In my presence, but much more in my absence.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
! For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God, without blemish,
in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life,
so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain,
even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith.
I am glad and rejoice with you all.
Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
And that's all flowing together.
They're not disconnected, but tonight we're going to talk about just verses 12 and 13,
because that's kind of a loaded two verses I think we could really benefit from.
So at the beginning of chapter 2, if you remember when Swanson taught a few weeks ago
that Paul is calling the Philippians not to live with selfish ambition or conceit or rivalry
because that's what causes division.
That's what causes people to be torn apart in the church.
But he rather calls them to live in love and be united in humility,
which is the fruit of what God does inside of us as believers.
So he calls them to do that, and that's the beginning of chapter 2.
And so when God saves us, he produces a fervent love for the other believers
as well as like a humility before him as God.
And so we live that way.
It binds us together as his people.
And that's verses 1 through 4.
I kind of talk about that.
But then Paul gives us the supreme example of that in Christ in the following verses,
from verses 5 through 11, how Christ dwelt in eternal glory,
but he left the glories of heaven and came to earth as a man and humbled himself,
took on the creator, took on the created, and he lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father
and eventually completed that obedience by dying at the cross.
And because of such an amazing act of love and sacrifice,
God has rewarded Christ with the name that is above all names,
that every knee should bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord.
So that's what Christ's reward will be.
And so that's where we find ourselves after verses 1 through 11.
But now we get into 12 and 13.
And so following that example of Christ,
the example that Christ has left us to walk in in love and humility,
we are by God's power to strive to live as lights in a dark world.
That's where we're going with this later and live by his strength in us.
So if we look at verse 12, we'll see that he calls him to live in continued obedience.
He says,
Therefore, my beloved, as you always have obeyed,
so now, not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence.
And it's such a great joy for those that you have poured your life into,
those that you have discipled or spent a lot of time with,
younger believers in the faith that you've given your life to,
and you've tried to, as it says in 1 Timothy 2,
to take what you've been entrusted with and to pass that on to other faithful men or women
that will be faithful to teach others also.
It's a picture of, like, discipleship.
And so nothing is more encouraging to someone who is making disciples
than seeing those people that they've poured their lives into continue on
and make disciples on their own and remain steadfast for Christ
and giving their lives away to the lost world
and just giving their lives to the church.
As John wrote in 3 John, you don't have to turn there,
everybody said,
For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth,
as indeed you are walking in truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
And it's this idea that, like, it just brings you great joy to hear
that you don't have to be there to babysit them.
Like, I know guys like that that I spend a lot of time with.
Unless I'm there telling them to do it, they're not going to do it.
And they drive me crazy.
So if you just need to smack in the face,
sometimes I'll quit behaving like kids and be men.
And other guys, you think about them, you look at them,
you think, I just don't have to worry about him.
Man, that's encouraging.
He gets this.
He's doing this.
He's being faithful to pass this on.
And so Paul is experiencing that joy that comes from that.
He's like, you're continuing obedience,
even though I'm not there with you physically.
You're pressing on in these things.
And he doesn't have to worry about the Philippian church.
He's excited to hear about what's going on there.
But then in the end of verse 12,
we start getting into a mystery that exists in the Christian life.
And a mystery that we fully don't know how it works,
but it is there.
And it's the mystery of what the Bible would call sanctification.
The mystery of sanctification.
And if you want to spell that,
S-A-N-C-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.
Sanctification.
Big Bible word.
It's not made up.
It's in the Bible.
But in the study of salvation,
which we call in theology,
soteriology,
the study of salvation,
there's a lot of things that we understand to be completely the work of God alone.
Like salvation is nothing that we achieve.
It's not something that we work with God on.
It's something that God has done completely in us.
Salvation.
And I've talked about these terms in the past,
but I don't say these to sound,
whenever Nathan or Chris or myself,
Wes or Swanson,
whenever we use big words,
it's not to sound smart.
It's so you'll remember it because it's different.
You'll be like,
ah,
that word.
You'll remember a concept that's behind it.
So use these words.
But the truth is that salvation is what we would call monergistic.
M-O-N-E-R-G-I-S-T-I-C.
Monergistic,
meaning that it's the work of God alone.
This was a big debate throughout a lot of church history.
That's where others said that salvation was synergistic.
