Working It Out Together

April 11, 2024 at 3:57 pm | Posted in Philippians | Leave a comment
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Previously we looked at the Kenosis in the Christ-hymn which is inserted during the discussion about togetherness in the Gospel and in Christian ministry. This togetherness can be hindered by selfishness and pride. The antidote for selfishness and pride is humility.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:3-5

This was the lead-in to talking about Jesus’s Kenosis, so the purpose of inserting it there was to show Jesus as the ultimate example of humility and the God-given exaltation and glorification which follows true humility.

But this leaves us with a problem. The Apostle says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” That sounds like a great plan – UNTIL we actually try to put it into practice. Who can really think like Jesus, much less act Jesus? Well, in the very next verse, we see that it is going to take serious work:

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.

Philippians 2:12

What does it mean to work out our own salvation? Let’s start by stating what it CAN NOT mean:

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:5

If there is one thing we know from Pauline theology – and, more to the point, from Christian, Biblical salvation doctrine – it’s that we can not save ourselves by our works. Therefore, Philippians 2:12 must be talking about some other type of works: non-meritorious works, works that are coming FROM something that is already there, not works that are earning something or creating something that comes from within the worker. This means that, although the idea of works being commanded in connection with the word “salvation” in the same verse sort of jumps off the page, and may seem like a head-scratcher at first glance, it is not really that uncommon for the ideas to be related in the way that they are here.

Compare:

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

This is very clear, and sounds and seems right, once we have grasped the concept of salvation by grace through faith, but, almost as if responding the objection that a gracious, faith-based salvation means that “it doesn’t matter” what we actually do, the very next verse tells us where “works” do fit in:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Now we can see that the “good works” are in a separate category. We are not saved BY good works, but we are saved unto good works, and in most cases it’s easy to differentiate between salvation/regeneration/justification and another doctrine called “sanctification.”

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.

Philippians 2:12 (emphasis added)

Obedience sounds like sanctification language, but let’s acknowledge that it does say “salvation,” not “sanctification…” and THEN let’s acknowledge that sanctification has two facets two it: Positional sanctification and practical or progressive sanctification. Positional sanctification happens instantaneously at the moment of justification and new birth. In that instant a new Christian is “set apart” – his classification as a “saint” is a fait accompli. He now belongs to God as a child and a servant, with a calling and a classification. And the “He” Who began this work of salvation is the One Who will complete it through sanctification:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 1:6

The positional sanctification will result in the PERFORMANCE of practical sanctification, and this is what we might consider a part of the “big picture” of salvation. Although true Christians “have been” saved, we are still “being saved” in the sense that God is still making us into something we were not before. When we trust Christ unto salvation we are instantly saved from the penalty of sin, but we are beginning the process of being progressively saved from the power of sin, and this means work for us – not meritorious work (working for) but motivational work (working out).

Think of it the way we think of math problems. 6246 ÷ 347 = 18. This is a math problem I “worked out.” Did my calculations make it true? Did they make it happen? No, they demonstrated what was already a reality. But does this mean that I played no part in it? No, I needed to think, and scratch and scribble, and use an eraser and start over. This was part of the solution to the math equation for me personally, and hopefully I made progress in getting better at division, but the ultimate reality behind the numbers is something that came from somewhere else – some greater power. Which is why Paul could barely get out the idea of working out our salvation before he hastened to add:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:13

Our “workout” is empowered by God’s work, so that even if we classify sanctification (and our cooperative effort) as part of salvation, God still receives the glory for all of it.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

The Undisputed Champion

March 18, 2024 at 12:59 pm | Posted in Philippians | 1 Comment
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There is a poetic shift in perspective or a poignant contrast after Philippians 2:8 which segues from the the ideas of condescension and kenosis to exaltation and glory.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Philippians 2:9

The “wherefore” and the initiative of God in doing this – in exalting the Son and in giving Him this uniquely honorable name – lets us see this as partly a “reward” to Jesus for His obedience and self-humbling – for His kenotic life and His sacrificial death. And we can’t deny the reality of that, but we also can’t tip over into a purely ethical application, or else we will see our own glorification by God as a reward for our obedience and see our salvation as something earned rather than freely given.

There is some debate about whether this “name” given to the Son by the Father is “Jesus” or “Kyrios/Lord,” but it seems to me that the very next verse answers that question clearly while also reminding us that Jesus (“Savior”) is a name which was also His by right, and that we are “saved” by Him rather than contributing to our own glorification.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Philippians 2:10

This bowing is in some sense figurative, if we think of angels and demons as purely spiritual creatures without real, physical, material, anatomical knees, but I would not discount the likelihood that anyone with any kind of a knee will indeed be on them! An abjectly submissive kneeling may not sound, at first blush, all that joyful, but to those of us who rejoice in the togetherness of the Gospel this will be a very willing and joyful kneeling – a kneeling in awe AND love, a kneeling in submission AND joy.

