“Have a Good Workout”
Philippians 2:12-16

INTRO:
Good morning. In this morning study in the Book of Philippians we will use chapter 2 verses 12-16 for our reference text. In our last lesson Paul tells us that we need to have the mind of Christ. He goes on to tell us how Christ emptied Himself and humbled Himself becoming a servant and He was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross”. Paul continues and tells us that when tensions and troubles arise we need to think on the cross of Jesus and we will know how we are to act towards one another.

We saw in that powerful text last week where Jesus humiliated himself and then God exalted him to the highest place above everything and gave Him a name above every name. It is interesting to notice how Paul follows that powerful text. Paul’s going to say starting in verse 12, and I paraphrase: “Therefore, because of what I’ve just said about Jesus, I want you to work out your salvation.” That’s what we’re going to talk about this morning.

I suppose some of us could do with a workout. Actually I could use a workout a bit more often. I don’t know if you exercise regularly or not. I know I don’t, but I think it’s a good thing to do. Reminds me of the story about an older couple (no, this is not Nina and me—though as I think about it I can see myself) who decided they needed to do something to improve their health. They decided they would get up early every morning and go for a 2-mile walk. They planned to walk down the road one-mile, turn around and come back. The 1st day they got up and made it about a mile down the road and the husband looked over to his wife and says, “are you doing ok darling?” she said, “yes”, “are you sure you can make it?” he asked. She said, “Yes”. He replied, “good, then walk back to the house and get the car and come and get me.”

The problem with many of us is we’re not in very good shape, probably because most of us have vocations or avocations that keep us in the same position all day.
I have a strong suspicion that this may often be true about some of us spiritually as well. The great problem with most Christians is not that they are going to renounce the Christian faith. The problem is that they might settle for a flabby version of it. They are in the same position day after day. Let me ask you, how finely tuned are your spiritual muscles? Maybe it’s time for us to have a good workout.