We get the word synergy from two pieces or more,
working together to accomplish something.
We're not synergistic in how I think about salvation here.
We're completely monergistic.
Salvation is the work of God alone.
Things like justification that you read about,
in Scripture,
which is the instantaneous legal act of God,
where he declares a sinner righteous in his sight
because of the work of Christ
and the righteousness of Christ that has been put on him.
That's all the work of God alone.
Regeneration,
we're born again,
and the Holy Spirit imparts to us new spiritual life.
All the work of God.
We don't agree,
or we don't cooperate with God to be born again.
It's the work of God alone.
And the Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to our lives.
So,
but when we get to sanctification,
it's a little different.
And sanctification,
if you want,
you can go online and find probably four or five different definitions
for what sanctification is.
And they're not all disconnected from each other,
but it's used in a lot of different ways in Scripture.
That's why.
That's why the confusion.
But,
I'll try to give you a definition
that I think is helpful.
It's a progressive,
not instantaneous,
it's a progressive work of God
and man.
So,
it's a synergistic thing.
We work with God
to accomplish this.
The progressive work of God
and man
that makes us
more free
from sin
and more like Christ
in our actual lives,
like right now,
present time.
It's progressive work of God
and man
that makes us
more free from sin
and more like Christ
in our actual lives.
Or,
it's another way,
it's the outworking
of the new life
that is in us
that we've been born again,
we've been regenerated
and sanctification
is the outworking of that
in our actual lives
right now.
And,
it's more of a gradual,
incremental,
spiritual work
that,
of putting the flesh to death
and putting sin to death
in our lives
as we remain here
and putting on
the likeness of Christ
and becoming
who God has actually made us.
And,
so,
we're going to look at
three different things
about sanctification
and they're all right out
of the text tonight.
So,
the first thing,
and they're in the form
of questions,
what is,
first question,
what is the goal
of our sanctification?
And we see that
in verse 12
where it says,
your own salvation.
Okay,
now,
I've hardly,
there's been a lot
of people I know
that have read this
and,
and like,
didn't know how to
interpret that
because they thought
it was saying,
like,
you need to work
to figure out
your salvation,
like,
you need to work
with God
to achieve your salvation.
And,
not really at all
it says,
not even by the
original language,
but just to keep reading
what Paul is saying
around that.
but,
remember that
sanctification itself
is not the goal
of the Christian life.
It's not the,
not the ends.
Our own salvation
is the goal
and the ends
for what we're striving.
So,
though the work
of salvation
is completely God's,
God's alone,
monergistic,
however,
though we have been
fully saved by God
and fully redeemed
by God,
in this life
we never rise
to the totality
of that.
We never fully
get the taste
of fullness
of what is ours
yet in this life
because we still live
in fallen flesh
that's going to die,
like this is going to die.
That's what I see
in my eyes
is not going to
be around forever
and that's the consequences
of sin
in our life.
And,
and even as followers
of Christ,
as you know,
you can still,
you can still experience
like the devastating
effects of sin
in your life.
Pain,
suffering,
fallen to temptation,
that's all things
that we have to deal
with.
So the fullness
of what is ours
in Christ,
what Christ has won
for us,
by his work
is not fully ours
yet.
And there's a lot
of language.
The Bible
says things like
we are saved,
we are being saved,
and we will be saved.
It kind of talks
about it in
three different
tenses.
It'll be a good study
for you to do
sometime.
And so,
God's accomplished
a work
and is being
worked out
in us now
and is going
to be brought
to completion.
And so,
you are in the
process of becoming
what you are.
You're a new
creation,
you're a child
of God.
And so,
when we think
about that,
we are sanctification,
we're becoming
who we are,
we're just kind
of pressing
into the fullness
of who we are
in Christ
in this life.
And so,
when it says
the goal
is our own
salvation,
what I want
you to focus
on,
I guess,
out of that
is that
as children
of God,
it's very,
very easy
to grow weary
in the fight
and want to quit
and just say
this is just
too hard
and I want to quit.
I've been there
all the time.
I'm there
all the time.
And we want
to love Christ
with our heart,
soul,
mind,
and strength,
but we fail
to rise
to the totality
of that.
