Your Response Matters to God

Phil. 2:12–13

Theme: To become like Christ requires the work of God deep within.

Introduction:

The spiritual life is a journey, and you can always see farther down the road spiritually than you currently are. For that reason, our lives are often haunted by discontentment at best, and deep frustration at worst. In the better moments of our spiritual pilgrimage, we are pleased with the spiritual progress God has granted, enriched by the communion of the Lord and the fellowship of other believers. Yet even in these good moments, we know that there is more—we hunger and thirst for righteousness. We sense the character gulf between us and the Lord Jesus is still sizable. As a result, we Christians are unsettled and drawn inescapably beyond the ground on which we stand, toward chock-full communion with Christ. A number of realizations helps us in our journey; one is the work of God deep within the hearts and minds of His people to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.

Message:

To become like Christ requires the combination of the work of God, the Word of God, prayer, personal commitment, other believers, and time and trials. Yes, the Work of God within is one of seven key ingredients required for us to develop a mature Christian character and know a life marked by victory instead of defeat. If we make these a part of our daily experience and recognize how God uses each of them, then we will indeed grow in the Lord. Today let us focus on the Work of God deep within the believer and a congregation for positive change.

I.    Respond Faithfully to The Work of God Within (Phil. 2:12-13).

Phil 2:12-13,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. 13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

A.   Continue to Walk in Obedience before the Lord and unto the Lord (vs. 12).

                                        1.     Certainly, we should obey God through the influence of spiritual leaders.

i.       Just as the Lord Jesus Christ obeyed the Father and carried out His plan even to death on the cross (v. 8).

ii.     These Philippian Christians needed to obey, to follow Paul’s instruction which was drawn from Christ’s selfless example. (Walvoord, J.)

iii.   Obedience is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority.

iv.   Obedience is more than mere compliance, which is behavior influenced by peers, and from conformity, which is behavior intended to match that of the majority. No, the Lord wants your heart.

                                        2.     Surely, we should continue in obedience when spiritual leaders are not around; Paul understood he could potentially die soon.

i.       Hebrews 13:7, Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. ⁸ Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. ^[1]

ii.     Hebrews 13: 17, Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.^[2]

                                        3.     Consistent obedience to the Lord is a mark of real maturity and worth thriving for; obedience should certainly be towards the Lord’s authority.

                                        4.     Next, our work should be as to Christ. These words show that there should be no real distinction between the secular and the sacred. All that we do should be for Him—with a view to pleasing and honoring Him and to attracting others to Him. The most menial and commonplace tasks in life are ennobled and dignified when they are done for the glory of God. Even washing dishes! That is why some Christian housewives have this motto over their kitchen sink: “Divine service held here three times daily.”^[3]

                                        5.     Ephesians 6:5-8, Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; ⁶ Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; ⁷ With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: ⁸ Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. ^[4]

                                        6.     Colossians 3:22-24, Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: ²³ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.^[5]

B.   Work out your Sanctification with Holy Reverence for God (vs. 12).

                                        1.     God commands us to “work it out!”

i.       “Work out” means to apply salvation, not to earn it.

ii.     A servant’s heart must be developed through devotion, education, and application.

iii.   Developing selfless attitudes and humility in service requires significant spiritual power and commitment from us. 1 Timothy 4:15-16, Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. ¹⁶ Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.^[6]

iv.   “Work out your own salvation” implies taking personal ownership and responsibility to realize godly change by the grace of God. This is not encouraging independence from God, but cooperation and living in concert with him. Note the example of the Apostle Peter in Acts 10.

                                        2.     God did not say “work for your salvation!”

i.       Titus, 3:5, For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. ⁴ But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, ⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; ⁶ Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; ⁷ That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.^[7]

ii.     “Salvation” here in Phil. 2:12, is a general reference to growth in grace or sanctification

iii.   Salvation is not by works for justification or sanctification; it is by grace and through faith motivated by love.

iv.   Salvation means the solution of the problem that was vexing the Philippians, that is, their contentions. They had been plagued with squabbles and strife. The apostle has given them the remedy. Now they are to apply the remedy by having the mind of Christ. Thus, they would work out their own salvation, or the solution of their difficulty. (MacDonald, W.)

                                        3.     Godward respect and reverence are the real sources of obedience and not horror or fright. This is the sense of “fear and trembling.” Beloved, it is an incredible honor for us to experience the direct involvement of Almighty God in our development and maturity.

i.       Have proper respect in response to God’s work and blessings in your experience!

ii.     Hebrews 12:28-29, Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.^[8]

iii.   Isiah 66:1-2, Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: Where is the house that ye build unto me?  And where is the place of my rest? ² For all those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.^[9]

C.   Know that God is at Work in you Creating Godly Desires (vs. 13).

                                        1.     We must “work out” what God is “working in” each of us. Once again we see a marvelous merging of the divine and human activity. In one sense, we are called on to work out our salvation. In another sense, it is only God who can enable us to do it. We must do our part, and God will do His.