I. Turn in your Bibles with me to our text and lets look at Philippians 2:12-13 – “Therefore, (Paul says in light of everything I’ve said about Christ, how he humbled himself to save you, how he’s been exalted above to the highest place) therefore, my beloved, as you 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;” now note the next verse – “13. for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” A quick note on the Greek here. The word we translate as “to will” means to-be-willing and the word for “to do” means to-be-in-acting. God works in us so we are both willing and doing.
A. That’s a powerful, powerful verse that has been misused by many, many people, to encourage a legalistic attempt for a man to work for their salvation. Work to get a righteousness that will impress God. I want you to notice what Paul does not say. Paul does not say, “Work for your salvation. He does not say, “Work toward your salvation”. He is writing to people that are already saved, remember? We know that because he said back in chapter 1:2, “To the saints in Christ Jesus in Philippi.”
B. Let’s do a quick look at this term work out. In Merriam-Webster we find the following under the primary definition:
a : to bring about by labor and exertion
b : to solve (something) by a process of reasoning or calculation
c : to devise, arrange, or achieve by resolving difficulties
d : to develop
C. Let me ask this: why does a person need to “work out”? We work out to develop the body we already have, for example, to take care of it. We do it for upkeep and for improvement. In the same way, a Christian can only work out the salvation God has already provided. What we need to be about is the salvation God is working in—by working out. In other words we need to experience and to express the salvation that God has given us in the way that we live our lives. That’s what Paul said back in chapter 1:27 when he said, “conduct yourselves in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
D. No Christian should be satisfied with anything less than the full benefits of the salvation of God. It’s sad to see Christians who are only in the shallow water of experiencing their salvation. God wants to give you salvation in the past with the removal of past sin. Someday he’s going to give you salvation in the future with your removal from the presence of sin. Right now he wants to give you salvation in the present with victory over the power of sin. He wants us to experience that. He wants us to grow spiritually and to express that salvation and let it out.
II. He doesn’t say, “Philosophize out your salvation.” He doesn’t say, “Meditate out your salvation.” He doesn’t say, “Get in little circles at church and talk out your salvation.” He says, “Work it out”. Work salvation out that God has worked in. Let people see it. Tone up those muscles and experience everything that salvation is supposed to be.”
A. Folks, that is our personal responsibility, not somebody else’s. Paul says in chapter 2:12, Look at this again. “You obeyed in my presence, but much more in my absence; I want you to work out your salvation.” In other words, if you depend on me to do it for you, then you’re not a church, you’re a cult. It’s OK to have popular Christian leaders. It’s Ok to have preachers and Bible teachers like we do, but experiencing our salvation depends ultimately on God and not on some man. We need to work out that salvation between us and God.
B. Not only that, but we need to do it because it’s serious. Paul says, “Do it with fear and trembling”. I don’t think he means you better do it because someday we’re all going to stand before the judgment seat of God. He’s already said, “You’re in Christ Jesus, and you’re saved people.” What is a Christian’s greatest fear then?
C. A Christian’s greatest fear is that we would break the heart of God by abusing his grace. In light of all he’s worked into our life, in light of all he’s given us, the thought that I would stand before my God someday as a spiritually flabby, out of shape witness should be a great matter of concern to me. I want us to notice Paul includes God in what he says. You can’t work out your salvation without God. It’s impossible without God. The same God that was working through Paul was working in the church in Philippi.
D. Paul says in verse 13, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” What’s God going to do? Number 1 He’s going to change your will and number 2 He’s going to change your actions.
III. Sin destroys things in us. Sin destroys our power to want to do good. Sin destroys our ability to do good. There is not a person in this room who can live a life that pleases God by himself. Nobody can do it, but God is capable of producing the kind of life that He wants in you when you yield to his spirit and learn from His word. Philippians 2:13 says in the Living Bible. “God is at work within you, helping you to want to obey him and then helping you do what he wants.” A Christian is not left on their own.
A. Do you know what that word “work” there means? It’s the Greek word, “Energein”. That’s where we get our word, “Energy” and in this verse the word means “to-be-in-acting” or “to be operating”, work. Look at it this way, God is your energizer. God is your power source. God is there to help you complete your salvation and experience everything he wants you to know. I know it bothers us when I hear discouraged Christians say, “I just can’t succeed when I try giving up that sin.” “I just can’t break that addiction.” “I just can’t share my faith.” “I just can’t be a light”. With God working in them to will and to act, they should not say they can’t. To be honest they need to say they won’t.
B. Sadly, the problem often is we don’t want to work. God didn’t say, “I’m going to work it out for you.” God is going to work it out through you, when you yield to Him. It’s time for us to start accepting God’s promise and developing some spiritual muscle. Let me put what Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13 in another way. “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear., For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him”
C. Folks we don’t want to settle for the shallow water of salvation. We don’t need to settle for an out of shape Christian life when God has the potential to make us into spiritual muscle men. All we’ve got to do is work it out. Let’s look at 3 exercises we need in our workout plan if we want to get into spiritual shape. Paul told us, “now I want you to work out your salvation”.
IV. Then In the next 3 verses he is going to tell us how to do that. Look at Philippians 2:14-16 – “14. Do all things without murmuring and disputing, 15. that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16. holding forth the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
