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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (2-6-1991 Cleland Baptist Church)
Paul continues with his plea to the Philippians to work out their salvation. He urges them to live the Christian life in all its fullness. In v.12,13 he explains God has worked in our life, made us what we are, and is still working in us, influencing our wills and our actions. Therefore we must work out all that this involves, with fear and trembling. Now he spells out how we work out our salvation in our attitudes, character and relationships. He does so in a context that reminds us we are God’s children. We are going to begin with this phrase, and then see how it should influence these various aspects of the Christian life.
Paul reminds us of our position and status. This is
absolutely central in this passage. We must live a certain way because of who we
are. Because you are God’s children, Paul is saying, you must remember this
and put it into practice.
Children of God is a
glorious phrase, but it is so misunderstood. For several generations, an
unbiblical construction has been put on this. We constantly hear that we are all
God’s children, and we are all brothers together. What a misinterpretation
this is. Jesus’ teaching about God’s fatherhood was only to the disciples. To
all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God (John 1:12). Children of God through faith in Christ
Jesus. To be a child of God, one must belong to Christ, have new life from the
Holy Spirit, and have his will yielded to God.
It is possible to be children of
the Devil. Whether we are children of God or children of the Devil depends on
our relationship to Christ. Only Christians are children of God, called out
of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you
are the people of God (1 Peter 2:9,10). Once aliens and strangers, without
hope and without God. But now in Christ we are brought near.
Therefore “children of God”
is a limiting term, which applies only to those who are Christ’s. We must be
radically different from the world around us. Not just difference in degree, but
in kind. Not just quantity, but quality. Entirely different – God’s family,
partaking His nature, receiving the Holy Spirit, spiritually alive. Special
objects of God’s care and favour, separated, called out, set apart, with
special privileges and special responsibilities. Therefore we must live and
conduct ourselves as God’s children.
We live in a crooked and
depraved generation, twisted in its attitude and behaviour. In contrast to
this, the Christian must stand absolutely straight, as God’s child. God’s
word must be his rule. The difference will be seen in every aspect of life –
interests, how we spend money, the things we laugh at, watch on TV, papers we
read, attitude to spiritual things, relationship to God. If the only difference
between us and the man of the world is that we go to church on a Sunday, then we
do not understand what it means to be a child of God. It means belonging to Him,
living under His word, being indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Now going to look at what these verses tell us about the differences that should be seen in our attitudes, character and relationships.
Do everything without
complaining or arguing (murmuring and disputing A.V.) (Philippians
2:14). One of the failures of the children of Israel was that they were always
murmuring and complaining against God. God had wonderfully blessed them,
singling them out from all the other nations, showering blessings on them,
rescuing them from bondage in Egypt, destining them for glorious and wonderful
land of Canaan. But while they were in tents in the wilderness, they complained
of thirst (Exodus 15:24) and hunger (Exodus 16:2). They missed the fish,
cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic – all they had was manna.
In Paul’s day there was the
same attitude with the heathen world. Tombstones bore words of protestation
against God because of the death of a relative. The temptation to grumble spread
to the Christians, e.g. the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:10). It is easy to get
a grumbling spirit, to doubt God’s love, and rebel against His dealing with
us. Why has God done this or that to me? Why is that brother richer than me? And
that sister more talented than me? We grumble about the preacher, the hymn
tunes, the meeting arrangements, or about someone not pulling their weight.
Beware – a grumbling spirit often reveals more about the critic than the
criticized.
A complaining attitude spoils Christian lives. Beauty of character is spoiled and defaced. It is a poor testimony, and brings disgrace and disrepute on the Christian name. The answer is to remember we are God’s children, loved by Him who is never unkind or unfair in His dealings with us. The Cross shows the extent of His love. We cannot always understand His mind and His dealings with us. Sometimes we have to go through hard places to chasten us and refine us, and draw us closer to Himself. C.f. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. God led Him through strange places, yet He never grumbled or complained. Instead, He said, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). We shall find, as He did, that in God’s will is our peace, for His will is good, pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2).
You may become blameless and
pure (Philippians 2:15). Blameless – so that no one can point the finger.