And it's easy
for us to get
discouraged
and focus
on our problems
and our
shortcomings
and inadequacies
and we constantly
fall into the
same sins,
same temptations
and you just
want to quit.
You're like,
I just can't do this.
I can't reach
what is mine
and you want
to stop.
And so,
this is
calling us
to focus
on what is
ahead of us
which is
our salvation.
It's going
to come
and if we
keep that
in sight,
it'll give us
strength to
keep moving
on.
And while
I was,
I have just
a lot of
hiking analogies,
sorry,
because I'm
not a runner.
I can't
really run
that far.
Most of you
know that
because I'm
a lunger.
And so,
this summer
that I was
climbing,
it was a
mountain in
Northern Ireland
in Donegal
and it was a
pretty tall
mountain.
It was raining,
really,
really misty.
Nothing new
about raining
over there.
And so,
like before
that,
I was just
like so excited,
like jacked up,
like bring
that mountain
on,
you know,
kind of
attitude,
had all the
right gear,
like had
everything ready
to go.
And I was
pretty like
going to
conquer this
mountain kind
of feeling,
you know,
some of you
probably know
what I'm
talking about.
But so,
when I was
climbing up it
though,
like it was
just kicking
my butt.
Like it was
like a lot
of the trail
wasn't really
marked and so
you just kind
of had to
figure it out
and which
means you
would just
go to places
that really
weren't trail
cut at all
and like sink
into mud
and bog
and you
were just,
God,
it was just,
it wore me
out.
And finally,
like we got
a little further
up and,
and the trail
like started
getting,
like you're
like walking
in the mist.
All you could
see was like
maybe five feet
in front of you.
And I knew
that if I went
too far that way,
I would fall
off the mountain.
so it was
getting pretty
treacherous.
and I just
remember asking
my friend
with me,
he was a
pastor that
I know and
really good
friends with
over there
named Ronnie.
He used to
be in the
military and
I asked him,
man,
like are we
there yet?
Like are we,
is this even
close?
And he's like,
oh no,
we're only about
halfway.
And I thought,
oh my gosh,
I'm going to
die.
Like I'm not
going to make
this.
And my heart's
pounding like I'm
just,
you know,
headache and
everything.
And finally,
like the
mess cleared a
little bit and
I could see
the top.
And I thought,
man,
like it's right
there.
And I just
kind of kept
going.
And like seeing
like the end
made me just
want to keep
pressing on.
And I knew
that I was
close to what
was being mine.
And the
Christian life is
like that.
Like we're
told to run
the race with
endurance and
with perseverance
and to keep
before us what's
ours.
Because if you
just focus on
your present
circumstances and
the problems of
the Christian
life,
you just want
to quit.
Like you'll
want to stop.
You have to
keep like your
salvation that
is yours in
Christ.
It says in
Hebrews 10
that Christ has
perfected for
all time those
being sanctified.
Which is like,
what?
It's one of those
verses that is
fully ours.
But we're reaching
out in this life
to become who we
are in Christ.
So the goal of
sanctification is our
salvation.
The second thing,
number two,
okay,
this is that
mystery.
What is our
role in
sanctification?
Yours and
mine,
what is our
role in
sanctification?
And look at
the verse 12,
part of verse 12.
It says,
work out your
own salvation
with fear and
trembling.
In verse 12.
So,
it's not
saying,
what do you
think that
means?
Like,
you can read
that out of
the bat and
think,
wow,
that sounds
like we're
having to
work out
being saved.
I don't
know what
that means.
And it's
not saying,
save yourself,
justify yourself,
adopt yourself,
clean your life
up on your
own,
and hopefully
you'll be
accepted and
be good enough
to be saved
at the very
end.
It's not
kind of what
it's saying
at all.
Not even the
language talks
like that.
But we
all know
that,
as we
said,
salvation is
a work of
God alone.
Paul's taught
in Romans 3,
Romans 4,
Ephesians 2,
the whole book
of Galatians,
that salvation
is completely
by grace.
It's not
something that
we earn.
It's not
something that
we can merit
by being good
or observing
the law.
It's like,
not there.
You can read
the whole New
Testament and
you don't
see that.
And even
the Old
Testament,
they couldn't
keep the law
and so they
were looking
forward to a
Messiah who
would come
and save them
from their sin.
