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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

What is the process of spiritual growth—sanctification? Paul speaks to this congregation and challenges them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. Now it must be noticed that Paul does not say to “work for” your salvation but to “work out” your salvation. Scripture everywhere teaches that we are saved not by our works but by grace through faith in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We are not saved by our works. In fact, Paul argues that even our faith is a gift from God, and therefore, there is no room for man’s boasting. Salvation is a work of God. However, salvation is not simply a work that happens when we are born again. It is a work that continues till we are made into the full image of Christ. It will end at death or at the rapture, whichever happens first. Romans 8:29-30 says,

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Paul here describes the process of salvation. It begins before time when God foreknew some in a saving relationship. The word “foreknew” does not mean to know some facts about a person but to know in an intimate saving relationship. Christ said in the last days many would say, “Lord, Lord,” but he would reply, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity I never ‘knew you’” (Matt 7:23). Similarly, God said to Jeremiah, “before you were born, I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). He knew Jeremiah in a saving relationship. He selected him not based on any merit of his own but based on grace—unmerited favor.

The next part of salvation is predestination. What is predestination? In this text it is God choosing those he knew in a saving relationship to be conformed to the image of his Son—to look like Christ. At some point, God effectually calls them as they hear the gospel and respond in faith. He then justifies them—declaring them righteous, then he will glorify them which is the completion of salvation. One day all believers will fully resemble Christ.

This is what Paul is talking about when he says “work out your salvation.” He is saying to work out this process of being made into the image of Christ. We often call this “sanctification”—the daily process of growing into the very image of Christ.

What is this process? How can we daily pursue growth into the image of Christ?

Throughout history many have held different views on this process. Some have said that this process happens solely by a work of God without the participation of man. What we must do is “Let go and let God.” We must rely on grace and give up working and striving to be holy. Sometimes these preachers will preach simply, “Grace! Grace! Grace!” to the exclusion of any discipline of our own. However, Paul said, “train yourself to be godly” or “exercise yourself to godliness” (1 Tim 4:7).

On the opposite side, others will preach “Work! Work! Work! Discipline yourself!” to the exclusion of reliance on God at all. These types of ministries often become legalistic, relying totally on works of the flesh. Listen to what Paul said to the Galatians: “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3).

What is the proper way to progress in holiness—to work out our salvation? Here in Philippians 2:12-13 Paul teaches a paradox. We must work and God works. We must work alongside God in the process of our sanctification. Paul says, “God works in us to will and do of his good pleasure.” He gives us the very desires to grow in Christ and he works in us to do it. This is why, when we get to heaven, there will be no room for boasting. Why? Because God did it all. However, both realities are true. We must work and God is working. Listen to what Paul said about this reality in his own life:

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

Paul said he worked harder than everybody else but not him, the grace of God within him. He said that God’s grace was not without effect in him. The reality is that God’s grace works in each one of us to grow spiritually, but for some it is without effect. Some instead resist the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 7:51). We must work with God in the process of sanctification—responding to his conviction, allowing him to empower us to accomplish his will for our lives.

It should be noted that when Paul calls this church to work out its salvation, he is probably specifically referring to the problems going on in the church. At the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2, he challenges them to be one in spirit—to be unified (1:27, 2:2). In chapter 4, some divisions were threatening the church’s unity (v.2). Paul calls for them to be unified by developing the mind of Christ (2:5) and working out their salvation together (2:12).

As we study this text, we will learn steps to work out our salvation—our sanctification.

Big Question: What is necessary for a believer and a congregation to work out their salvation—their sanctification?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Focus on Our Model—Jesus Christ

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, (Philippians 2:12)

What is the first step in the process of sanctification? It is focusing on our model—Jesus Christ. The word “Therefore” in Philippians 2:12 means “because of this” and points the reader back to Paul’s previous comments. In Philippians 2:6-11, Paul gave Jesus Christ’s incarnation, death, and exaltation as a model for the church to follow in developing unity. Christ did not grasp onto his rights as God but became a man. In his incarnation he did not come as a wealthy king but a poor servant. His descent continued as he was obedient unto death—even death on a cross.

Paul says if we are going to work out our salvation—our sanctification—we must follow the model of Christ. He is the person we must seek to study and to emulate. The writer of Hebrews said this:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

The author says that we must fix our eyes on Jesus. The word “fix” means to focus on something to the exclusion of everything else. It essentially means to be single-minded. A person who has a fixed look on Christ is seeking to know and please Christ in everything he does. He wants to do God’s will in his career, marriage, hobbies, entertainment, etc. Paul said, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of the Lord” (1 Cor 10:31). We must have an unwavering focus on Christ in order to grow in our sanctification. Surely, we focus on him through time in the Word, prayer, serving, etc.

We must know our model in order to be sanctified. I cannot but think of Peter trying to walk on water in Matthew 14:22-33. As long as his focus was fixed on Christ, he could walk on the water. However, when he started to focus on the wind and the waves, he began to sink. It is the same with us. We cannot grow in Christ if we are focused on anything other than him. Sometimes the trick of Satan is to get us focused on our sin, failures, or even the devil himself to stop our spiritual growth. However, the more we focus on our struggles the more we fail. Similarly, the more someone focuses on demons, conspiracy theories, or the world, the more they become consumed with them. This is the opposite of how to be sanctified. We are not to focus on sin or the world. We are to focus on Christ in order to be sanctified.

Christ said this: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). If we make our home in Christ, if we make him our focus, then all good fruits will grow out of that relationship. Love, joy, peace, self-control all come from an abiding relationship—an abiding focus on Christ.

Listen to what Paul said in Philippians 3:10-12:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Paul said he wanted to know Christ. He wanted to know his power and have fellowship with his sufferings. For Paul, following Christ did not mean skipping the cross to go to glory—it meant being like Christ even in suffering. Paul said he pressed or ran after this since it was the reason that Christ took hold of him. Christ took hold of him for a relationship and for Paul to be made into Christ’s very image. Therefore, Paul challenged the Philippians to pursue the same path he took—an endless pursuit of Christ as his goal (Phil 3:15-17). In order to be sanctified, like Paul, we must focus on Christ. He must be our ambition and focus.

Application Question: How do we keep a fixed eye on Christ in order to grow into his image?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Know the Love of God

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, (Philippians 2:12)

The next step in the process of sanctification is to know the love of God. Paul says, “dear friends.” This can also be translated “beloved.” The implication of Paul calling them “beloved,” as he commands them to work out their salvation, is that they needed to hear and understand that God loved them.

Love is a tremendous motivation for spiritual growth. Paul said this: “For Christ’s love compels us…” (2 Cor 5:14). What motivated the great apostle to suffer, serve, and preach the gospel? Love—the love of Christ compelled him. In fact, he thought it was so important for the church to understand this love that he prayed for them to grasp it. Ephesians 3:17b-19 says this:

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

He prayed for them to know Christ’s love so that they may be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” To be “filled” means to be controlled and empowered by God (cf. Eph 5:18). Similarly, if the Philippians could know how much God loved them, it would propel them in their spiritual growth—into working out their salvation.

