THEREFORE

There’s a phrase in Philippians 2:12 that gets me every time. The verse starts out like this:

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but how much more in my absence,”

Therefore. Let’s stop for a moment. This word “therefore” (hoste in Greek) is really important. In context, Paul uses it to direct us back to the imperative—which is most often a firm command of vital importance. In a sense, Paul is taking a yellow highlighter, underlining, emboldening, and maybe even drawing arrows to connect the previous verses in chapter two to what he writes next in verse 12. And this is where I halt.

“. . . work out your salvation with fear and trembling;”

Work out (I love working out) . . . your salvation (Thank You, Jesus!) . . . with fear and trembling. Stop!

When I think of working out, I automatically think of my physical body. To stay healthy I believe it’s important to exercise. Working out strengthens our muscles, heart, and mind.

I understand there are those who don’t enjoy working out. Exercise takes time, effort (lots of effort) and commitment for it to be beneficial. Putting in time and effort won’t be enjoyable to someone who’s never experienced the benefits of a committed exercise routine.

Then there are people who just don’t have time to go to the gym. Long workdays and family takes priority, while good, healthy habits easily slide into empty intentions. Soon traction is lost and focus grows fuzzy as to what is beneficial to be on our game (i.e.: physically, mentally and emotionally).

Those jeans don’t quite fit as well. Clarity of mind grows dim, and the ugly things we tell ourselves about how lazy, fat, or weak we’ve become is just a few negative results of neglecting our bodies.

Through this example I see great insight into Paul’s intention for believers to “work out your salvation . . . ” He is exhorting us to exercise our salvation, to put it into action. As if to say, “Put lots of your time into knowing what your salvation is about. Oh, and lots of effort. And be committed. Until the end.” Paul is a prime coach.

Just like God formed us in our mother’s womb and gave us earthly bodies to occupy, our bodies require us to participate in its health.

As an adult, it’s my responsibility to feed myself or I starve. It is my obligation to get enough rest or I crash. It is my duty to learn and understand what’s good for my mind and avoid that which is not. And it is my privilege to engage in relationships that build me up, challenge me to grow, and comfort me. With a lack of food, sleep, focus and friendships it’s impossible to thrive. And, if what I habitually take in through my mouth, mind, or heart is unhealthy and damaging, the consequences are a gradual rotting away.

Do you see the connection?

Working out my salvation—though initiated by God through His perfect and sinless Son’s life, death and resurrection—requires my participation. Always.

If I neglect what God requires of me how will I have the confidence to know God’s gift of grace is for me? How will I have courage to stand firm?

Without confidence we are resistant to stand.

The word for "work out" is katergazomai. It comes from the same word used for the phrase “having done” in Ephesians 6:13:

"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and (having done) everything, to stand firm"

I like what the early English minister, Joseph Benson wrote about “having done everything”:

“Having exerted yourselves to the utmost, and used the grace conferred upon (granted to) you, and the means and advantages vouchsafed (permitted) you, according to the will of God, which indeed it will be absolutely necessary for you to do; or having gone through all your conflicts, and accomplished your warfare” (emphasis added).

God’s will is that we exert ourselves in taking hold of His grace and every advantage He’s given us to work out our salvation, and remain fit to stand firm.

As we read God’s Word, the advantages are more than plenty. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. But we must take hold of everything.

How about you? Do you take advantage of all things God has graciously bestowed upon you . . . or just some?

Which one(s) do you typically avoid? How many have you yet to realize?

I know I’ve got a long way to go and I pray with all my heart that today will be the day we commit to exercising our freedom and privilege in Christ more vigorously by learning to apply all He’s granted to us.

We can confidently trust and thank God we aren’t required to do this in our own strength. To be honest, we can’t. But by the power of His Spirit, God is working in us who believe, and giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

May we commit to working out our salvation with profound reverence (that’s fear) and a wakeful conscience (that’s trembling) because the day is coming when every knee will bow at the name of Jesus, and of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11).

And that’s what “therefore” is there for.