A. Here Paul gives us 3 things that need to be a part of our workout plan. First he says: Do you want to get in shape spiritually? Cut out the grumbling. Everybody knows that if you are going to have good health, the first thing you’ve got to do is stop the things that create bad health. If you’re going to have good health the 1st thing you might have to do is cut down on the caffeine or cut down on the fatty foods, stop doing things that are bad for you. Paul says, “I want you to work out your salvation”
B. In our way of thinking we might go to Paul and ask, “OK, Paul, what do you want us to do to get in spiritual shape? How do we work out our salvation”. Do you want us to memorize a 1000 verses? Do you want us to go and be a missionary? Do you want us to give a $1,000,000 to charity? What is it we need to do?... Isn’t that the way we approach things?
C. Paul tells us, “Here’s where you start—stop grumbling.” The 1st thing you do to start working out your salvation is “stop grumbling.” It is hard to notice salvation in people that moan all the time. We’ve got this salvation from God working in us and Paul wants us to work it out so people can see us. It’s very hard for non-Christians to see salvation when Christians moan and groan as much as everybody else isn’t it? In any book on getting yourself in shape that is worth the paper it is printed on, the first thing it is going to tell you is that your mind set at the beginning of the program is all important.
D. I heard an old short story about talents recently. A lady went to John Wesley, the famous preacher, and said, “I think I know what my talent is”. Wesley said, “All right Madam, What is it?” She said, “I think my talent is to always speak my mind.” Wesley replied, “Madam, I do not think God would mind if you buried that talent.”
E. The Bible is full of grumblers. Did you know that? Remember in Matthew 20 the people that worked all day in the field, grumbled when the people that worked for just one hour got the same pay? In Luke 5 “the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners” and the Bible says, “they grumbled”. The ultimate example in the Bible of grumbling—is the nation of Israel. We read in Exodus that God delivered them powerfully, miraculously, by His hand from their life of slavery and they got out in the desert. There in the desert they started up. Murmuring, grumbling. Don’t like the food, it is boring. We don’t have enough water. Why do we have to walk so far? Don’t like our leaders.
F. If you read very carefully, you’ll find God took this personally. In fact, look with me at Exodus 16:7-9 – “in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?'' 8. Also Moses said, "This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.'' 9. Then Moses spoke to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.' ” This particular time they are grumbling about their food. They are all fussing to Moses and Moses said, “He’s heard you’re grumbling against Him, you’re not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”
G. They wouldn’t have said they were grumbling against God, just like when people grumble at church. People say I don’t like this. I don’t like that. Why do we have to do it this way? Why do we have to sing that song? Why did he stand up and say that? When people do that, they can say, “We are not grumbling against God”. Folks, God takes our grumbling very personally. Let me explain.
H. When God has delivered a person from a life of slavery and bondage and gives them freedom that they could never get on their own and never deserve; when God does that for a person and they start grumbling... that is not giving reverence to God. God says, “Do everything without grumbling and complaining.” Everything! Certainly I can do some things without grumbling, but everything without grumbling? Not so sure I can.
I. God’s going to have to work in me to do that. He’s going to have to give me the desire to stop grumbling. He’s going to have to give me the power to stop grumbling. God says, “I’ll do it, if you’ll yield to me, we can work it out.” That’s where it starts.
V. The second thing we’ve got to do if we want to work out our salvation is, “let out the light.” Hmmmm isn’t the expression “let in the light”? Not this time, it is “let out the light”. “14. Do all things without murmuring and disputing, 15. that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”
A. Crooked we probably understand, but some might wonder about perverse. Perverse means “showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences:” Yup, that does apply to some of what we see in the world doesn’t it? It certainly applies to the way some people treat God.
B. Do you know that song we sing with the kids, “this little light of mine”? Did you know that the Bible never says, “That you are a little light?” It never says that. The Bible never talks about this little light of mine. The Bible says, “You are the light of the world”. You’re a big light, shining in a dark world. As one of God’ lights, we’ve got to reflect the brilliance of God’s glory in this dark world. The Bible says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
C. How’s the world going to know it needs redeeming unless it strikes out hard against people that are living a radically different kind if life? Ephesians 5 talks more about letting the light out. Paul said to that church beginning in verse 8 – “8. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9. (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10. proving what is acceptable to the Lord. 11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
D. People are not always going to like the light because the light exposes their evil deeds. That’s why sometimes they are going to criticize the light. That’s why sometimes they are going to argue with the light. Sometimes they are even going to mock the light, but we’ve got to keep on shining.
E. I heard a story about an old judge that was being mocked by a young, arrogant lawyer. Someone asked him why he didn’t discipline the young lawyer. The judge said, “Well, in my town there is a widow with a dog, and every time the moon comes out that dog barks all night long”. Then he changed the subject. The person asking the question came back and said, “yeah, but what about the moon and the dog?” The judge said, “Oh—well, the moon keeps right on shining.”
F. Folks, that’s what Paul tells us. We just need to keep on shining. It’s not going to be hard to shine in the holy city. When we experience our future salvation and we’re taken to heaven God himself is going to be the light of heaven. It’s not going to be hard to shine, but God wants us to shine now in the midst of an ugly, dark world. Are we shining?