I believe it is for this reason that Satan constantly works against believers knowing the love of God. With Eve, he said, “Is it true that you cannot eat of every tree in the garden?” He wanted her to think God was a tyrant—that he was keeping the best from her. By doubting the love of God, she would be encouraged to sin. It was the same with Job. Satan, by bringing trials, was trying to get Job to curse God. Even his own wife said, “Why don’t you just curse God and die?” Satan wanted Job to doubt the love of God because that would encourage him to sin and curse God. However, Job’s reply to his trials was, “Even if God slay me I will still trust him” (Job 13:5).

In order for us to be sanctified, we must know the love of God. For when we know the love of God—the depth, the height, and the width of it—it will compel us to grow in our spiritual lives.

Application Question: How do we grow in knowing God’s love?

1. We grow to know God’s love through the love of others.

When Paul says “beloved friends,” he was not only speaking of God’s love but his own (v. 12). He loved the saints at Philippi (cf. Phil 1:8). Many times the way God will demonstrate his love to us is through others (cf. 2 Cor 5:20). Therefore, in order to know the love of God, we must be intimate with his saints. Many times they are the channel by which God lavishes his love on us.

2. We grow to know God’s love through prayer.

Paul prayed for the Ephesian church to grasp the love of Christ (Eph 3:17-19). We must pray this for ourselves and for others as well.

3. We grow to know God’s love through loving others.

Paul said this: “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:8).  Paul could feel Christ’s love radiating through him as he loved the Philippians. Many times we have to make ourselves vulnerable by getting involved in people’s lives and messes to know the love of God. While serving others, he pours out his love in us to bless others, and through this experience we come to know God’s love for us more.

I specifically have experienced this when loving people who have hurt me. By forgiving and serving them, God gave me a supernatural love that I couldn’t explain and didn’t make sense to me. I just knew I was experiencing God’s love for them.

4. We grow to know God’s love through spending time with God and obeying him.

Christ said this: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Jesus promised that he would make his home in people who were obedient to him. This happens at salvation, but it happens as we continue to obey him. He makes his home in us, as we become more intimate with him (cf. Eph 3:16-17).

In order for us to be sanctified, we must know his love. Love is one of the greatest motivations in this world—whether that be love for a sport, a person, or some goal. It motivates us. Knowing how much God loves us is a tremendous motivation to be sanctified. “The kindness of God draws men to repentance” (Rom 2:4). One of the reasons many Christians are stagnant is because they don’t really know Christ’s love. Lord, help us to grasp and know your great love!

Application Question: What are some of the ways that you have experienced God’s love? How has this love or lack of recognizing it affected you?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Grow in Obedience to God

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, (Philippians 2:12)

Here Paul gives the next necessary step in the process of sanctification—we must grow in obedience to God. He says that they had always obeyed, but they must do it “much more” in his absence. They needed to be more obedient to God to work out their salvation.

Obedience to God is not only a necessary practice in sanctification but it is a proof of salvation.  A person who professes Christ but does not practice daily obedience to God is deceived about his salvation. Jesus said this: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Profession alone is not enough. Jesus said that in order to enter the kingdom of God one must be born again (John 3:3). A person that is born again has a new nature—a nature that desires to practice righteousness. Those who are truly part of the kingdom of God hunger and thirst for righteousness as Christ taught in the beatitudes (Matt 5:6). John said this in his epistle: “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).

The practice of daily righteousness is a proof of salvation, and this is what Paul said about the Philippians. He said they “always obeyed.” This doesn’t mean that they were perfect. Paul even said in his epistle that they were not (cf. Phil 4:2). Therefore, he meant that even when they failed, they repented and continued to practice obedience. However, in order to work out their salvation, they had to obey God “much more” (v. 12).

Interpretation Question: In what ways is obedience necessary to continue to progress in our sanctification?

1. Obedience to God’s Word leads to God’s blessing on our lives and progression in our sanctification.

James 1:25 says, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”

The man who obeys God’s words will be blessed by God. This doesn’t necessarily mean wealth and health, though it doesn’t necessarily exclude those things. It primarily refers to spiritual blessings. God gives them more of the Word of God, more peace, more fruits of the Holy Spirit, etc.

Christ said this:

“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:24-25)

Whoever faithfully obeys—using what God teaches them—will be given more. They will grow in Christ. Obedience is necessary for growth. This leads us to the next point.

2. Obedience to God’s Word protects us from stagnation and going backwards in our sanctification.

Listen again to what Christ said:

“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:24-25)

“Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” When we are unfaithful to God’s Word, God begins to take away what we have. He takes away the knowledge that we have already attained of him. We become forgetful Christians like the Israelites. The Israelites saw the miracles of God in Egypt. They saw the parting of the Red Sea and manna come from heaven, but they still constantly failed God and didn’t believe in him. This was a natural result of lack of obedience—they could not appropriate the knowledge they had.

Many Christians are like the Israelites. They have sat under many sermons, seen the blessings and miracles of God but because their hearing wasn’t mixed with faith—obedience—they continued in the infant stage without progression. They stay in the wilderness—a time of stagnation and discipline in their spiritual life.

In order for the Israelites to leave the wilderness and go into the promised land, they had to practice obedience. This was a necessary component. Whoever has will be given more but he who does not have even what they have will be taken away.

What areas have you been unfaithful in that God is again calling you to obedience? Is it Scripture reading and prayer? Is it serving? Is it getting out of an ungodly relationship? Is it changing your language or entertainment? He who has will be given more, but he who does not have even what he has will be taken away.

Application Question: What areas of obedience is God calling you to practice “more” in order to progress in your sanctification?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Practice Continuous Discipline

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, (Philippians 2:12)

The phrase “work out” is written as a command with a continuing emphasis. “The idea is, ‘Keep on working out to completion, to ultimate fulfillment.’”¹ This implies the need for discipline in our spiritual lives. Yes, God gives us grace, but we must be disciplined in order to grow. We must “keep on working it out.” We see this taught throughout the Scriptures. Paul told Timothy, “Discipline yourself unto godliness” (1 Tim 4:7).

I had a professor in seminary that said, “I have never met a godly person that wasn’t a morning person.” What he meant was that he had never met somebody truly godly who hadn’t developed discipline in their lives. This is the kind of discipline seen in Christ who got up early before everyone else and went to the mountain to pray. Mark 1:35 says this about Christ: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

An implication of “keep on working out your salvation to completion” is that we must have continuous discipline in order to be holy.

Application Question: What types of disciplines must we practice in order to grow in sanctification?

1. Sanctification happens through rigorous study of the Word of God.

Jesus prayed this right before going to the cross: “Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth” (John 17:17).

In order for us to grow in Christ, we must be people of the Word of God. We must be devoted to the study, memorization, and teaching of it. Peter said this: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).

The verb “may grow” here is passive—it literally means “it may grow you.”² When a person is rigorously studying the Word of God, it makes him grow. Scripture says the Word of God is active and alive (Heb 4:12). It equips the man of God for all righteousness (2 Tim 3:17). If you are consistently getting into the Word of God and obeying it, it will make you grow. It will make you look more like Christ. This is a discipline that all believers must develop in their lives so that they may grow up into their salvation.

2. Sanctification happens through rigorous prayer.

Jesus said this to the disciples right before he went to the cross, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak”’ (Mark 14:38).

Jesus had previously told Peter and the other disciples that they would deny him; however, Christ also taught them how not to fall to the temptation—how not to sin. They needed to be disciplined in prayer. This prayer was not a quick arrow prayer but a disciplined time in prayer. He called them to pray for an hour so they would not stumble. He put a time limit on it. This amount of prayer would make them strong enough not to deny him.