And so what
it is saying
though,
what it is
saying where
it says work
out your
salvation with
fear and
trembling,
it says that
we are to be
active in our
own salvation.
We are to
become what
God has
already made
us.
We're to
press into the
fullness of
what that is.
Greek there
really means
to carry out
or to bring
to completion
something that
has already
started inside
of you.
That's what
it really is
implying.
So,
really,
really cool
thing.
So in
light of that,
God has
started this
work in us.
He saved us.
He's made us a
new creation.
We're adopted
children of God.
We have a new
identity.
In light of
all that,
now it's like
God is saying,
now just live,
press into the
fullness of who
you actually are
in Christ.
Become what
you are.
Get rid of the
old and put on
the new.
This is who you
are.
No longer walk
contrary to
your new
identity in
Christ.
And Martin
Luther said
this.
He said,
this life,
therefore,
is not
righteousness,
but growth
and righteousness,
not health,
but healing,
not being
but becoming,
not rest,
but exercise.
We are not
yet what we
shall be,
but we are
growing towards
it.
The process
is not yet
finished,
but it is
going on.
And this is
not the end,
but the road
is ahead of
us.
All does
not yet
gleam in
glory,
but yet is
being purified.
So it's
this process
of how we're
to work
and toil
and strive
in this
life.
And so
flip over
to
Colossians 3.
I'll show
you a verse
there.
But if you
remember that
man was
originally
created
in the image
of God,
he was to
mirror forward
to reflect
who God
was,
God's holy
character,
God's dominion
and rule
over the
earth.
Man was
to be the
image bearer
of God.
And sin
destroyed that,
we know.
We know that
sin,
after the fall,
after Genesis
3,
is what we
call the
shattered image
of God
because of
sin.
And so
since then,
God has
been in the
process of
reconciling man
to himself.
And Christ
came in one
way that when
we're saved,
we're born
again,
we become a
new creation,
we are
again able
to reflect the
glory of our
creator like we
should.
That's what's
being done,
like that image
is being
restored.
So if you
look at
Colossians 3
verse 8,
just an
example,
he says,
do not
lie to one
another,
seeing that
you have
put off
the old
self with
its practices
and have
put on
the new,
which is
being renewed
in the
knowledge
after the
image of
its creator.
So this
idea that
that's the
image of
putting it
on or
taking it
off and
putting on
clothes is
what that
is saying.
This is
who we
are and
we're being
renewed,
being like
in the
process of
becoming like
we originally
were intended
to be,
image bearers
of God,
like the
perfect image
bearers of
God.
And we all
know that
Christ came
here and
showed us
what a
perfect image
bearing life
looked like.
He showed
us what a
life completely
devoted to
and obedient
to the
Father looked
like.
and so
since he
is that
apex of
what that
is,
that's
what we're
told in
Romans,
we are to
become the
image of
Christ who
is the
image of
God,
to press
into that.
So
we're going to
talk some
more about
our role,
but I'm just
going to keep
moving on.
Where it
says fear and
trembling,
you might be
like,
what's up
with that?
Like,
if God's
our Father
and we're
saved,
like,
why are we
fearing,
why do we
need to be
in fear and
trembling?
And,
do you think
it means
we should be
utterly terrified
and depressed
and unconfident
and jittery
like in the
presence of
God,
like a lot
of people
might think?
No,
but in
Scripture,
it's filled
with like,
this image
of how a
godly person
has a fear
of the Lord.
Like the
Old Testament
says this
kind of stuff
a lot,
like even
in the beginning
of Proverbs
it says,
the fear
of the Lord
is the
beginning
of wisdom,
the fear
of the Lord
is the
beginning
of knowledge.
This is what
it says,
a godly man
fears the
Lord.
And,
so Paul is
simply saying
that we're,
as we continue
to follow Christ
and joyful
obedience,
that we're
working out
our sanctification,
we're to live
like in reverent
humility
towards the
living God.
And,
in sanctification,
like,
it's like having
a healthy fear
of offending
God or hurting
God,
in a righteous
awe and respect
of Him,
we don't just
kind of throw
that part of
God away,
He's God.
Like,
He is our
Father and we
can come to
Him and call
Him Abba,
but He's not
just like another
earthly father,
like He's God
Almighty.