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:11

This confession will be made by those who love to make it, but it will also be made by those who hate it, and it will not be like the false confession of the victim of a playground bully who, arm twisted painfully behind his back, is compelled to say “uncle” despite his utter lack of actual “nephewdom.” No, this will be a true confession, and its veracity will be fully known even by those who will not want to say it. Jesus will truly be recognized as the “undisputed” champion of the world – and of Heaven and hell and all of existence.

The Kenosis

February 12, 2024 at 2:51 pm | Posted in Philippians | 3 Comments
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The doctrine of the Kenosis is a subcategory of the doctrine of the Condescension, which is itself a subcategory of the doctrine of the Incarnation.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:5

The mind which was in Christ Jesus is a mind which esteems others and looks on the things of others with a view to their ultimate good. It is important to understand that the hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 is not only a doxology, but a didactic hymn, and it is didactic in two ways: It is ethical and it is Christological. It teaches key things about the person and work of Christ, but it also teaches us to imitate Him to the extent that we can. We can not die for the sins of others, and and we can not veil our deity (because we have none), but we can humble ourselves and obey to a sacrificial degree.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Philippians 2:6

“Form” here does not mean an outward husk, but it means that Jesus had the same essence as God the Father. For Him to grab onto the full expression of this essence would not have been robbery. It would not have been taking something which did not belong to Him. He would have been within His “rights” to express the full spectrum of His Deity.

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Philippians 2:7

This idea of making Himself of no reputation is from the Greek word kenoo, which has the sense of “emptying out.” This is why the hymn is often referred to as the Kenosis, and why that is the name of the doctrine which has to do with Christ veiling, not setting aside, His Deity. In other words, He didn’t fully assert or take advantage of His own Deity. He didn’t boast about it or show it off. Kenoo is typically used in the context of bragging or boasting or showing off for selfish reasons: self-glorying. It is a little difficult to translate because if we merely say that He emptied Himself we will get the false idea that He emptied Himself of His Deity, which is impossible. In the truest analysis, He didn’t empty Himself OF anything. What He did was “empty Himself” by taking TO Himself humanity: the form of a servant.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:8

This idea of “fashion” as a man is a poetic juxtaposition of the “form” of God. Jesus didn’t just take on the appearance of a man. He actually became a man (while remaining God). He took humanity unto Himself, and lived His life like a man. He was not merely “God disguised as a man.” Ultimately, He stooped so far down, and condescended so low, and emptied Himself of even His human life on the Cross. He was obedient all the way to death (the only way God COULD die was as a man), and not only death, but the most ignominious death of all: Crucifixion. The shame of the Crucifixion was the chief stumbling block to the acceptance of Christianity in the First Century. Even if people were willing to entertain the idea that God “could” somehow become man, for Him to be stripped naked in front of the world, spat upon, mocked,  ridiculed, tortured, beaten, belittled, hung up like a God-forsaken spectacle by His most cruel enemies was unthinkable!

And it truly is astounding. Yet, because He did it, and did it willingly and lovingly and humbly:

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

The Enemies of Togetherness

January 8, 2024 at 1:08 pm | Posted in Philippians | 2 Comments
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The number one enemy of unity – togetherness in spirit and in deed – and of having joy in that togetherness – is selfishness: love of self (which is not really the Christian, Biblical type of love). So in order to have the same love, to be in one accord, and to have the same mind, here is the number one thing that we must overcome: 

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Philippians 2:3

Strife is fighting among ourselves: contention. It is sinful competition rather than cooperation. Vainglory is being proud of something about which we have no basis for being proud. Often we are proud of something we have truly accomplished. We might have some basis for being pleased with ourselves when we work hard or figure out a problem or don’t give up. For example, we might maintain our diet or exercise every day, or we might get a promotion or a raise because we’ve been good workers, or we might help somebody even when it costs us. The danger in this type of pride is that we don’t give glory to God Who really deserves to be praised whenever we benefit in some way. However, there is a whole other level of pride: vainglory. This is when we glory in things in which we had absolutely no part: our skin color, where we were born, our natural mental or physical abilities (“giftedness”), even our salvation!

The basis for a great deal of pride (as well as a lack of contentment) is comparison.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Philippians 2:4

Look on the things of others not enviously or covetously, but in order to see needs and promote the welfare others, even at the expense of your own recognition or advantage. This idea of envy or covetousness lies at the root of sinful worldly philosophies that decry privilege and class and advantage and oppression and diversity and equality and social “injustice.” Instead we ought to praise God for our own “privilege” and for that of others, while at the same time recognizing it as an opportunity to bless others in His name. If you are part of a privileged class, economic status, skin color, nationality, sex, etc., you ought to be joyful and thankful, and to praise God and glorify Him FOR it and WITH it.