                                        2.     God initiates the work deep within our hearts; He is the deeper incentive and motivation to live a Christ-like life.

i.       The desire, motivation and will to do right come from him

ii.     The energy and power to execute is also supplied by the Lord to the obedient saint.

                                        3.     God is at work in us presently “both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” He is creating desires and fueling spiritual ambitions! He gives inner promptings to guide His people into his plans.

                                        4.     Someone has said, “God does the work of God, and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God, and God will not do the work of man.” (M. Anders??)

D.   Fulfill your Responsibility to be Faithful and Please the Lord (vs. 13).

                                        1.     We do God’s will for his “good pleasure” and delight as our first priority

                                        2.     If that is the case, we must be clear about what is the work of God and what is our responsibility. We have a great genius for turning the two around. We prefer to try to do the work of God and neglect the work of man. It doesn’t work.

                                        3.     We must look to God to initiate the work in our hearts, and we must respond with faithful obedience.

E.   Be Sensitive to God’s Guidance, Promptings and the Spirit’s Voice Within.

                                        1.     Ignore the advice of the Devil to rebel or live for self and your own pleasure. Remember how Jesus rebuke Peter for listening to the Devil (Matt. 16:21-28).

                                        2.     Ignore the advice of our godless society telling us to live for our own satisfaction and our own glory or advancement.

                                        3.     Listen to the Spirit who encourages us to follow the selfless, sacrificial, and service model of Jesus Christ to God’s glory (Phil. 2:1-11).

 

Conclusion:

Today we focused on the Work of God deep within the believer and a congregation for positive change. To become like Christ requires the work of God deep within. What is God doing in your heart today? What motives and desires is He installing in your sensibilities? What character qualities is He building in you? How are you responding to Him? Are you obedient? It matters to God how we respond.

The Christian life is one of continual transformation, from the revolutionary change of our conversion to the daily renewal of our hearts and minds as we learn to live like Christ. We live in hopeful expectation of ultimate transformation, as well, when we shall be made perfect.

But until that time, we must live in this imperfect world. Although we can look forward to our future perfection, it can be discouraging to have to deal with the flaws within us and others. Just keep responding obediently to the work of God deep within. 

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^[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Heb 13:6–8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Heb 13:17). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1950). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Eph 6:5–8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Col 3:22–24). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[6] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ti 4:15–16). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[7] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Tt 3:3–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[8] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Heb 12:28–29). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[9] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Is 66). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Value of Bible Study

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:17, 18).

Ever wondered why we should read and study the Bible? Have you adopted the myth that closeness to God and Biblical depth are mutually exclusive? Do we unintentionally (subconsciously) believe that God places a premium on spiritual ignorance? Think about this carefully before answering. You see, all of these questions draw serious attention to the great importance of knowing God and His Word. The value of God’s Word to the entire Christian experience can never be overstated or stressed too much. In an age in which more people are rejecting the Bible, let every Believer embrace it with greater passion to know God intimately and deeply.  I firmly believe the Lord Jesus Christ would be pleased with that.

A Noteworthy Observation

It was Robertson McQuilkin who said, “God desires the response of faith and obedience to both the direct teachings and the principles of Scripture.” I was reminded of this crucial function of the Word of God while reading and studying Dr. McQuilkin’s book, Understanding and Applying the Bible as part of an undergrad Bible class several years ago. Yes, God calls His people to certain responses, values, beliefs, and practices through His Word. Ultimately, we are invited to Him for worship, fellowship, submission, and service through His love letter—The Scriptures. For me McQuilkin's statement reinforced something God had taught me years before. Primarily, that there is tremendous value in Bible study and every Christian should develop strong Bible exploration skills. 

Good Bible study habits and methods are crucial to viable Christian development, growth, and service to our Lord Jesus. While it is true anyone can pick up a Bible, share a truth, explain its application to modern life, and urge others to adhere to it, not anyone can do this regularly with accuracy or effectiveness. Sharing biblical truth with others is our Christian responsibility (Matt. 28:18-20) and a God-given privilege, but we should cherish a palpable measure of competence as we do so (2 Tim. 2:15). Certainly, we all make mistakes when handling Scripture, and we all will again, but still we must strive to represent our Lord well. A desirable aim is to express His Word as accurately and lovingly as we can to benefit the listeners on any given occasion (Eph. 4:11-16). As with any worthwhile skill, Bible study strategies must be learned, cultivated, and explored with diligence. In fact my own story regarding studying and sharing the Bible was fraught with many failures. God, in His infinite grace, eventually developed in me the necessary skills enabling me to research, study, and share His Word with a greater measure of accuracy. He desires to do the same for every Believer without a single exception. My own journey is a testimony to this reality.

