Prayer: Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand (Psalm 95:6-7).
We do worship and adore you Lord for you have made us, redeemed us, and love us despite who we are or what we have done. Forgive us this day for our contentious spirit and cleanse us from all disobedience. Give us the strength to resist temptation. Oh, Spirit of God grant us the power to be obedient to you. Amen
Main Scripture:
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).
Associated Scriptures:
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthian 10:5).
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22). If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 15:14).
Correlative Quotes:
Number one, satisfaction in God is not less than obedience to God, because it is obedience to God. Number two, obedience to God namely happiness in God is vastly more important than happiness in anything else. And so, pastors are right if that is what they are saying. And, number three, the obedience of satisfaction in God produces all kinds of other acts of obedience [1] John Piper
The secret to continual, abundant, and overflowing joy is obedience. It’s doing what God tells you to do. Every time you do what God tells you to do, your life’s going to be filled with joy.[2] Rick Warren
The principle of working out salvation has two aspects. The first pertains to personal conduct, to faithful, obedient daily living. Sin in every form is to be renounced and put off and replaced by righteous thinking. The second aspect of working out one’s salvation is perseverance, of faithful obedience to the end.[3] – John MacArthur
Study:
INTRODUCTION
Obedience is necessary for joy to exist. They are, without a doubt, linked to one another. Joy is a result of obedience.
“the wicked have set a snare for me, but i have not strayed from your precepts. Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end (Psalm 119:110-112).”
The Philippian Christians needed to obey in order to follow Paul's instructions which were drawn from Christ's example. Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.”
Paul’s words are direct and pointed, but tempered with love, for he called the believers “my beloved”. Ephesians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” If we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior we are identified with him.
This somewhat controversial statement addresses the personal salvation of the saints at Philippi. They were not told to work for their salvation but to work out the salvation God had already given them. They were asked to put into practice, in their daily living, what God had begun in them by His Spirit.
The issue of a lack of unity within community has always been based on pride and selfishness. 1 Timothy 5:24-25 says, “Some men's sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.” We can hide sin, especially sinful thoughts. However, we can’t hide good works since they impact the lives of others.
Working out our salvation is tied directly to good works. Redemption is the beginning of our salvation experience but the evidence of its continuing action is found in acts of love and compassion. We were born again to do good works.
Love is a key issue in our salvation and the outcome of love is that we express it toward others. This command to love, once we are redeemed, is expressed in Ephesians 2:10 where it says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
The working out of our salvation was to be done "with fear and trembling." This phrase suggests that we continue our work for Jesus with a complete trust in God and not in ourselves. Humility comes with the understanding that all righteousness and all righteous actions are produced by God.
Proverbs 9:10-11 teaches us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me, your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”
Summary Statement:
Obedience brings with it Joy. When we live a life that is pleasing to God, we automatically receive from and live in the joy of the Lord. Joy and happiness are two very different things. Happiness is an emotion and has a short life. Happiness leaves an emptiness in its wake.
Joy is not an emotion; it is a sense of assurance. Joy is the understanding that God is in control and has a perfect plan for our lives. Working out our salvation is being obedient to God and increases our joy.
Lesson within the Lesson:
What is the secret to the Philippians' joy found in vs. 12?
What are we working for according to vs. 13?
How do we “work out our salvation?
What is the link between obedience and joy?
[1] John Piper, Which Comes First, Obedience or Joy, Desiring God, August 7, 2014, desiringgod.org.
[2] Rick Warren, Obedience Is The Secret To Joy, Daily Hope with Rick Warren, May 21, 2014, rickwarren.org/devotional/english/obedience-is-the-secret-to-joy
[3] John MacArthur, What does it Mean to Work out your own Salvation, copyright Grace to You, December 9, 2014, gty.org/resources/bible-qna/BQ052112/
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