How many of us stumble into frustration, depression, anger, pride, or lust because we are not disciplined in our prayer lives? If we are not going to succumb to temptation, we must find time to pray, a space to pray, and people to pray with. It should be noted that when Christ was preparing for his own temptation, he not only prayed but called a prayer meeting. He said to his disciples, “Pray with me this one hour” (Matt 26:40). We must not only have individual times of prayer but also corporate times of prayer. It will build us up and make us strong to stand against temptation.

3. Sanctification happens through godly fellowship.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Being around godly brothers and sisters who are serious about Christ will help us grow. Developing accountability relationships where we confess sin to one another and pray for one another will bring healing and victory in our lives. James said this: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

Who are your accountability brothers and sisters? Many Christians have fellowship but their fellowship is centered around TV shows, shopping, sports, etc. Let our Christian fellowship be centered around spiritual growth and knowing God more.

In fact, this may be the primary method of spiritual discipline Paul had in mind when addressing the Philippians. Each of the pronouns in Philippians 2:12-13 are plural. The Philippians were to become more like Christ together. They needed one another, and we need one another as well. There are no lone rangers in the Christian life. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” If I will become like Christ, I need the body and the body needs me. Sanctification happens in the context of Christian fellowship. Thus Christians who do not go to church and are not involved in the life of the church are going to struggle with their spiritual progress.

How is the Lord calling you to develop godly fellowship?

4. Sanctification happens through mentorship.

Along with the idea of growth through Christian fellowship is mentorship. Paul was mentoring the Philippians as he challenged them to work out their salvation. Proverbs 13:20 says this: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”

The more you get around people who are wiser than you and know God more than you, the wiser you will become. We see this model throughout the Scripture. We see Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and his disciples, Paul and Timothy, Peter and Mark. It was through mentorship relationships that these people grew up into their salvation and fulfilled God’s calling on their lives.

Someone compared mentorship to walking in the airport. While in an airport, you see people walking to their destination, but you also see others walking to their destination on escalators. The people on escalators get there faster than people who are walking by foot only. Similarly, mentorship is God’s process to help us grow. We never get too old for mentorship because there is always somebody who knows more than us and who has walked with the Lord longer.

How do we develop these mentoring relationships?

Sometimes the mentor approaches us. Elijah approached Elisha. Jesus approached the disciples. However, sometimes the potential mentee should approach the mentor. In Luke 9:57 and 61, we see two people approach Christ and say, “I will follow you wherever you go.” We must seek out mentoring relationships, and we should not be discouraged when we are turned down. I’ve asked several people to mentor me throughout the years and at times, I have been turned down—sometimes simply because they were already too busy. Mentoring helps us grow.

With this said, we must understand that we not only grow by being mentored but by mentoring others. Teachers always learn more than their pupils. This is often true in mentoring relationships as well. We should not see mentoring as a burden, but as a way for us to grow as well.

5. Sanctification happens through serving.

Paul said this to Philemon: “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ” (Philemon 1:6).

Paul told Philemon to be active in sharing his faith because through sharing he would come to a full understanding of every good thing believers have in Christ. He would come to know God and his blessings more through sharing his faith—serving. If a person is not serving then he, by necessity, will be going backwards and will never come to a full understanding of Christ.

If we are going to grow in Christ we must be disciplined. These disciplines include but are not limited to studying the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, mentorship, and serving. Other disciplines include worship, celebration, solitude, simplicity, secrecy, fasting, etc.

Application Question: What disciplines have you found most helpful in your spiritual life? Are there any ways God is calling you to be more disciplined?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Develop Perseverance

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, (Philippians 2:12)

Again “work out” has the idea of “Keep on working out to completion, to ultimate fulfillment.”³  In the NIV this is represented by the word “continue”—continue to work out your salvation. This means that sanctification doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process that must be worked out till it is fully completed which ultimately won’t happen until we get to heaven. The implication of this is that we must persevere until it is complete.

Application Question: Why is perseverance in working out our salvation important?

1. Perseverance in working out our salvation is important because of temptations toward complacent, apathetic Christianity.

In this process of following Christ there will be temptations to give up the pursuit and just become spiritually comfortable and lethargic. The church is full of those who have not “persevered” in the discipline of “working out their salvation.” We see this with one church in particular in the New Testament—the church of Laodicea. Christ said this to the church:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:14-17)

This church was of no use to God—they were lukewarm. They thought to themselves that they did “not need a thing.” They were content and apathetic in their spiritual life, and therefore, they brought great displeasure to God. The church is full of Christians like this. Practically, they are of no use—fit only to be disciplined by God. This is a temptation for all Christians. We must persevere in our work of being sanctified. We must fight against lethargy.

Paul said this: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). We all have this responsibility to persevere in our pursuit of holiness and fight against apathetic, lukewarm Christianity.

2. Perseverance in working out our salvation is important because of temptations to fall away from God all together.

Paul confronts this reality commonly in his teachings. In Colossians, he said this:

But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. (Colossians 1:22-23a)

Paul writes to this church that was being attacked by a Gnostic cult who denied the deity of Christ and thus the gospel and said that they must continue in the faith—in the gospel. The church is constantly confronted with threats that cause many to fall away. Some fall away because of discord or moral failure in the church. Some fall away because of liberal—secular thinking—that challenges the exclusivity of the gospel. Some fall away into cults, and others fall away because of persecution the church encounters. Christ talks about some of these realities in Matthew 24. He says,

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:9-13)

Christ talked about how persecution, false teachers, and increased sin and wickedness in the end times will cause many to not persevere in the faith. They will simply fall away. He says that those who persevere are the ones who are really saved. Perseverance is a proof of genuine salvation (cf. 1 John 2:19). There are many threats to us continuing this process of “working out our salvation,” but we must persevere.

3. Perseverance in working out our salvation is necessary because it is the ground where character is developed.

Listen to what Paul said:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Paul said we rejoice in suffering because it creates perseverance and perseverance creates character. He said don’t give up in doing good because in due time you will reap a harvest. Yes, I know you’re working hard in studying the Word of God, praying, and serving, yet you don’t feel like you’re growing. Don’t give up and don’t grow weary for the fruit will come. I know it seems like you are going through trial after trial but don’t give up because that is where patience and joy, regardless of circumstances, are grown. We must persevere in working out our salvation until it’s complete. Perseverance in trials, perseverance in doing good and serving others is where character is developed.

Are you a Christian that commonly gives up? You start a small group but don’t finish it. You start serving a ministry but quit. You start certain spiritual disciplines but don’t complete them. You quit a relationship when it gets hard. You leave a church when there is a conflict or a problem. Listen, perseverance is necessary. It’s necessary for spiritual growth. James said this: “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4 NIV 2011).

Perseverance is important in working out our salvation because of tendencies toward apathetic Christianity which plague the church, threats to falling totally away from the faith, and because it is only through perseverance—bearing up under a heavy weight—that we develop character. Are you persevering?

Application Question: In what ways has God been challenging you to not give up—to persevere—in order to grow spiritually? How can we find encouragement when we want to give up?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Develop a Healthy Fear

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, (Philippians 2:12)

Paul says that another aspect of sanctification is developing a healthy fear. The word “fear” means fright, terror, or reverential awe of something. “Trembling” refers to a shaking—it is where we get the English word tremor.⁴ There is a fear, a reverential awe needed in the believer’s life in order to continue to work out his salvation.