“Therefore, my beloved . . . work out your salvation with fear and trembling . . . to fulfill His good purpose.” Phil. 2:12-13

TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM

In the quiet of the morning, I opened my bible and flipped through its thin pages to the book of Philippians—the book of joy. My fingers slowly traced the apostle’s words looking for treasure.

I read over and over again, the first chapter of Paul’s love letter to the church at Philippi, inspired by his affection for God’s people and his enthusiasm to both magnify Jesus Christ and his reason for his imprisonment. They are one in the same. Paul calls himself a bondservant of Jesus, and he certainly is, both literally and spiritually.

His testimony is riveting and it brings to my mind the promise Holy Spirit spoke to my heart a few weeks ago as I began my search for joy—

“Joy is found in a deeper understanding of God. Gain wisdom, know joy.”

Excitement rekindled in my heart as I began to uncover what God had for me in this beloved, though familiar book.

I couldn’t help but stop at verses 9 and 10. I must’ve read it a dozen times.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” Philippians 1:9-10

And there it was. The key to joy—love God.

As believers, we know this is the first and greatest command. And the second is just like it, love others as yourself.

To love God and love others is the high calling of the Christian. Paul makes this very clear as if Jesus Himself is speaking to the church at Philippi.

I can almost hear him saying, “Yes, I know you love God. That’s wonderful. And I know you love each other. Praise God! You even show your love for those far away. You’ve really got it. But, I want you to love more. Excel in agape.”

Love more. More? Now that’s a noble challenge. But what does that look like? And how can I make myself love Him and others more than I already do?

Without the insight from God’s Spirit we can only imagine what love is, what it looks like, and how it ought to feel. To know God and love like Him is absolutely impossible without a renewed mind.

Paul illustrates this very thing in the book of Titus:

“For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (Titus 3:3-6).

Then it all began to make sense. I sat there amazed by this simple, yet powerful insight: to love God and people requires God. And to love God and people more requires more of God.

Oh, how I relish in these deep truths. I think that’s called joy.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Grace. What a beautiful word, full of depth and meaning. There’s something about the way it flows from my heart and bubbles over with sweet joy from my lips. As I read Paul’s letter to the Philippians I have to believe he felt the same way. And just as some parents have chosen to name their newborn baby girls after this lovely expression of gratitude and undeserved favor, I’d have to say the apostle is most well deserving to own it too.

In his salutation to the church at Philippi, Paul greets his readers with the most amazing blessing:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:2).

Notice what’s first—grace. This word in the Greek is “charis”. It signifies favor, gift, benefit, even credit.

Paul knew it was the most important thing needed for the people he loved. Why? Because everything true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy flows from grace.

There have been times in my life where troubling circumstances have provoked fear and anxiety deep within me. Like a noose around my heart, worry threatened my sanity. I know I’m not alone in this. And I am ever grateful Paul was keenly aware of this battle for our minds. Not only was he inspired by the Spirit of Christ, who is all grace, but also by his own personal experience. Paul knew grace. He reveled in the glorious reality of grace more than he retreated into the raw reality of his problems.

On a good day, I’ve done this too. But not all days are good. And if God’s grace is abundant and abounding, what makes some hard days easy to endure and others painfully difficult?

I believe Paul has the answer.

There’s a word in the fourth chapter of Philippians that jumped out at me as I meditated on this most priceless word, “grace”. Its “thanksgiving”.

Paul writes this:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

The word “thanksgiving” in verse 6 is the word “eucharistia”. In the Greek it’s “eucharistos”. It means to actively express grateful language to God, as an act of worship. Eu meaning “good” and the rest being a derivative of the word “charts”, eucharistos simply put: be deliberately grateful for good grace.

Could it be that in those moments when I’ve struggled just to keep my head above the fierce waves of despair, I’ve forgotten to practice eucharistia?

Paul exhorts us to put into practice whatever we’ve learned or received or heard from him. And we must. The peace of God is waiting to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus if we only receive His good grace with great gratitude.