Daniel’s enemies could find no charge against him, except his obedience to the
Law of God. It was said of Luther, by one of his enemies, “Even Luther’s
enemies cannot deny that he is a good man.” If the only fault men can find
with us is that we belong to the Lord, that is a good thing. As Christians we
are being watched and scrutinized, and we ought not give man any reason to point
a critical finger. This will affect our personal life, how we do our job, what
we are like at home.
“Blameless” refers to what
we are like on the outside. Now “pure” – what we are like on the inside.
Unmixed and unadulterated. The same word used of milk or wine, not mixed with
water at all. Used of metal that has no alloy in it. This is what we should be
like in the inner recesses of our being, the inner springs of conduct. Are we
the genuine article on the inside? Without fault, unblemished?
We are God’s children – and so we ought to be like Him – blameless and pure. He is holy, and He has called us to be holy. Our goal must be to be like Him in every way.
Shine like stars in the
universe, as you hold out the word of life (Philippians 2:15,16). We are not
meant to be monks or hermits. We are very definitely in the world, and we need
to be very clear about what, as children of God, we should be like. We are
called to live a very different kind of life from those we mix with daily. This
message was never more urgent or difficult than today. The outlook and mentality
of non-Christians today is perfectly summed up in Paul’s description,
“crooked and depraved”. And in this darkness, we are to be lights, fwsthres,
stars, light-bearers.
Let your light so shine
before men (Matthew 5:16). Stand out from everyone else. Be different, and
let your lives serve as a rebuke and warning to the world. Simply by living
lives that are in sharp contrast to the world, we demonstrate the difference
between those who are God’s children and those who are not. How muddled, loud,
arrogant, selfish and aggressive the world is. Speech is full of swearing,
cursing and oaths, dress is suggestive, lying and falsehood is blatant and
expected, petty theft is ignored, people do the minimum to get the maximum, and
loyalty to employer, marriage partner or promises is dispensable.
By sharp contrast, the
Christian’s speech is clean, dress is modest, work attitude is to do his very
best, acts with strict honesty, and is dependable and faithful within family and
marriage. This is the difference Christ makes to a man or woman. It ought to
cause people to wish they were like that. Our way of life, without saying a
word, should be a rebuke and a warning. The difference should be seen. Not that
we are meant to be puritanical, but simply being and living as children of God,
adhering to the teaching of Scriptures.
And at the same time we are to
hold out the word of life to those around us. Yes, our lives are a strong
witness, but we must also witness with our lips. Only children of God can really
propagate the Gospel. It must be perfectly clear to the world that we are, as
Christians, what we are because of the Gospel. Not because we were born
religious, or brought up that way. Make it clear that the difference is due to
the Gospel, Christ and salvation. We need to point to the Gospel as the
explanation of our lives.
If we are living as we should be, people ought to be asking, “What is the secret? How can you explain the difference? Why do you stand out?” So we have the opportunity to hold out the word of life to them. Men are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins, dead to God and spiritual things. But the word of life speaks of new life, new birth, being born from above. God is no longer an idea, but a reality. We can know Him. However weak our wills are, we can receive strength and power to lift us out of the pit and enable us to live life on a new higher level. New life is possible and available to us now.
We cannot raise ourselves up to
that level. But we can receive it as a gift from God, through Christ Jesus. Our
business is to tell men they are spiritually dead, and that they cannot keep
living as they do. They need new life, only possible through Christ. Once life
is given, God’s word feeds, sustains and supports life. This is the message we
are to hold out to others.
How do we do it? We do it by
being what we are, by being blameless, pure and without fault. We do it by
showing we have life in us.
President Woodrow Wilson was
once in a barber’s shop. Suddenly a man came in. He was stout, nothing to look
at, yet the minute he came in everything changed. The conversation changed.
There was an obvious and evident difference. When the man left, Wilson asked the
barber whom that was. “That was D.L.Moody” Moody did not preach, he was just
being the Christian he was. There was a radiance about him, a presence about
him, and in being himself he was holding out the word of life.
But we must also be prepared to explain the word of life as well.
We are children of God. Our attitude should be that we never grumble or complain. Our character should be blameless and pure. And in our relationships we should shine like stars, and hold out the word of life.