Interpretation Question: What type of fear and trembling is Paul talking about?

1. In order to work out our salvation, we must revere God.

This means we must see and know the awesomeness of God. When one truly realizes the awesomeness of God, he will not give up intimacy with him for other things. Many pursue school, work, family, or hobbies over God. The problem these people have is that they don’t really stand in awe of God; they don’t have a reverent fear and trembling of him. Consider what David said about God: “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

David said, “Taste and see how good he is. See how awesome our God is.” When we really know how wonderful he is, how can we choose the bitterness of sin over him? How can we choose the created over the Creator? Taste and see how good he is. When one really knows how good he is—when one truly reverences God—it will be a motivation towards holiness. In fact, look at the context in which David wrote this:

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD (Psalm 34:7-11)

He says there is protection and deliverance for those who revere God (v. 7). He says those who fear him will lack nothing—there are provisions for those who fear him (v. 9). He speaks to those younger than him and says, “Listen, I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (v. 11). The benefits are too good. You must revere God. Give up your games, hobbies, and small ambitions. Make the reverence of the Lord your greatest pursuit. The benefits are glorious.

Do you revere God? Is God truly awesome to you? We must have a reverence of God in order to pursue him and our sanctification.

2. In order to work out our salvation, we must fear God’s discipline.

The writer of Hebrews said this: “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:6). He says every child of God is disciplined. God will not allow us to ignore him. He will not allow us to ignore his Word, and he will not allow us to live in sin. When we try, we will be disciplined. It may start off with a gentle rebuke through study of Scripture and/or the preaching of a sermon, but if we do not respond, it will turn into a whipping. Jonah ignored God, and God brought a terrible storm in his life that almost killed him and others associated with him. We must have a healthy fear of God’s discipline.

Consider what Paul said to the Corinthians who were disciplined by God for disrespecting the Lord’s Supper:

That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:30-32)

They were weak, sick, and some even died because of God’s discipline. He then says, “if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” He challenges them to survey their lives and their heart motives in order to avoid God’s discipline. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”—it is the beginning of living a wise life—a holy life. If we are going to grow in Christ, we must fear God’s discipline.

What other fear should believers have?

3. In order to work out our salvation, we must revere God’s Word.

Consider what God said through Isaiah: ‘“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). God esteems—he thinks highly of the one who trembles and shakes at God’s Word. Sadly, many Christians ignore it; they sleep during the preaching of it. They ignore God’s commands in it and choose to sin instead. God says he looks with esteem on the one who trembles at his Word.

This is necessary for us to grow in our sanctification. If we don’t reverence the Word of God, we won’t read it, study it, or memorize it. We will allow the Bible to collect dust on our shelf. If we don’t fear God’s Word, we will disobey it and dishonor it in our life.

Do you reverence it? If you reverence it, you will pursue understanding of it. If you reverence it, you will obey it because you realize God speaks through it. It is not a pastor or a parent speaking; it is God speaking, and he is worthy to be revered.

If we are going to be sanctified, we must reverence God, fear his discipline, and revere his Word. Christians should minister with a holy fear and trembling of the one they serve. Consider how Paul described his ministry to the Corinthian church: “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Paul was a man who lived in a reverential fear of God. One could tell by the way he spoke and served. He served with a constant view of a majestic God—a God who is a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Application Question: Do you feel like you have a healthy fear of God and his Word? Why or why not? How do we grow in the fear of God? How do we know if we have an unhealthy fear of God?

In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Allow God to Work in Us

…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)

After speaking about the believer’s role in working out his salvation, Paul speaks about God’s role. As he focused on the necessity of our labor in sanctification, you can imagine how some felt discouraged over their sins, failures, and lack of discipline. Here Paul comforts them with, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure.” This is similar to Paul’s encouragement for Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7. He said,

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

He says “fan into flame the gift of God”—make it strong and maximize it—and then he says “for God has given us power, love, and self-discipline through the Holy Spirit.” He has given us everything needed through his indwelling Spirit to be holy and maximize our gifts. He is working in us; therefore, we must work as well.

Observation Question: How does God work in us?

1. God works in us to will—meaning he gives us his desires.

Jesus said this about the work of the Holy Spirit in the world: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Even though Christ was speaking to the world, this certainly happens to believers as the Spirit produces in them a desire to do God’s will. This happens in various ways.

Interpretation Question: In what ways does God work in us to give us his will or desires?

• God works in us to will by convicting us of sin.

Some have called this a holy discontent. By the Holy Spirit’s convicting work in our heart, he enables us to hate and despise our sin. He does this through God’s Word, fellowship with godly saints, and through discipline. Consider how Isaiah responded when he saw God: “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty’” (Isaiah 6:5).

By seeing God it revealed to Isaiah how sinful he and his people were. Similarly, Paul said this: “O wretched man that I am” (Romans 7:24). The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin—enabling us to hate it and to desire to get rid of it. He gives us a holy discontent.

• God works in us to will by convicting us of righteousness.

God gives us holy aspirations—desires to be more like him or to fulfill his will. We see both Paul’s holy discontent and his holy aspirations in Philippians 3:12-14:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul desired to press to be more like Christ daily—he had holy aspirations.

• God works in us to will by convicting us of judgment.

One of the ways he works in us to will is by the Holy Spirit reminding us of the coming judgment—the second coming of Christ. We as believers will not be condemned for our sins, but we will be rewarded or lose rewards based on our works. Second Corinthians 5:9-11 says,

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

Paul said that he and the other apostles were motivated by the judgment seat of Christ. There they would either have reward or loss of reward. They wanted reward not out of selfish ambition but in order to please God and out of fear of his judgment (v. 9, 11). First Corinthians 3:15 talks about those who will be saved by fire (KJV)—meaning they will receive no reward in heaven. The Holy Spirit convicts us of this judgment.

• God works in us to will by the manifestation of peace or removal of peace.

Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

The word “rule” is an athletic word used of an umpire in an athletic contest. The umpire says that this person is safe or that this person won the race. Many times as we are seeking God’s will about a future decision or what path we should take, he works in us to do his will by the presence of peace or by the absence of peace.

With Pilate’s wife, God’s grace was manifest by tormenting dreams the night before Christ’s crucifixion. She told Pilate to have nothing to do with that righteous man (Matt 27:19). God took away her peace to help her discern God’s will. One person said this about God’s peace: “Darkness about going is light about staying.” Many times in discerning God’s will, a consistent lack of peace is enough revelation to not make a decision or to not go forward. He works in us to will by peace.

• God works in us to will by the manifestation of his sovereign will.

Another way God works on our wills is simply through the manifestation of God’s sovereignty—directing our hearts by various means. For instance, Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”

We saw this with Pharaoh as God hardened his heart (Ex 9:12). But God also sovereignly works in our hearts through directing circumstances, events, demons, waiting seasons, and everything else in order to guide us into his will. God could use a donkey on the side of the road to change our desires to his purposes (cf. Num 22, Balaam and the donkey).

How else does God work in us according to Philippians 2:13?

2. God works in us by giving us the power to work.

The Greek word for “act” in verse 13 is “energio.” It is where we get the English word “energy.”⁵ God energizes us—empowers us—to do his will. Paul said this about his ministry: “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29).