G. Let me ask a hard question. Run this around in your mind a bit. Besides going to church, what is it about us that is markedly different from our non-Christian neighbor? Despite the fact that we get out of bed earlier on a Sunday, what is noticeably different about us? People are always fussing about how evil the world is, about all the sin in the world and the abandonment of God. Listen, sinning is what unbelievers do. That’s their job description. Perhaps the problem in the world is not that sinners are sinning, but the problem may be the light isn’t shining.
H. Certainly, there are many things about the world that bother me. It bothers me when I hear that there were 1 million new pornographic videos created last year. Yes, it bothers me when I hear rude and racist jokes, but what really bothers me is that Christians will listen and laugh at them because they are afraid to stand out and let that light shine. It bothers me when I hear that billions of dollars are lost every year with income taxes, but it bothers me even more that Christians are sometimes just as guilty as anybody else.
I. The real issue is this; is the light going to shine in the midst of a dark world? We don’t need isolation, everybody getting together away from the world. What we need is salvation being worked out in the midst of the world. Peter says as much in 1 Peter 2:11-12 – I paraphrase, in verse 11 Peter says; “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” We are different aren’t we? We’re aliens and strangers in this world. We abstain from those sinful desires, which war against the soul. Then in the next verse he says; “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.” In other words, we’ve got to be in the world so we can shine.
J. Most assuredly, we’ll be criticized, but we’ve got to make sure there’s no just criticism against us. In fact, we’ve got to live such bright lives; we shut up some of that criticism. You may notice this in your lives. It says in 1 Peter 2:15 – “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men”.
K. It is God’s will to let our lights shine so bright, that some of the nonsense and sin gets silenced, some of the venom being poured out in this world gets evaporated because it just can’t stand the heat of the light.
L. Let me at this point emphasize again that this is not saying that we work it out to save ourselves. We don’t work for our salvation, but let’s be very clear, God does use our works, when we work out our Christianity we shine light into people’s lives and bring them to salvation. Then there is one more exercise we have to put in our routine.
VI. The first one is we’ve got to cut out the grumbling. Secondly we need to let the light shine, and third; we’ve got to “hold forth the word of life.” Paul says, “ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life” “Shine like stars as you hold forth the word of life.” Of course, it doesn’t matter what we say if our lives aren’t full of light. If we are living lives that are not full of Jesus, lives that don’t back up what we support, it doesn’t matter what we say, does it?
A. The light of our Christian character is an un-interpreted parable if you do not speak of Christ. It’s not enough just to be light. The purpose of the light is to call attention to our lives,... so then we can hold out the word of life and speak of Christ.
B. Too many Christians are like the early settlers. Spain and Portugal, and England all did the same thing. Their sailors would discover West Africa, North America, South America then they would take their charts and their maps and they would lock them in the safe. When they got home they would hide them in a place nobody else could find them.
C. Folks, if you’ve discovered salvation, this incredible rich gift of God, are you going to lock it up and hide it, so that nobody else can find it? Paul knew that this world is just a big old giant cemetery. Everything in this world is dying. Death grabs and decays everything, but there is one thing death has not been able to get its grasp on.
D. Do you know what it is? It’s the word of God. Chapter 2:16 says, “You are to hold the teaching that gives life.” Hold it where others can see it in your light. There’s life in the word of God. When we share the written word, the Bible, when we share the spoken word—our testimony of Christ, what we do, is reveal the living word, the Lord himself.
E. Who then is able to give life to people who are dying in spiritual darkness? Jesus said that, “If people hear the word about me, they will find life.” John 5:24 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
F. It’s not enough just to provide a moral contract to the world. Working out our salvation demands bearing witness to the source of our new life. There is a reason we want to shine like we do. There is a reason we don’t grumble and complain like everybody else. There is a reason why we have our values. There is a reason we are living like we’re living. We have found a new life in Christ and we want people to hear about it because we don’t want them to live in the darkness anymore.
G. Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9 – “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;” We are supposed to go out to that crooked and perverse world and shine like stars, and share in the word of life and work out our salvation.

CONCLUSION:
I imagine many of us have at least tried working out. It’s hard at first, but once you start, you’re glad you got going. Paul writes in Philippians 17:18 – “[NAS] But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”

What’s Paul saying there? Why is he talking about himself after he’s been talking about why they need to work out their salvation? We need to recognize that the real joy comes from being spent for Christ. When you work out, you work your muscles, and you sweat, but when it’s over, it feels good. It really feels good to have worked out.

That’s what Paul is saying here: “Let me tell you something, I’m just about used up for Christ, but I am so happy.” You are never going to have the full benefits, the full joy of salvation until you get out there and spend yourself for Christ. The point is this: The more you commit to express your salvation, the more joy you’re going have. It’s time for your soul to have a good workout.

God will give you the desire and God will give you the energy, but you’ve got to give God the yes. If you want God’s help in “working out” you need to start with obedience to His commands. God is more than willing to assist you once you have started your journey.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins... If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

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Reference Sermon
Mike Glover