Personal Testimony

As a new Christian, I recall a cavernous hunger for the grand teachings of the Bible. Being fascinated with biblical messages and thrilled with certain topics, I dreamed of handling Scripture competently also. However, desiring to study Scripture and possessing the ability to do so effectively, are as different as our solar system from a model of it. I was 23 years of age, four years into an Air Force career, and stationed at Plattsburgh, AFB, NY. It was there the Lord Jesus rescued me from my sin and unto Himself. God had saved and forgiven me of a life of sin, and now it was time to grow in this new relationship He had brought me into. Though I had read portions of the Bible for many years as a young person, I still did not possess any significant Bible study skills. I was starving for biblical insight and roundly inept at feeding my famishing soul.

Another distinct memory of my first Christian year was a bona fide passion to communicate the Word to both Christians and non-Christians. However, I was plagued with a few crippling problems. The most obstructive dilemma was my grossly inadequate biblical and theological understanding. For instance, I could tell someone they needed to be saved, but I could not show them adequately from the Bible. So, I witnessed to others from gospel tracks. Additionally, I knew that foul language was wrong, but I was unable to identify even one verse to support my opinion. It did not take long for me to figure out that my mere assertions do not make my statements true. Convinced that church attendance, prayer, and Bible reading were important, I commended them hardily to others; yet, I had little or no clue where God or the Bible required this. I even declared arrogantly, that "I believe the entire Bible from cover to cover!" The problem was I had only read about three-quarters of it at the time! In addition, I misquoted verses, misstated the Lord’s expectations, endorsed tradition over truth, disagreed with more mature Christians, misapplied Scripture repeatedly, and scandalously confused the topic of service with salvation. Frankly speaking, I even taught things that not even God knew. I even thought it was possible to be unsaved again. If you had known me, you would have described me as the poster child for ‘zeal without knowledge.’ God in His grace has forgiven me for these awful blunders; I had good intentions, but was severely wrong in many instances.

As previously mentioned, I was ill equipped in Scripture study methods. Thus, I had next to zero ability to acquire the knowledge I desperately needed for life and service. My study approach was entirely without rhyme or reason and generously peppered with unfounded theological biases. As a study method, I ransacked my Bible to justify my misguided ‘insights’ and ‘conclusions.’ Like a hunting dog with no sense of smell, I was ever searching for that illusive ‘proof text’ while ignoring the biblical context. Needless to say I made more than a few embarrassing mistakes along the way. Yes, I experienced some agonizing frustrations in my pathetic attempts to ‘serve the Lord’ and be a ‘blessing’ to others. However, through the gracious leadership of our patient Lord, personal growth became my first priority. That decision also directly impacted my ability to minister far more effectively to others in a manner pleasing to the Lord.

God's Providential Guidance

Nevertheless, there was one thing I did right in those early years. Realizing my severe ineptitude, I purchased a King James Study Bible to assist my personal growth endeavors. This proved to be a truly helpful move. The introductory book summaries, responsible Bible insights, outlines, and notes helped me to develop a fundamental doctrinal orientation. Praise the Lord, the Bible was making more sense to me! Not only did I read the Scriptures and the study notes, but I began following some of its guidelines regarding Bible study strategies. You see, that study Bible provided several different ways to explore the Scriptures in its introduction section. Taking these useful instructions seriously, I began using some of those study methods with notable benefit.

God in His infinite grace also prompted me to develop a simple worksheet to record what I was learning. By this strategy, I could preserve the insights He was teaching me and revisit them as I needed them or to share them with others. This proved to be especially supportive of my goal of growth in grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18). These early and humble worksheets spurred me to think far more concretely about Scripture and its place in my own experience. Though my path to using sound Bible study methods was filled with blunders, my ever wise Lord Jesus gradually achieved His purpose in me.

Now there were three major positive developments that came out of those early struggles. The first was my experience of some modest spiritual formation as I applied myself to these study techniques. Secondly, a more effective ministry to believers and non-believers eventually emerged as I used what God was teaching me. People were actually coming to Christ as Savior! Younger believers were receiving some of the basic spiritual guidance they needed. Through my conversations, God was actually ministering to others through what He had taught me. I was delighted beyond my ability to express!

The third advancement was significant improvements of Bible study tools for my personal use. Because I had profoundly profited from these methods, I developed different study worksheets to target other areas in the Christian sphere. Some of these focused on acquiring biblical knowledge, while others zeroed in on application and sanctification. I even designed one for identifying Bible principles and applying them to my professional life. Borrowing ideas and concepts from many different sources, I constructed a number of tailor-made study tools for personal use. After refining these tools, I could confidently introduce them to others as Bible study training aids. In fact, this post is an additional expression of my desire to serve others through personal Bible study training.