I mean,
read just the
encounters of
Moses on Mount
Sinai with God
or any man
that, like,
encountered God
in the Scripture
and there was
like a sense
of reverence
and awe
and fear
and trembling
and not just,
Jesus is my
homeboy,
like,
let me prop
my feet up
in the presence
of God
and have a
cigar with Him,
like,
not that kind
of image.
and it's a
healthy knowledge
of, like,
knowing that
God is God
and that God
could,
He holds your
very life in
His hands
and it's like
a reverent fear,
like you might
have,
like some of you
might have
for somebody
in your life,
maybe your
father or
something,
that where
you know He
loves you,
you know He
would die for
you,
He provides
for you,
but you know
also He
could put it
on you,
like discipline
you in a
second if He
needed to.
I have that
about my
dad.
So,
turn to
Hebrews 12
real fast,
I'll show you
an example
of this.
Hebrews 12
verse 28
As we
revere God
and look to
Him as God,
it will cultivate
a humility in
us.
And remember
what we've
been reading
in Philippians
about living
in humility
towards one
another.
And how you
do that is
by looking
to God.
Hebrews 12
verse 28
says this,
He's talking
to the
believers and
He says,
Therefore let
us be
grateful for
receiving a
kingdom that
cannot be
shaken.
That's awesome.
And then He
says,
And thus let
us offer to
God acceptable
worship with
reverence and
awe, for our
God is a
consuming fire.
It's that
idea of like,
man, we have
a kingdom with
Him, we belong
to Him, we have
a salvation in
Him, but let
us live in
reverence and
awe of Him.
And why?
Because our
God is a
consuming fire.
This idea that
God is God
and He should
humble us to
be in His
presence.
So a quick
answer.
I want you to
remember that it's
like statement
one, I'm going to
have statement
two in the next
question.
Statement one,
as far as our
role in
sanctification,
salvation, we
are called to
be faithful,
obedient, to
labor, and
toil in the
work of living
godly lives,
like we are.
We're to work,
labor, toil, be
faithful, obedient.
That is our
responsibility, that's
what we're called
to do.
And remember
that, that's
statement one.
Moving into the
next part, question
three.
And hold your
hand in Hebrews,
we're going to
go back there,
but go back to
Philippians.
Question three
is, what is the
Holy Spirit's
role in
sanctification?
What is the
Holy Spirit's
role in
sanctification?
Verse 13,
back in
Philippians,
for it is God
who works in
you, both to
will and to
work for His
good pleasure.
Okay, now,
there you go,
there's the
mystery.
Go out there,
and go for it,
but know what?
It's God at
work in you,
His will, and
to work for His
good pleasure.
And this is the
mystery.
And so, since
God has brought
salvation to us,
He's not now
left us on our
own to work out
the Christian
life.
He's not, He's
not done that.
God has saved
us, and now we're
on our own.
Like, it doesn't
work that way.
Like, I've done
my part by
saving you, and
now you need to
do your part to
straighten yourself
up, get your
life straight.
It's not how it
works.
We have that
idea that, you
know, it's me and
Jesus mentality, and
like, I can, I'm on
my own, and I thank
Him for what He did,
but now I can work
this out on my own.
If you remember in
the book of Galatians,
they did the same
thing.
They began to forget,
like, how they were
saved, which was by the
grace of God and by
God's power.
God's power, and
Paul says to them,
having begun by the
Spirit, or by the
Spirit's power, are you
now being perfected by
your flesh, by working
on your own?
He calls them you
foolish Galatians.
It's like, he's kind
of like, don't forget,
like, God started this
work in you, and he's
continuing it right
now.
And, jump back over to
Hebrews, and go over to
chapter 13, and show
you something else.
He has given us the
Holy Spirit to energize
us to live godly lives,
to give us the strength
we need.
Hebrews 13, verse 20,
it says this,
Now may the God of
peace, who brought
again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, the
great shepherd of the
sheep, by the blood of
the eternal covenant,
all right, now, may
Christ do this.
It says, verse 21,
equip you with every
good that you may do
his will, working in
us that which is
pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ,
to whom glory, belong
glory forever.
Amen.
So, see that?
Like, it's this idea,
like how Christ did
this, and now he's
continuing this work
inside of us, equipping
us with every good work
so we may do his will,
working in us so that
it would be pleasing in
his sight.
