDS FOR THE WORD TRANSLATED AS WORK.

THE NEW LIVING TRANSLATION PUTS IT THIS WAY:

“BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL TO PUT INTO ACTION GOD’S SAVING WORK IN YOUR LIVES, OBEYING GOD WITH DEEP REVERENCE AND FEAR. FOR GOD IS WORKING IN YOU, GIVING YOU THE DESIRE TO OBEY HIM AND THE POWER TO DO WHAT PLEASES HIM.”

GOD HAS AN ABUNDANT LIFE WAITING FOR YOU. AND IT IS FREE. GOD CAN FREE YOU FROM ANY BONDAGE THAT HAS OVERTAKEN YOU HE HAS COME TO SET THE CAPTIVE FREE. I AM A LIVING TESTIMONY OF HIS SAVING GRACE. BUT IF IT IS FREE THAN WHAT IS ALL THIS TALK ABOUT WORK, WORKING AND WORKOUTS. TURN TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AND WE WILL TIE ALL OF THIS TOGETHER AND CLOSE.

(JOHN 6:27- 29) “THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YE BELIEVE ON HIM WHOM HE HATH SENT.”

IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS IT IS ALL ABOUT BELIEVING IN HIM. DO YOU BELIEVE HE IS ABLE TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR SINS? DO YOU BELIEVE HE IS ABLE TO HEAL YOUR DISEASE? DO YOU BELIEVE HE IS ABLE TO DELIVER YOU FROM THE BONDAGE OF ADDICTION? DO YOU BELIEVE HE IS ABLE TO PROVIDE YOUR EVERY NEED? THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD THAT YOU BELIEVE ON, TRUST IN, SURRENDER TO, JESUS. EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS THAT JESUS IS EXCEEDINGLY ABLE TO DO FAR ABOVE ALL YOU CAN SAY OR THINK. TRUST HIM TODAY.