WE WORK… GOD WORKS
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Opening Prayer
Father, I come to you today, thanking you for the riches that are mine in Christ Jesus
Read PHILIPPIANS 2:12–18
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
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Footnotes
- Philippians 2:15 Deut. 32:5
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What has changed in your life because you follow Jesus?Paul builds on the model of Jesus (vv. 6–11), drawing implications for his hearers: ‘Therefore’ (v. 12). As Jesus obeyed his Father, believers are called to obey, for that is from where God’s power and blessing come. They aren’t doing this to earn their salvation, in the sense of belonging to Christ now and at the judgment day—but they are working out their salvation. They are walking on the Christian path and aren’t alone, for as they walk in obedience to God, God does two remarkable things (v. 13). He both directs their wills in his paths and gives them power to act in tune with his purposes.
After such amazing words, we come to earth with a bump in Paul’s call not to grumble or argue (v. 14). This is where the rubber hits the road. Paul has the grumpy Israelites in the wilderness in mind, echo- ing Deuteronomy 32:5 (v. 15). Churches can be, and are, split by negative speech—words can do enormous damage to others. The tongue is like a fire that can burn down a forest (James 3:5, 6), but Christian speech is to shine with the light of God’s Word (vv. 15, 16).
Apply
Audit your speech over the past 24 hours: give thanks where it shines with God’s Word and ask God’s forgiveness (and maybe other people’s too) where you have grumbled or argued.
Closing prayer
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for how you are changing me to be more like Jesus. Help me to grow more into his likeness each day to be a greater testimony for who he is.
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