It's this idea that God
is now in us, and
working in us.
This is the Holy
Spirit.
So though we're
responsible for being
obedient and being
responsible and stepping
out of the faith, but it's
not by our own strength
that we do, it's God's
strength that's going to
be working in us, and it's
God's grace, God's power,
God's energy that enables
us to live the Christian
life.
And guess what?
It pleases the Father.
And let's jump back to
Philippians again.
The second part of that,
verse 13 in Philippians,
where it says, to work for
his good pleasure.
So, as we live upright lives
and we're obedient and we
follow Christ, it brings joy
and delight to our Father to
see that.
He's not like we have to earn
his salvation or he's going
to love us more or love us
less, depending on how
obedient we are.
It just means that he takes
delight when he sees his
children walking in the
truth, when he sees his
children living as they
ought to live.
I've heard of many stories
of fathers who have delighted
in hearing that the stuff
that they put into their
children at a young age is
now being tested by, you
know, girls and guys
tempting their children to
be sexually active or to
live a certain kind of
lifestyle and they hold
fast to like what they
learned from their parents
and it brings great joy to
their parents and encourage
them to see God's work
inside of them and they're
holding on to what they
were taught and in the midst
of trial and temptation.
And so whenever, I mean,
think about how God spoke
about Christ when Christ was,
he resisted the temptation
in the wilderness.
He pressed on when he was
baptized and then again,
the transfiguration, he
said this same thing.
He said, this is my beloved
son with whom I'm well
pleased.
This idea of how he just
delights in seeing us walk
in the truth.
He doesn't hate us when we
mess up, but it just brings
him joy to see us walking
in the truth.
It's for God's good
pleasure.
And so, so statement two,
I told you statement one,
the last question, number
three.
So where's the Holy Spirit's
role in sanctification?
And here's the answer for
statement two.
As we step out in faith and
obedience, the Holy Spirit
will empower, encourage,
guide, and comfort us to live
godly lives.
All right.
As we step out in faith and
obedience, the Holy Spirit is
faithful to empower, encourage,
guide, and comfort us to live
godly lives.
This is what he does.
He gives us the strength to do
it.
So jumping into some
application of this, that's
the three questions and that's
kind of walking through the
text.
But bringing your group, Tom,
you're going to have a question
about this.
So listen carefully.
There's, I see, at least in my
own life, in the lives of
others, two camps of people
that kind of can be on one
extreme or the other.
And one camp is like the
working camp.
And they believe this idea that
go out there and get busy.
God did all this work for you.
Now you need to go out there and
get really busy for him and you
need to work hard and do all
this stuff.
He's dependent on you.
Come on, go out there and do
something big for God.
It's all up to you, so get it
done.
That kind of attitude is if it
just all was on your shoulders
and like God has an employment
problem and he needs people to
go out there and get busy and
start working.
And you need to realize like no,
like God needs no man.
Even people who are in rare
conditions, I know that something
happened to me.
It wouldn't be the end of the
world.
God will continue the work.
He could raise up ten of me if
he wanted to.
The same thing within global
missions.
Like God could raise up as many
people as he wanted to, but this
idea that God needs us for
something is not appropriate.
God can do as he will.
It says in Acts that God is not
served by human hands as though he
needed anything.
And so he's invited us to be a part
of what he is doing.
And if you live in that camp, you're
usually going to end up just very
whipped, burned out and tired because
you're trying to work in your own
strength all the time and your own
skills and your own talents and you're
just going to burn out.
And you love like the hype about the
Christian life, but you rush out there
and before you know it, you're wiped
out.
And, you know, I've been also hiking
with some people who, who, one guy
used to teach here a little bit.
We'd go out and buy like all the best
gear, all the stuff.
And then he would go out there and he
hated it.
Like he would just like want to quit,
want to turn back.
We're like, no, bro, you got to keep
going.
And he was all excited about it, but
he was just trying to, he didn't really
understand why there was something
behind it that kind of pushed us on.
That was like our love for what we did.
And so the second camp is, is this camp.
Let completely go and let God.
Now I understand there's a measure of
truth to that, but it depends on which
way you're implying that truth.
But let completely go and let God.
And, and it's this idea of like, well,
if it's all God's power inside of us,
is God a sovereign, if God is going to
give us the strength of the Christian
life, he can just, if he wants to get
me off the couch, he can just get me
off the couch.