Paul said he labored, literally “labored to exhaustion,” and the reason he could do that is because the power of God worked in him so strongly. In fact, Paul prayed for the power of God to be operating in the Ephesian church. In Ephesians 3:16, he says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”

How does God’s power begin to operate in our lives? Jesus simply said this: ‘“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We must abide in Christ so that his power can fully manifest in our lives to accomplish his work—to be sanctified.

Application Question: How is God calling you to rely more on him in your sanctification? How do we keep that delicate balance of our work and God’s work?

Conclusion

How do believers work out their salvation—their sanctification?

1. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Focus on Our Model—Jesus Christ
2. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Know the Love of God
3. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Grow in Obedience to God
4. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Practice Continuous Discipline
5. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Develop Perseverance
6. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Develop a Healthy Fear
7. In Order to Be Sanctified, We Must Allow God to Work in Us

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¹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 161). Chicago: Moody Press.

² MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2004). 1 Peter (p. 100). Chicago: Moody Publishers.

³ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 161). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁴ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 160). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁵ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 172). Chicago: Moody Press.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:1-3)

How do we protect ourselves from spiritual threats? How do we protect the church?

When I was a child living in my parents’ house, like many children, I felt that my father always repeated himself. There were always a few things he constantly repeated. He would commonly tell me to not hang around bad kids because they would get me in trouble. He also constantly reminded me to lock the door to our house so no one would break in and steal things. As a child and later a high school student, I remember always saying, “Yes, of course, Dad. I got it. I know.” Moreover, I remember after college I was moving into a new apartment, as I was about to start seminary in Chicago, and my parents stayed with me for a night. As my parents were about to depart and drive back to Texas, my dad said to me, “Don’t hang around any bad people and make sure you lock your doors.” In my mind I thought, “I am a grown man. You don’t need to tell me this.” However, I just said, “Yes, Dad. Thanks for the tip.”

In this text, we see Paul’s fatherly care for the Philippians and like many fathers he repeats himself in order to protect the Philippians. He said, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you” (Phil 3:1).

What is he repeating? Commentators are divided on that. Some think he is talking about his exhortation to “rejoice in the Lord.” Others think he is focusing on the call to beware of false teachers. Which is it? It is probably better to look at the entire section of verses 1-3 as part of Paul’s holy repetition in seeking to protect the Philippians. Paul’s desire is to protect the Philippians and their faith in God.

How do we protect our faith and the faith of those around us? Some things in our spiritual life should be repeated over and over again. We need to repeat them to ourselves and also to others for protection. As Christians, there are many threats to our spiritual lives. We have a threat from within. We have a flesh that we must battle against at all times (Gal 5:17). We have the world system that constantly tempts and at times even persecutes us (1 John 2:15-17). We have an enemy in the devil seeking to lure us away from God and his plan for our lives (2 Tim 2:26). Also, we must not forget the general consequences of sin on this earth, as we all encounter various trials and tribulations. Life bears thorns and thistles instead of the fruit we have worked for (Gen 3:17-18). Life is hard at times and these difficulties can be threats to our faith. Because of all these realities, there is a need to protect our faith.

In this text, we will see several principles about guarding our faith and others’.

Big Question: According to Paul, what principles must we practice in order to remain safe and protect ourselves from spiritual threats?

Believers Protect Themselves by Remaining in Fellowship

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1)

When Paul says “finally,” it is better translated ‘“furthermore,” “so then,” or “now then.” It is a word of transition, not conclusion, since half of Philippians follows it.¹ Paul is marking a change in thought and focus. Paul here calls the Philippians “brothers” and then seeks to protect them by instruction. The implication of both Paul calling them “brothers” and then seeking to challenge them is that his relationship with the Philippians was part of their protection. As a loving family member, he sought to protect his spiritual brothers and sisters from various threats to their spiritual health. The Philippians had a form of protection in their fellowship with Paul and one another.

This is true for us as well. If we do not remain in healthy fellowship with believers who will hold us accountable, we are vulnerable to various attacks. The spiritual life is not meant to be walked alone. God has given us spiritual fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters to help us grow and also to protect us from things that might draw us away from God (cf. 1 Tim 5:1-2).

Similarly, the disciples lived in a close relationship with one another and with Christ as a protection. Christ constantly warned and exhorted them as a protection. He told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (Mark 8:15). He told them to not worry about what they would eat, drink, or wear (Matt 6:25). Jesus was protecting them, just like Paul was with the Philippians. His relationship with them was a form of accountability. However, it also seems as though Christ needed this fellowship as well. On the night he was betrayed, he called three of his disciples to pray with him because he was weary unto death (Matt 26:3). He needed their prayers. As a man he was dependent upon the accountability relationships with his disciples; he needed their support.

We see the need for fellowship and accountability relationships throughout Scripture. Paul also said this:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

Paul reminded the brothers in Galatia of their need to restore those caught in some sin. Similarly, in Matthew 18 Christ taught the need for us both individually and corporately as a church to hold people accountable as a protection from sin. Listen to what he said:

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

If a person is in sin, one should go and show him his fault. If he will not listen, one should bring another person. Then, if he still does not listen, one should bring it to the church. Finally, if this person continues in sin, then the church should discipline him by treating him as a pagan or tax collector—essentially removing the person from their fellowship.

One of the ways we protect ourselves is by remaining in the fellowship. As soon as a person starts to drift away from church and Christian fellowship in general, they are on dangerous ground. Paul, as the Philippians’ older brother in the Lord, sought to warn them and protect them.

Who holds you accountable? How do you respond when somebody challenges or warns you? Who do you challenge? Proverbs says, “faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov 27:6). Sometimes it may mean hurting somebody’s feelings when you warn or challenge them, but these wounds are faithful and necessary for protection.

I think we see the importance of this in Paul’s relationship with the Philippians and how he spoke to them as a loving brother. If we are going to protect ourselves, we must have healthy fellowship.

Application Question: Why are accountability relationships and genuine church fellowship so important? How do we develop these relationships? Who are your accountability partners?

Believers Protect Themselves by Guarding Their Joy

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1)

The next protection for the Philippians was their joy in the Lord. As their older spiritual brother, Paul calls for the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord.” Many have seen joy as the major theme of the epistle. In chapter 1, he mentioned joy several times. He says he always prays with joy because of their partnership in the gospel (Phil 1:4-5). Concerning whether he would die or live, he said he was convinced it was God’s will for him to stay for their progress and joy in the faith (1:25). In Philippians 2:17-18, he declared how he rejoiced in his sacrifice for them and commands them to rejoice as well. Even though Paul was in prison, his heart was protected by his joy in the Lord, and he wanted them to be protected as well. In fact, he will repeat this call for the church to have joy in Philippians 4:2. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice.”

Why is the joy of the Lord so important for our faith? Why is it a protection from various spiritual threats? First of all, we should understand that this joy is not a joy in circumstances. It is a joy regardless of circumstances. A Christian can rejoice in poverty, loss, failure, heart-break, etc., because this joy is based on our relationship with the Lord. It overflows from our relationship with God. It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). As we are abiding in God’s Spirit, he gives us joy.

Why is it a protection? Paul’s command to rejoice in the Lord as a protection or a “safeguard” tells us that a loss of joy in the Lord is a sure pathway into sin and an open door for the enemy. The reality is if we lose our joy in Christ, we will try to find it somewhere outside of our relationship with him. For example, when the prodigal son was no longer content with his relationship with his father and the father’s provisions, he left the father’s house to find his joy and satisfaction in sin (Luke 15). If we lose our joy in Christ, we will be tempted to do the same.

