Lesson 11: Joy’s obedience
Philippians 2:1-30 – www.bible.com/bible/59/php.2
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Our verses today remind us of Jesus’ statement in John 14:15 when He said our love for Him will result in our obedience to do all He asks of us. Obedience is not optional even though we can choose not to obey – our obedience is a display of whether we choose to love or not love Jesus.
An important statement in this first verse is also something we must understand in connection with our obedience – we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. What does this mean? Two things it cannot mean are:
*
We work FOR our salvation. Ephesians 2:8-10 gives the clearest statement,
though this is stated in many other Scriptures also, that salvation is by God’s
grace alone and never by our works.
* We work to KEEP our salvation. Galatians 2:20 states our life here, AFTER receiving Christ, is also by faith.
Therefore, to understand these words, we must look for another explanation – and we find many examples in Scripture to guide us. We take an incident in the life of Abraham as an example, found in Genesis 22. Abraham had been promised a son to be born of his wife Sarah, and the step of faith to believe God’s promise, Genesis 15, was the faith which saved him. Now, however, Abraham was asked to sacrifice his promised son back to God. His act of obedience had nothing to do with his salvation, either in being saved or for keeping it. This act of obedience was God’s test for Abraham to show Abraham whom he loved most in life – God, or the son God had given him. By obeying God to the point of being willing to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, Abraham was working into his life the salvation God had already given him. We might say he was weaving the golden threads of God’s eternal life into the fabric of his life.
We do the same in our own life as we, by giving permission to God to change us into His image, weave His beauty into our lives also. Please read the remaining verses in today’s passage to learn what is produced in you. The joy we experience through obedience to His will can rarely be expressed in words.
*Realizing obedience is our love response to God can be life-changing. Today, watch for ways to show God (and others) you really love Him by obeying Him – not only in big ways, but also in the little things.