If I, I'm just going to sit here and
wait for something to happen.
Like, hope he just hits me with a wave
of emotion.
And then all of a sudden I'm going to
get up and do something.
This idea that you're just waiting for
God to ignite something in you.
And he doesn't need me.
So I just sit here until he does.
And he'll just do something really
dramatic and emotional and I'll get
off my butt and be obedient.
That's the other extreme idea, like
the lazy boy of grace kind of idea.
And so let's marry those two
statements together.
The two statements I mentioned
earlier.
So the first statement, we're called to
be faithful and obedient, to labor and
toil and live in godly lives.
And the second statement, as we step
out in faith and obedience, the Holy
Spirit will empower us and give us the
strength and energy and the will, the
desire to live godly lives.
And the mysteries, you'll see these right
beside each other in Scripture.
And we're going to turn to two examples
of that.
first one in Colossians chapter one.
Go to Colossians chapter one.
You need to see like how these are just right
beside each other.
It's not saying one or the other.
It's saying how both of these work
simultaneously together.
Colossians one and go to,
let's see,
verse 11 first.
Colossians one verse 11.
And he says,
May you be strengthened with all power
according to his glorious might for all
endurance and patience and joy, giving
thanks to the Father who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance of the saints
in light.
First part, jump down to verse 27,
same chapter.
To them, God chose to make known how great
among the Gentiles are the riches of the
glory of this mystery, which is Christ in
you the hope of glory.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone
and teaching everyone with all wisdom
so that we present everyone mature in Christ.
That's what I'm talking about.
You know, I get out there and get busy,
get busy teaching, get busy warning,
proclaiming.
We want to make everybody mature.
That's that camp.
And then look at verse 29.
For this I toil.
There you go.
Labor.
Struggling with all his energy
that he powerfully works within me.
There's the other part.
See that?
It's like this idea.
And last example.
This one's a great one.
It's the last place you have to turn.
1 Corinthians 15.
Jump over to that.
1 Corinthians 15, verse 9.
Paul kind of giving a defense of his ministry
to the Corinthian church.
He says in verse 9,
For I am the least of the apostles,
unworthy to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God,
a reference to his old life.
But the grace of God,
excuse me,
by the grace of God,
I am who I am.
And his grace towards me
was not in vain.
Listen to this.
On the contrary,
I worked harder than any of them.
See that?
Got there and worked hard.
I worked really hard.
Paul saying,
Though it was not I,
but the grace of God that is in me.
Whether then it was I or they,
so we preach and so we believe.
So,
I worked hard.
I was out there
pouring my blood, sweat, and tears out for you guys.
But guess what?
It was the power of God.
It was the grace of God working in me
as I did that.
So,
we step out in obedience
and we cling to God.
We beg him
to give us what we need
to live the Christian life.
And that's the mystery
that is there.
We clearly have a part.
We need to be responsible.
God will hold us accountable
for being disobedient.
He's not going to say,
Well,
we can't plead that cause with God.
Like,
You just didn't give me the strength to do it, God.
He's going to say,
You weren't obedient.
You didn't step out in obedience.
And,
we'll be consequences for our actions.
But,
but as we step out,
it's God's work
and He'll get the glory for it.
Hudson Taylor,
missionary to China,
awesome guy,
he wrote,
God's work done in God's way
will never lack God's supplies.
So,
we,
we step out
and we work,
God will provide for us.
God's work done in God's way
will never lack God's supplies.
Hudson Taylor,
St. Augustine,
5th century,
he goes,
this is what he said,
work as if everything depended on you
and pray as if everything depended on God.
And,
he wasn't saying it depends on you,
he's like just saying,
work,
as if it did,
but at the same time,
pray in humble recognition
that you need God's grace.
Augustine said a long time ago,
God,
you know,
command what you will,
command us to do what you will,
but give us the grace to command,
or give us the grace to,
to follow those commands.
And so,
I remember,
back in Philippians,
the first message,
I think,
of this,
this series in Philippians,
Philippians 1.6,
let this encourage you,
that God has promised to finish this work.
He said,
Paul said,
I'm sure this,
he who began the good work in you
will bring it to completion
at the day of Christ Jesus.
That's Philippians 1.6.