This was exactly Satan’s strategy in the Garden of Eden. What was Adam’s and Eve’s joy in the garden? It was the Lord—joy in his person, his provisions, and his blessing. Therefore, Satan’s temptation was essentially an attack on their joy. He wanted them to not trust God. He wanted them to think God was actually there to keep them from having joy. Satan said, “Did God say you could not eat from ‘every’ tree in the garden?” He tried to make God’s command feel overbearing. He then attacked God’s character. He said, “You will not surely die, but you will be like God.”

This is Satan’s attack against us. He wants us to lose our joy in the Lord. He wants us to focus on every trial, every bad situation, and every circumstance that is not ideal, because when we do that, we lose our protection. There is protection; there is power in our joy in the Lord.

Nehemiah said this in speaking to the Israelites who were mourning during the revival God brought in Israel: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh 8:10b). He said that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Therefore, to not rejoice in the Lord would be to weaken ourselves and make us vulnerable to discouragement, sin, and various other maladies of the evil one.

Application Question: How do we maintain our joy in the Lord?

1. Believers maintain their joy “in” the Lord by focusing on their relationship with God.

We learn how to maintain our joy in the Lord by noticing the small preposition “in.” Our joy is “in” the Lord. We must constantly seek fellowship with Christ. We must constantly abide in his Word, fellowship, worship, etc. If we are not constantly developing our relationship with Christ, we cannot have joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit which comes from walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 22). Therefore, if we are not walking with the Lord, we cannot have joy.

2. Believers maintain their joy in the Lord by choosing not to indulge in hazards to their relationship with God.

If focusing on our relationship with God is the positive action needed to have joy, then rejecting everything that would hinder that relationship is the negative action. It means choosing to not worry, to not be anxious, to not live in sin, to not live in discord with others, to not meditate on ungodly things which steal our joy, etc. David said, “If I cherished iniquity in my heart the Lord would not have heard me” (Psalm 66:18). Sin hindered his relationship with God and therefore quenched his joy.

Personally, I have to be very careful about worry and anxiety. It can be anxiety about the future, a relationship conflict, or a task needing to be completed. Proverbs says, “Anxiety in the heart of man brings depression” (Prov 12:25). We must zealously guard ourselves from anything that would hinder our relationship with God. Maintaining our joy is both a fruit of developing intimacy with God and also rejecting anything that would hinder that relationship.

Do you have joy in the Lord? Or have you lost it? To lose it means to be in a dangerous position spiritually.

Application Question: What are major threats to your joy in the Lord? How do you practically maintain this joy? Have you seen or experienced how a loss of joy in the Lord is a doorway to all types of sin?

Believers Protect Themselves by Living in the Word of God

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1)2

The next principle that Paul gives for guarding the believer’s spiritual life is living in the Word of God. He gives this by implication. Essentially, the Philippians would be guarded by reading the writing of the letter he sent them, the book of Philippians, and putting the truths into practice. He says “to write the same things” to them again was a safeguard. The letter itself was meant to help protect the Philippians.

It is the same for us; one of the primary ways we guard ourselves spiritually is by a life lived in the Word of God. It has been said that “The Word of God will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Word of God.” You can’t have both. A person who is not walking with God will not desire to read the Bible and won’t desire to go to a church where the Bible is preached. However, a person growing in his relationship with God will love being in the Word of God. One’s relationship with the Word of God is a spiritual thermometer. It shows where our spiritual life really is. If we are growing in the knowledge of Scripture, we will be guarded from many threats of the enemy, but if we are not growing, we are vulnerable.

Application Question: In what ways does the Word of God protect the believer from sin?

1. The Word of God is a protection because it exposes sin.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Living in the Word of God is like having surgery. As it cuts us, it reveals wrong heart attitudes: pride, anger, unforgiveness, etc. James compares living in the Word of God to looking into a mirror (James 1:23-25). It reveals all our sins and shortcomings. Some people aren’t even aware of compromise in their life because they are not letting the mirror of God’s Word reflect on them. The Word of God is necessary to expose sin so we can confess it and abandon it.

2. The Word of God is a protection because it enables us to stand against temptation.

David said this: “I hide your word in my heart so I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). David practiced the discipline of memorizing Scripture in order to protect him from lust, anxiety, retaliation, etc. Hiding the Word of God in our heart is a protection for us as well.

3. The Word of God is a protection because it enables us to stand against spiritual warfare.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, he continually spoke the Word of God to combat the enemy’s lies (Matt 4:1-10). Scripture actually teaches that the Word of God is the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:17). It is the very weapon the Spirit uses to defeat the devil. We must know the Word of God thoroughly so we can win our spiritual battles.

4. The Word of God is a protection because it helps us grow into maturity.

Paul taught this in Ephesians 4:11-15:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Paul said that the very reason God gave gifted teachers to the church was to help the church mature out of spiritual childhood. Spiritual children are prone to danger. They are especially prone to fall into false teaching (v. 14). However, the Word of God, as taught through spiritual leaders, helps spiritual children mature and therefore protects them from various temptations.

If we are going to stay safe, if we are going to protect ourselves from various spiritual threats, we must be people of God’s Word. It exposes sin. It helps us fight against temptation and spiritual warfare, and it helps us mature in Christ.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced the Word of God as a protection from spiritual threats? Describe your spiritual disciplines with the Word of God.

Believers Protect Themselves by Watching Out for False Teachers

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh (Philippians 3:2)

Again, we see Paul using repetition to protect the Philippians. He says, “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.” He is using repetition for the sake of emphasis. Essentially, he is saying, “Watch out for those dogs, watch out for those men who do evil, watch out for those mutilators of the flesh.”

Most likely, Paul is referring to a group of false teachers called the Judaizers. When the gospel began to spread in the book of Acts, a group of “professing” Jewish Christians taught a need for Gentiles to practice the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. Salvation was not by faith alone. We see this conflict at the Antioch church in Acts 15:1. It says, “Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’” This brought Paul and Barnabas into a sharp debate with them, and because of this, Paul and other representatives went to the Jerusalem church to seek the counsel of the apostles. The apostle James gave the final decision on this situation. He said,

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:19-21)

The Gentiles were not commanded to practice the Jewish law and circumcision as a means of salvation. But, they were to practice sensitivity regarding Jewish customs (meat from strangled animals, blood, etc.) in order to not offend the Jews living in various cities. Essentially, they were asked to practice the law of love (cf. Romans 14:21).

However, even though there was a clear ruling on this issue, it did not stop these false teachers. They essentially followed Paul everywhere he went, seeking to corrupt the churches with a false gospel. In fact, the entire letter of Galatians confronts this false teaching. Paul said this:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9)

As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! (Galatians 5:12)

Paul speaks very aggressively towards them. He says anybody who preaches another gospel should be accursed. He also said he wished that those who preached the need for circumcision should go all the way and emasculate themselves.

This is very important to notice because in today’s culture we have become so focused on “tolerance” and “love” that very few ever sound the alarm about false teaching. To teach that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, or the Roman Catholics teach a false gospel is considered unloving. People who hear teaching like this often become offended. However, let us be clear that this is not the way Paul felt as a good shepherd protecting his sheep. And, because these warnings are written in Scripture, we can be sure that this is not the way God feels either. Anybody that teaches a gospel other than salvation by faith through grace alone should be eternally condemned.

