Paul tells his readers how to live in wicked world. He calls the state of the world in his time "a warped and crooked generation". The same thing was said way back in Deuteronomy 32:5. The same can be said of our world today, as reading only a few headlines of the news just reminded me. There has been a warped and crooked generation in every era, and we who are God's people need to know how to conduct ourselves while we are on the earth. There is a difference between what is called "the world" and God's people. Christ said of those who belong to God, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." (John 17:16) As Paul will later say in Philippians 3:20, our citizenship is of heaven, and we are strangers and foreigners here. We need to know how to live in this foreign fallen land, and the Bible is our instruction book for godly living in a world gone mad.
"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 in order to fulfill His good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13) Paul concluded yesterday's passage by telling us to have the same obedient and humble spirit as Christ. He's now commending the Philippians believers for their obedience. They haven't only been obedient when Paul was with them, but they've continued to be faithful in obeying the Lord in his absence. They haven't slacked off in any way but instead have become more and more obedient.
Paul is not saying anyone is saved by works. All his writings clearly show us that he doesn't hold that doctrine. He's saying, "Allow your salvation to bear fruit, to be evident in everything you do and in everything you say. Allow God to have His way with your life. You aren't saved only to escape hell; you are saved to live an abundant life. Your salvation doesn't benefit only yourself, but it's meant to also benefit those around you and lead them to Christ."
Because we are not of the world, we must not look or behave like the world. If we cannot be distinguished from unbelievers, our testimony will have no effect on anyone. "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation'. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life." (Philippians 2:14-16a) The word that has been translated in the NIV as "grumbling" is the Greek "goggusmos", which means a discontented or threatening whispered murmuring. This is the same type of murmuring for which God found fault in Israel when they were in the wilderness. They murmured against Moses and, because Moses was the mediator between them and God, it was actually God they were really murmuring against. Paul is saying, "Don't have a rebellious attitude. Be obedient to the Lord and don't take vengeance for yourselves. Don't threaten under your breath that you're going to pay anyone back or that you're not going to do as you're told by those in authority. If you have the attitude that you don't have to obey the laws of the land---assuming, of course, that they don't contradict God's laws---you won't be successful in maintaining an obedient attitude toward anyone, including God."
Paul uses the Greek word "dialogismos" for the word that has been translated into English as "arguing". It doesn't mean a respectful and cool-headed discussion or debate, as we would think of a "dialog" as being, but it means to "dispute, question, disagree, or doubt". Paul will refer to this type of arguing in two other letters, "Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless," (Titus 3:9), and, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:23-26) Are we going to lead anyone to Christ by losing our temper and yelling at them when they try to argue against the word of God? Are we going to convince them Christ loves them if they don't feel like we love them? If we sound just like the world and behave just like the world, why would anyone believe there is transforming power in Christ?
Because he has been a father to them in the faith, Paul wants the Philippians to behave in a way that makes him proud. "And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain." (Philippians 2:16b) On the day when they stand before Christ, Paul wants to hear Him say to the Philippians, "Well done, good and faithful servants!" On that day Paul wants to be able to smile from ear to ear knowing that the hard work he did in Philippi accomplished something of eternal significance. Their success is his success.
To bring it down to a personal level, how will we feel if someday in the presence of Christ we are presented with someone (or hopefully several people) who are entering heaven because we witnessed to them about the Lord? Imagine if the Lord says to us, "This one has eternal life in Me because of the testimony of your life." Won't we be overwhelmed with joy? Imagine the Lord says, "You helped your family and friends live godly lives. You encouraged them when they felt like giving up. You helped them to remain faithful and obedient to me." Won't we smile from ear to ear? The spiritual success of those we help is our success too. It's the only kind of success that really matters.
Paul isn't complaining about the hard work he's doing to bring others to Christ and to help believers live godly lives. "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me." (Philippians 2:17-18) A drink offering would be poured out to accompany another offering. Paul's service to the church is like a drink offering which will accompany the sacrifice of his life. He may not yet know that he will give his life for the gospel, but he is already giving all his time and energy to the gospel, and in that sense he is already giving his life. He lost his old life with all its wealth and status in order to become an apostle of the Lord. For the sake of the gospel he has been insulted and opposed, whipped, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and pelted with stones. He has gone hungry and thirsty. He has labored on little sleep and has endured cold nights without enough covers and garments to stay warm. So in essence he has already sacrificed his life, for he has given up his own ambitions for himself and has often gone without basic comforts while he ministers to the church.
He says, "I'm glad to give of myself. Don't feel sorry for me. I rejoice in your success. Your success is my success, so instead of feeling bad for me, rejoice with me!" This is the same attitude the Lord Jesus had when giving Himself for us. Paul will say in his letter to the Hebrews that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy it would bring Him by granting us salvation through His sacrifice. (Hebrews 12:2) The prophet Isaiah foresaw the crucifixion and said that after Christ had offered Himself as a sacrifice He would "see the light of life and be satisfied" because pouring out His life unto death would justify many. (Isaiah 53:10-12) Paul won't be the only one smiling from ear to ear when those he labored for enter into the joys of heaven. He won't be the only one who feels that their success is his success. Christ Himself is overjoyed when each one who has been redeemed by His blood enters heaven to be with Him forever. He, like Paul, did not run or labor in vain. The work of Christ was a success, and it will keep on being a success, and we are to do our part in adding to His success by living in such a way in this world that we lead others out of darkness into light.
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