He began it,
he will bring it to completion.
He's not going to just stop
and abandon the work
that he started.
He's going to finish it.
And so,
in conclusion,
I have a,
kind of a little brief story here
that I was going to read to you.
There's a,
there's a pastor,
an awesome guy,
Presbyterian dude named Harry Reeder.
Some of you went to New Year's conference last year
at campus outreach.
He spoke there.
He was the older guy that spoke there.
He said,
and really loves the Lord.
And,
he told a story
about relating how
God's power works within us
and that we have,
we are,
um,
his,
and he has something inside of us.
This is something that he wrote.
He said,
when I was 16,
so,
this was like,
good way back
for him.
My father bought me a car
at an auction
for $75.
He said,
it was pink.
A 57 Ford,
which my dad insisted
was coral color,
not pink.
He said,
I couldn't drive a pink car to school.
And then I heard the words
that he always said to me,
um,
that I would one day say
to my future children,
son,
it is,
a poor ride is better
than a proud walk.
And he said,
he said it so convincingly
that I knew
that it probably was from the Bible.
He said,
um,
he said,
then my dad opened the hood
of that car,
that 57 Ford.
And my dad opened the hood
of that car.
And to my surprise,
underneath it was a
390 engine
with two four-barrel
carburetors.
Some of you
don't know
what that is.
And then he said,
um,
the car
had been
a South Carolina
State Interceptor,
a highway patrol car.
Nothing,
nothing had more power
under the hood.
Space
and conviction
prevents me
from detailing
the surprises
that Corvettes
and Roasters
would get
after they looked at
and laughed
at my pink
57 Ford
while I was sitting
by them
at the stoplight.
So in other words,
like he dusted them,
like in races,
they just,
he just like left them
behind in his car.
He says,
it didn't look like much,
but there was power
under the hood.
And
it's this idea
that we feel
inadequate
and broken.
There's not a lot
to us at all.
I mean,
just look at me,
look at yourself.
There's not really
much,
much to us.
Nothing really
to brag about.
Um,
but God has chosen
to put like his power
inside of us
and remember
like there's power
under the hood
in your life.
We can,
there's not a lot
to us,
but because of
what Christ has done
and the work
of the Holy Spirit
in our lives,
we have power
to live the Christian life,
to,
to present to the fullness
of what God
has for us.
He's made us his
and we can press into that
by his grace
and by his power alone.
So,
that's the mystery
of sanctification.
Step out,
be obedient,
be responsible,
um,
work,
labor,
toil,
pour out your blood,
sweat,
and tears
for the cause
of Christ,
but at the same time
look to God
and be like,
I need you
to help me.
I need your grace.
I need your strength.
Um,
I need your power.
I need your energy.
I don't want to do this.
I need your,
to work in me.
I need you to give me
this desire to do this.
And that's how we live.
And that's the,
that's the mystery.
Both are there.
You can't,
you can't get rid
of one or the other.
They're both there
together in Scripture.
And so,
let's,
uh,
let's pray together
and then we'll respond
in just a time of singing
and then we'll break up
into groups.
So,
um,
Alex,
bags,
actually,
you can come up.
Father,
uh,
we give you praise
for just allowing us
to be together tonight
to open your word,
to read about the work
that you started in us,
the work that is going on
and is now,
um,
God is,
your power that is work
within us,
both to will and work
for your good pleasure.
And Lord,
that you promised
to bring that work
to completion.
You would finish
the work you began
in us.
and,
so,
Father,
help us
to understand,
experience,
apply the,
uh,
the mystery
that exists
between us
and your power
that works within us,
Lord,
um,
to step out
in obedience
and to work
and,
um,
to make disciples,
to reach the lost,
to expand the kingdom
both here
and around the world.
God,
and we would look
to you
for every,
every grace,
every strength
that we need
to accomplish that
and,
you would empower
your people
to that end
and help us
to remember
there is,
there's not a lot
to us,
um,
ordinary people,
Lord,
we don't have
anything cool
about us
getting to save us
because we had
something good
to offer you.
Um,
you saved us
out of grace
and because
of that
we have power
in our lives,
the power
under the hood
to live
the Christian life
and,
so Lord,
be glorified
and be honored.
Help us,
Lord.
We love you
in Christ's name.
Amen.