Inductive Bible Study

Typical of Inductive Bible Study, my plan enables me to observe, interpret, and apply the Scriptures to daily life. As we interact directly with the Word of God, we are afforded additional opportunities to permit the Holy Spirit to teach us His Word. While this plan can be somewhat demanding, I believe it is equally rewarding to those who are serious about knowing God and making Him known to others. God desires for each of us to know Him through the revelation of the Scriptures; historically my plan has served as a catalyst in this regard. The intent is to grow in Christ as we use inductive study strategies, and certainly God will use us to influence many lives for Christ.

Finally, there are several fundamental guidelines that should influence and help us personally discover God’s eternal truth. My goal is to not only encourage you to study God’s Word habitually, but to also adopt Bible study helps and tools  that expedite Christlike formation and transformed living through Bible study. These guidelines for selecting a study strategy are:

1. The motivations for personal Bible study are obedience to God’s commands, spiritual strength for personal transformation, and preparation for Christian service (2 Tim. 2:15; Jn. 5:39; 1 Jn. 2:14). The goal is not to merely become smarter, to argue with others, to become a ‘know it all,’ or to become a prideful Pharisee.

2. The Inductive Bible Study Method uses the Word of God (Old and New Testaments) as the primary source of insight about God and Christian living (Jn. 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10, 13). Choose a study plan that concentrates attention on the Bible and makes proper use of observation, interpretation, and application techniques. Avoid, so called study methods that rely more on modern experiences, contemporary testimonies, and the ‘talking points’ from fringe movements. These tend to ignore major portions and teachings of the Bible while opting for trendy ideas and popular philosophies (Col. 2:4-12).

3. The study plan you choose should enable you to annotate your observations, interpretations, applications, and translate the message of the text into obedient living (Acts 8:26-39; Neh. 8:1-12; 1 Tim. 4:16). This is necessary to aid the adoption, application, and appropriation of Scripture truth.  A simple notebook will suffice; a Bible study worksheet is even better. The point here is to be sure to write it down. Capture on paper or in a computer document what God is saying to your heart from the Word. This is extremely important and must not be divorced from the Bible study exercise.

4. The obligation of personal growth recognizes that Bible study is not an intellectual or academic exercise, but part of a life-changing process. Once we know what the passage says and mean, we are responsible to live it (2 Pet. 3:18; James 1:22). God calls us to obedience and responsiveness to His Voice. The Gospel is to be preached, precious souls are to be won to Christ, Christians are to be feed with the Word, and ministry is to be executed to meet the existing needs.

Beloved, this is important because good study methods must be translated into obedience to Christ. Observation, interpretation, and application are the three vital facets of inductive Bible study. Choose a plan that provides a means of documenting, annotating, and capturing the valuable biblical information discovered as you explore the rich veins of the Word. Such a plan will enable us to effectively use Bible study as a catalyst for life transformation—genuine Christian formation and experience. 

A Process of Transformation

Yes, Bible study is far more than a scholastic work out for our brains! Possessing insight deeply rooted in eternal Truth is a wonderful achievement, but it is not the target at which we as disciples are to take aim. In fact the danger of more knowledge is more arrogance and impatience with those who are not as astute (1 Cor. 8:1)! No, the Word of God can save, sanctify, satisfy, strengthen, sturdy, stabilize, and stir us repeatedly in a continuing process of transformation. Since it is a supernatural Book, we require supernatural assistance from its Author, the Spirit of Truth, to help us grasp its message 1 Cor. 2). Since it is written in human language, ordinary reading and study skills can also be applied as we study it. According to Paul, the Scriptures were given to transform our lives and fit us for service to Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Beloved, this is the value of Bible study!  

Paul, the apostle, said, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17, 18).Yes, the Scriptures stimulate and advance a life changing process that results in greater Christ-likeness (2 Cor. 3:17-18). We must depend on the Spirit of Christ to exercise ourselves in the truths we have learned (Rom. 12:1-2). The wonderful result is a life enriched and changed for the glory of God and the service of our fellow man.

Books you may find helpful if you want to make the commitment to study the Bible regularly on your own are listed below in general order of difficulty, and they represent several strategies. Your best choice would be to look at all of them in a Christian bookstore and try to get a feel for one of them before you try it.

•           How to Study the Bible for Yourself, revised edition, Tim LaHaye

•           Bible Explorer’s Guide, John Phillips

•           Living by the Book, Howard Hendricks

•           How to Study Your Bible, Kay Arthur

•           Understanding and Applying the Bible, Robertson McQuilkin