Good Preaching with Bad Motives

November 28, 2023 at 5:02 pm | Posted in Philippians | 1 Comment
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Paul wanted the believers in Philippi, who, he knew, loved him dearly and were aware of his imprisonment, to see that his imprisonment had not affected his joy, and that therefore it should not affect theirs, either. In fact, his imprisonment was working out for the furtherance of the Gospel in both expected (Paul was taken to Rome where the Gospel needed to go) and in unexpected ways.

Expected:

12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

Philippians 1:12-13

Unexpected:

14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Philippians 1:14

Why would seeing a Gospel preacher in chains make others more confident about preaching the Gospel? For one, it encouraged and challenged them to see such boldness. For another, it inspired loyalty (togetherness being a key them in Philippians). Furthermore, they were impressed by the power of the message itself, that it would both inspire and sustain such perseverance. They could observe that the Lord does not leave the Gospel preacher even when he is persecuted. They could be reminded of Jesus’s words about fearing God versus fearing man.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

Philippians 1:15-16

The preaching of Christ by those who disliked or envied Paul caused contention or added affliction to his bonds by making it seem like he was the tip of the iceberg and that a greater movement was afoot that needed to be squashed more severely. They may have also been trying to gain personal followers and become “greater” than Paul.

But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

Philippians 1:17

Of course, love is a better motive for Gospel preaching than envy or strife, but here we learn how we should feel about those who preach Christ (correctly!) with insincere motives:

What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Philippians 1:18

Paul rejoiced! Togetherness in a unified spirit and message is the optimum ideal for spreading the Gospel. However, even a divisive spirit still produces some beneficial “togetherness” if the message is true, and this togetherness is a reason for rejoicing, keeping in mind that we do not rejoice in the motives of those who preach insincerely or out of some ulterior scheme, but that we do find joy in knowing – in HOPING and in EARNEST EXPECTATION – that the proclamation of the Gospel message WILL be effective.

19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Philippians 1:19-20

Paul considered everything he had as really belonging to Christ. Even his own body, the most basic thing we think of as “ours,” was, to him, merely a vehicle for magnifying Jesus – whether he lived or died. He had a tough time deciding which was objectively better: to live and serve Christ here on earth, or to die and be with Christ in glory?

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Philippians 1:23

Christians long to be with Christ, but for the sake of others it might be God’s will for us to stay here longer.

24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

Philippians 1:24-25

This kind of mindset can only come from a God-given assurance that He is in charge of salvation – not just that He WANTS to save you, but that He is FULLY ABLE to save you, and that He HAS saved you, and that He WILL KEEP you saved, not according to your ability or merit or performance, but by HIS power.

28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Philippians 1:28-29

Together in Love, Discernment, and Confidence

October 28, 2023 at 11:53 am | Posted in Philippians | Leave a comment
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And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Philippians 1:9

Paul prayed for the Philippians to have love that would continue to grow “more and more.” We never get to the point where are “together” enough in our love for our fellow Christians, especially in our local church family.

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:11

True love produces fruit, and fruit, although meant to be enjoyed, also contains seeds, which means that it is meant to multiply. Strive to love more people, but strive also to love people more. Of course, this is Christian love we are talking about it, so it is not primarily emotional love. It is not love based on warm squishy feelings. It is love in knowledge and discernment. Real love wants to know the real truth, so that it is not loving and serving an idol – a make-believe thing.

Paul prayed for his friends to grow in the ability to weed out the true from the false – not just draw a line between good and bad, but between good and better, and between better and best.

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

Philippians 1:10

If you love someone, knock yourself out, don’t just direct them to the good or the better; direct them to the best: the excellent. “Be sincere.” Sincerity means something is being exposed to sunlight – which causes growth but also hardening – and it means sifting, or straining out impurity to get to purity. God is using other people in our sanctification. When a friend shines the light in your life, don’t harden your mind and heart like dried up clay. Use the Word to water what your friend’s light exposes. You want to be filled with fruit which glorifies God.

And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

Philippians 1:25

Confidence is reinforced in togetherness. When you see others abiding with you, and continuing with you, it encourages you. We are running a race in the Christian life, but we are racing WITH other runners, not AGAINST other runners.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Hebrews 12:15

We need to be together to look diligently. God shows grace to believers when they stumble; we must do the same and imitate Him in grace. Roots of bitterness cause not only the bitter person to stumble, but they cause MANY others to become defiled.

Enemies of the Cross

February 2, 2023 at 3:42 pm | Posted in Philippians, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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In his letter to the church at Philippi Paul took special care to compliment them for what they had done right. The letter to the Philippians does not share quite the same tone as the letters to the Corinthians or to the Galatians. However, in Chapter 3 there is an indication that trouble is afoot in the Philippian church, as there has always been in every Christian church at one time or another.

