With Fear and Trembling – And God Who Is At Work

Summary

With Fear and Trembling – And God Who Is At Work

Philippians 2:1-13, and especially verses 12 and 13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.  

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who

though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,

he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name
that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I am preaching on this passage from Philippians Chapter 2 for three weeks. I encourage you to take the bulletin insert with this text and meditate on this passage – maybe try to memorize it – or memorize part of it.

Next Sunday I am going to preach on the opening words of this text –

“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. “

What a wonderful challenge for us to renew our relationships with one another.

On the last Sunday of November, Christ the King Sunday, I am going to preach on the middle of the text. This section appears to be a hymn that the Apostle Paul quoted as part of his letter. It is perhaps the oldest Christian hymn in existence, telling the central message of Jesus – that he was with God, but was willing to come into our world – and then was willing to die for us – even on a cross. And because of this, God has exalted him and given him “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Today I’m going to focus on the end of this text – “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Does that sound like a contradiction to you? It does to me.

First I hear the words “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” and I think –I have to work to be saved? I have to “work out” my salvation? I’m supposed to be afraid? I’m supposed to be so afraid that I’m trembling?

But then I hear the rest of the story – “for it is God who is at work in you.” No, it’s not me – it’s God who is doing the work. God is at work in you. It is God who is giving the strength both to want to serve him – and to actually serve him – “both to will and to work”.

If I was picking one passage out of the Bible that has helped me understand how to live the Christian life – how to be a follower of Jesus – I would pick these words from Philippians – because they both tell me what I should do – and what God is doing for me.

There is a contradiction in this passage – but it is a contradiction that can help us understand the reality of the Christian life.

I have trouble holding both sides of the contradiction at the same time. I think it’s important to thing about them separately.

First I will talk about “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Jesus warned his disciples many times – and he warns us – of the danger of falling away from the faith. He told the parable of the seeds that were planted. Some people are like the seeds that fall on stones. They receive the message gladly, but it does not sink deep into them, and they soon fall away. Others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. They receive the message, but the “worries about this life, the love of riches, and all other kinds of desires come in and choke the message.”

Jesus told his disciples – “Watch and pray that you may not fall into temptation.” And he also said – “What I say to you, I say to all – Watch!”

Hans Nielsen Hauge was a powerful lay preacher who brought a revival to Norway in the early 1800’s. Shortly before he died, Hauge wrote a set of instructions to his followers, which is called his “Testament to His Friends.” Here is some of what he said:

“Finally, they should teach as Jesus did regarding the narrow gate and the narrow path about temptations and the patience to suffer always, as long as we are living here, about staying awake, praying, and having to some degree a fear of falling. If you think you are standing well, then work out your salvation with fear and trembling, never imagining that you have grasped it perfectly, but always hastening forward on the road of life you began.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

Why should we come to worship each week?

Because we like the feeling of being there? We like the music? We like being with the people there? I hope those are all true.

But we need to come to worship because we need to hear the message of Jesus – and we need to hear that message again and again and again. Yes, you may have had a point in your life where you believed in Jesus, you may have been baptized, you may have been confirmed, you may have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you may have been filled with the Spirit, God has maybe performed miracles through you – but you still need to hear the message of Jesus.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Don’t think that you have arrived at the goal – no, keep hastening forward on the road of life you began.

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Yes, it is God who is doing this work in us. If we are willing to follow Jesus, if we have a desire to follow Jesus, to be renewed, to be revived – it’s because God has given us that will. If we are able to accomplish anything for God’s Kingdom, it is because God is working inside of us.

How does God do this in us? It is all done through Jesus. God is at work in us through Jesus. Jesus, who was in the very form of God, but did not consider equality with God something to be exploited. No, he gave all that up. He became human – and then he gave up his human life – he became obedient to the point of death.

It is Jesus who came to show us God’s Love – Jesus came to bring us God’s Love. God does his work in us as we think about Jesus, remember Jesus, accept Jesus, follow Jesus, listen to Jesus, worship Jesus.

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