Now, I know this is hard to hear, but we must hear it because this is what God teaches. If we don’t hear it, then we will not be heeding the serious warning that Paul gives. He essentially says beware, beware, beware. Christ taught the same thing.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (Matthew 7:15-17)

Jesus said you will know them by their fruits. If you watch long enough, their works will manifest their inward nature. You will be able to tell who the false teachers are.

Observation Question: In what ways does Paul describe the false teachers? What can we learn from these characteristics?

“Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh” (Philippians 3:2).

1. Beware of teachers that try to steal believers from the church.

When Paul called these false teachers “dogs,” he was saying they were like scavengers. This is a different word than what Christ used to refer to the Gentile woman in the gospels who asked him to heal her daughter (Matt 15:26-27). There he used the word for pet dogs.² Here Paul refers to dogs that ran in packs, fed on garbage, stole food, and at times even attacked humans. Therefore, they were hated and feared. Paul compared the false teachers to these scavengers. They try to steal people from God’s church. Most times their converts are not unbelievers; they are those who profess Christ in the church. Jesus similarly called them wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). This meant they would constantly come and try to steal sheep from the flock. Paul said this to Timothy about them:

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. (2 Timothy 3:6-7)

These teachers would go into homes while the husbands were away and seek to manipulate the women with their teachings and gain control over them. False teachers are prone to spiritual abuse—they seek to control people.

2. Beware of teachers that exalt a particular nation or people group and demean others.

Another implication of the descriptor “dogs” is that these Judaizers taught that the Jewish race was superior to other races. The word “dog” was a common racial slur used by Jews for Gentiles. Jewish men would wake up every morning and say, “Thank you, God, that I am a man and not a woman, a Jew and not a gentile dog.” There was tremendous hostility between Jews and Gentiles. Paul was using irony by calling these Judaizers dogs—the same name they used of the Gentiles.

Yes, in a sense, God called the Jews to be his special people—his kingdom of priests on the earth (Exodus 19:6). They were to be the stewards of the Word of God, the temple, and the worship. But, they were meant to be servants of everybody else—missionaries and not exalted kings. They were selected based on God’s electing purposes (cf. Deut 7:7-8, Rom 9:3-5), not anything special they had done.

This is a common belief among false teachers and false religions. They often exalt a particular race or people group. I remember being in undergrad and one preacher came on campus teaching how black people were the race of Shem (cf. Gen 9:26)—God’s chosen people. All of a sudden, people from our Christian fellowship, specifically African Americans, began to follow this man thinking that they were very special. This teaching is very seductive because of our natural pride and desire to be exalted (cf. Gen 3:5). Certainly, we see this with the Nazi’s, the KKK, other supremacist groups, and many cults. They exalt themselves and consider everybody else dogs. Beware of teachings that exalt one nation or people group over others.

3. Beware of teachers that teach a works salvation.

Paul calls them “evil workers.” Again, he seems to be using irony. These teachers taught salvation by practicing the Jewish law—a works righteousness. However, Paul confronted them by saying their works were really evil. They were evil because their works perverted the gospel, and any good works they had would never be accepted by God. Isaiah said that “even our righteousness is as filthy rags” before God (Isaiah 64:6).

We see works salvation taught in many groups. You can be saved by faith plus baptism. You can be saved by faith plus taking the Lord’s Supper. You can be saved by faith plus other good works. Works salvation essentially is the hallmark of every religion except true Christianity. Every religion says “do this” or "do that" and you can be saved. But, Christianity says it is “all done.” Everything you need to be saved has already been done by Christ. The good works you needed to be acceptable by God were completed by Jesus while on the earth (cf. Matt 3:15, 2 Cor 5:21). The punishment necessary for your sin, Jesus bore on the cross. All you need to do is accept his finished work and follow him as your Lord (cf. Rom 10:13).

We must beware of teachers that say Christ’s work is not enough. They say, “You must join this church. You must do this or that, and you will be saved.” No. Everything has been done. One must put his faith in Christ as sufficient for salvation and follow him as Lord. That is all one must do to be saved. Beware of teachers that preach a works salvation.

4. Beware of teachers that practice a sinful life.

Not only was Paul’s description of “evil workers” a form of irony, it also was the fruit of their lives. False teachers, like the Pharisees, often live what looks like a moral life on the outside. Christ called them “whitewashed tombs.” In Matthew 23:25-28, he said this:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Often false teachers appear righteous on the outside, but on the inside, they are full of anger, pride, jealousy, selfishness, deception, and lust. And eventually, these sins will become clearly manifest. The Pharisees trumped up false witnesses against Christ and had him murdered to protect their position. Beware of teachers that preach righteousness but are full of dead men’s bones. What’s on the inside eventually will fully manifest. Paul said this:

The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. (1 Timothy 5:24-25)

For some, their sins are obvious, but for others, it trails behind. However, it will eventually clearly manifest. Paul says this in the context of not laying hands on somebody hastily (v. 22). Essentially, he says, “Don’t pick an elder too fast.” Their sins or their righteousness will eventually become abundantly clear. Beware of teachers that practice a sinful life. Paul calls them “evil workers.”

5. Beware of teachers that focus on rituals and traditions over God’s Word.

Paul calls them “mutilators of the flesh.” Again, Paul was using irony to make a point. These false teachers taught the necessity of circumcision. Circumcision was a Jewish rite given by God to Abraham (cf. Gen 17:10). Jewish parents would circumcise their sons on the 8th day after birth. This was a sign of participation in God’s covenant with Israel. If anybody was not circumcised, they were to be cut off from Israel—killed. However, this outward sign was always supposed to be a picture of an inward reality. It was to be a picture of having a changed heart before God—a heart that loved him and loved people. Jeremiah said this:

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it. (Jeremiah 4:4)

The Jews were to circumcise their hearts or God’s wrath would break out against them. To be circumcised physically and not have a circumcised heart meant nothing before God (cf. Rom 2:25-29). It was just a ritual without the reality. This was always taught in the Old Testament. God desires obedience more than all the burnt offerings (cf. 1 Sam 15:22). To practice a ritual without the right heart is nothing before God.

It is the same for us. Our worship must be “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). We must have the objective reality of obedience to Scripture, but if we don’t have the subjective reality—the right spirit or right heart—then it is unacceptable. False teachers and false teaching often focus on the ritual over the heart. They emphasize the form—the right clothes for worship, the right outward appearances, etc. The Pharisees made a great deal out of the washing of hands to be cleansed for worship even though it was not commanded by God (cf. Mk 7:1-2). Many of their rituals were not commands of God but simply traditions of men. Jesus said this about the Pharisees:

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” (Mark 7:6-8)

With the Judaizers, since circumcision was no longer commanded of God, it was just a ritual that was neither right nor wrong. One could be circumcised or not, and it wouldn’t make them any closer to God. In the church age, it is just a tradition. Be careful of teachers that emphasize traditions and ritual, especially those not commanded in the Scripture. Traditions are an easy substitute for a right heart, which is what God is really after.

Churches that emphasize traditions and rituals often become very legalistic and judgmental. If you don’t have the outside form, if the female wears pants, if this guy has long hair, if this person doesn’t do this, then he or she is often judged and excluded from the fellowship. Be careful of teachers that emphasize rituals over the commands of Scripture.