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Philippians 3:17

Here, Paul calls the Philippians “brethren,” indicating that there were true Christians there who would receive and read and put into practice the principles in this letter. Now, I’m going to skip Verses 18-19 for a minute, even though they are the main theme of this lesson, because they are parenthetical. If you leave out the parenthetical, though, Verses 17 and 20 should still make sense when read together.

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample… For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Philippians 3:17,20

If they followed Paul and the Apostles and their Apostolic doctrine, they would be, of necessity, following Jesus, because the Apostles received their doctrine directly from Heaven – directly from God Himself and from Jesus, the Savior. That’s why you and I can trust the words of Paul and the Apostles just as much as the “red-letter” words of Jesus. Philippians 3 is just as inspired as the quotes of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Now, between the instruction to follow the Apostles’ example, and the statement that their teaching is Divinely given, we have this admonition or warning:

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Philippians 3:18-19

Jesus, by this time, obviously, had been crucified. The material Cross was long gone, not preserved as a relic, so these enemies were not enemies of a beam of wood and a crossbar. They were enemies of the DOCTRINE of the Cross: enemies of what the Cross MEANS.

The doctrine of the Cross: The Cross was the means by which Jesus died as a substitute for sinners, paying the price we owed for our sins against God, and taking the punishment we deserved, so that we could be free from sin, declared righteous by God, and given eternal life.

Why would anyone oppose the greatest act of love and demonstration of grace of all time? They were offended by the idea that their own attempted righteousness was insufficient, and their pride was hurt by the idea that they needed a Savior and could have absolutely no part in saving themselves. Among the enemies of the Cross, there are:

I. Idolatrous Enemies:

They already worship another god whom they like better than Jesus: “their god is their belly.” They know that serving Christ means forsaking all other gods, including the gods of self-satisfaction, personal appetite, carnal pleasure, and false freedom. They worship themselves, and they oppose the true meaning of the Cross, because the Cross of Christ is where pride, selfishness, and leisure go to die. They would rather live for today than go to Heaven later. This could have been a reference to the Judaizers who insisted on adding Jewish dietary rules to the Gospel. Or could it have been a reference to false converts: people who claimed to love Jesus, but lived like they loved their own bellies more than Him.

Other enemies of the Cross were:

II. Defiant Enemies

Their “glory is in their shame.” They wanted to be known for what they could get away with, and they thought they had outsmarted God. They were not enemies of the Cross because they wouldn’t acknowledge the Cross; they were enemies of the Cross because they thought they could pay lip-service to the Cross, and then go back to living like it wasn’t important. They would claim that the Cross is mind-changing, but somehow not life-changing. They heard that the Cross sets people free from the burden of God’s law, and they pretended to think that this freedom was a license to sin. They liked to show off the things that obedient Christians find shameful. This, too, could have been the Judaizers, who wanted everyone to know who was circumcised and who was not. Or it could have been false converts who thought that the grace of salvation could be converted into a license to sin.

Also among the enemies of the Cross were:

III. Worldly Enemies

They “mind earthly things.” Paul had instructed them earlier in the letter:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:5

And he would exhort them in the next chapter:

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:7-8

The Cross not only gives us freedom from sin’s power and a home in Heaven, but it gives us the responsibility to live for the One Who died there and rose again.

Enemies of the cross would like to get you to think about anything other than the Cross – to serve God with a compartmentalized section of our lives, but not with our “everyday conversation.” What sorts of things are distracting you from remembering the doctrine of the Cross and living completely for Jesus? They are “earthly” things, “worldly” things, things like politics, hobbies, making money, gaining influence, making your life easier, having fun. Don’t get distracted. Enemies of the Cross don’t necessarily attack the Cross directly. They are just too busy to let it affect them very much. This, also, could have been the Judaizers who minded earthly things like rituals and ceremonies and clothing preferences. Or it could have been false converts who made a profession of faith to get it over with, but would now rather think about more “relevant” things.

While we are pondering who these enemies of the Cross might be, it is worth considering: Is it me? This is worth considering because Philippians 3:19 spells out the outcome for the enemies of the Cross: destruction (“whose end is destruction”). This destruction is their “end” in the sense that it is their final destination, and it is their “end” in the sense that it is their telos: their purpose. They are either knowingly trying to harm the friends of the Cross, or they are unwittingly being used by Satan to try to harm the doctrine of the Cross of Christ.

Our attitude toward enemies of the Cross ought to be weeping.

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Philippians 3:18

We don’t hate them. We don’t attack them with worldly methods: gossip, ostracism, scheming. We are to love them, but we must love them with truth.


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