The majority of the New Testament epistles contain warnings about false teachers and false teachings that attacked the early church. We also need to hear this today, especially as we near the second coming of Christ. Jesus told his disciples to “watch out” so that no one would deceive them. He said in the last days there would be many false teachers and many claiming to be Christ (Matt 24:4-5, 11). There is a new cult started essentially every day. Therefore, we must always be aware of this reality. Satan is seeking to tear people from the flock like a wild dog. In order to protect ourselves, we must beware of false teachers.

Application Question: In what ways have you been exposed to false teachers and false teaching? What are some major errors being promoted currently in the church?

Believers Protect Themselves by Developing Assurance of Salvation

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3)

Paul teaches that one of the ways we protect ourselves is by knowing that we are truly saved. The Philippians would not become prey for the Judaizers or other false prophets if they knew that they were truly born again. And, it is the same for all Christians. Those who are not fully convinced that they are God’s—that they are born again—are very susceptible to those who peddle another gospel, to spiritual warfare, and to other temptations. Paul said the Philippians should beware of them “for” or “because” (v. 4). He then gives reasons why they should beware of them. He describes them (including himself) as the circumcision— those who were truly saved. He essentially says—we are the true circumcision, true worshipers who glory in Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh.

The importance of developing assurance as a protection is taught throughout the New Testament. Peter said this: “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). Peter said to make our election sure, and if we do, we will never fall or stumble. One of the major themes of 2 Peter is warnings against false teachers (cf. 2:1-22), and Peter says assurance of salvation would help protect them from stumbling and falling into their teaching. Similarly, Paul taught the need to put on the helmet of salvation (Eph 6:17) in order to stand against spiritual warfare. What is the helmet of salvation? It is not being saved; it is assurance of salvation.

A person struggling with whether they are truly saved or not is easy prey for the enemy. Satan works overtime to comfort those who are not saved. He wants them to have a false peace so they will never truly repent of their sins and be born again. And at the same time, he works overtime to afflict those who are truly born again. He wants them to doubt their salvation, fear that they don’t have it, or that they have lost it in order to keep them from being effective ministers of Christ.

Scripture everywhere teaches the necessity of knowing that we are truly born again—truly saved. In fact, Paul taught the need for assurance as the next step right after salvation. In Acts 2:20, he said, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Paul said repent and now prove your repentance by your works. There are necessary works in the life of a believer that prove they are saved. Believers are not saved by works, but works will be present if they are truly saved. If they are without works, then they are not truly born again (cf. James 2:17).

What works does Paul attribute to those who are truly born again?

Observation Question: What works characterize those who are truly born again in Philippians 3:3 and what can we learn from these works?

“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3).

1. True believers will have a different relationship to sin.

Paul calls believers “the circumcision”—inferring that Christians had the true circumcision and that the Judaizers had a false one. As mentioned previously, circumcision was an outward work meant to reflect an inward reality. That inward reality was a change in their relationship to sin so that they could truly follow God. And, that is exactly what has happened to every true believer. Colossians 2:11 says this: “In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ.”

Paul says that those who are “in” Christ have been circumcised by putting off the sinful nature. This means that sin is no longer their master and that they are no longer controlled by sin. Romans 6:6-7 says this:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

A person who is born again should continually see a decrease of sin in their life and a greater power over it. John said this:

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:9-10)

John says, no one who is born of God will continue in sin. Why? It is because God’s seed remains in him. This does not mean that a believer will not sin anymore, because he will. He just cannot live in it as a pattern or lifestyle anymore. The things he used to do, he can’t do anymore. Sin leads to conviction and mourning because the believer is doing something contrary to his new nature. A person who lives in sin as a pattern proves that he was never circumcised by Christ (cf. Col 2:11). He is not a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). He is not born again.

Has God changed your relationship to sin? If your profession of Christ as Lord has not changed your relationship to sin, then your profession has probably not changed your eternal destiny. Paul was essentially saying, “You don’t have to follow the false teachers because you are the true circumcision. At the cross, Christ severed the power of sin over your life—you are new.”

What is another characteristic of somebody who is truly born again?

2. True believers will live a life of worship through the Spirit of God.

Not only do true believers have a change in their relationship with sin but also in their relationship with God. Paul says they “worship by the Spirit of God.” Because God has given believers the Holy Spirit, they now live a lifestyle of worship. The Holy Spirit enables them to worship. Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” The Holy Spirit works in believers to cry out to God. They find in themselves a desire to worship, to pray, to serve God, and to hear and study his Word. This is a work of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, the word “worship” might best be translated “‘to render respectful spiritual service.’ True worship goes beyond praising God, singing hymns, or participating in a worship service. The essence of worship is living a life of obedient service to God.”³ Everything the believer does can be worship because he is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul said this in Colossians: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

Some have called this worship “religious affections.” Has God changed your relationship to sin and given you religious affections by the Holy Spirit? Do you desire to pray—to cry out “Abba, Father”? Do you desire to read the Word? Do you desire to share the gospel? Do you desire to serve?

This is a marvelous reality that has happened to every true believer. Where the false teachers worked in their own strength, true believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit with religious affections to serve the Lord.

3. True believers boast in Christ.

The word boast or “glorying” “describes boasting with exultant joy about what a person is most proud of.”⁴ A true believer will boast continually in God and the things of God, whereas a person who is simply practicing religion will constantly boast in himself. Look at what Paul wrote:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

True believers will constantly be glorying in Christ and boasting in their Savior. I remember reading an article about a famous basketball player who just had a string of high scoring games. The reporter asked the basketball star, “What is your secret?” He responded, “Jesus Christ.” She responded, “You had nothing to do with it.” He again responded, “It’s all God.” I read the comments section on this article and many were upset at his giving glory to God instead of boasting in all his hard work. However, this should be normative for somebody who is saved. It is not that we deny that we worked hard. Like Paul we say, “We worked harder than everybody else.” But, in the same breath, we recognize it was all a grace of God (1 Cor 15:10). He gives us life, breath, and everything else. He gives us our giftings; he works in us to will and do of his good pleasure. True believers recognize their utter bankruptcy and therefore always glory in Christ. They not only need God to be saved but also for everything else. However, those who hope in their religion—their good works—will commonly boast in their works instead of God. Consider Christ’s story of the Pharisee and the tax collector:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

It’s interesting, the Pharisee prayed “about himself” (v. 11). He boasted in his fasting and his giving and condemned others less outwardly righteous than him. However, the tax collector could only cry out for mercy from God. His hope was totally in God and not in his works.

Do you constantly give glory to Christ? This is a characteristic of a true believer.

4. True believers put no confidence in the flesh.

When Paul talks about the flesh, he is referring to “man’s fallen, unredeemed humanness; it pictures human ability apart from God.”⁵ To put no confidence in the flesh means to understand the reality that we can do nothing acceptable to God apart from his grace. Even our righteousness is as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). A true believer realizes that he can do nothing good in order to achieve salvation, but he also is growing in his understanding that there is nothing good in him apart from God. Listen to what Paul said: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18). There was nothing good within him. In fact, he cried out at the end of Romans 7:24, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Paul realized there was nothing good within him, nothing that would please God apart from grace. This doctrine is often called “Total Depravity.” Jesus said this: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).

Because of this reality, a believer, though prone to pride and boasting, will be continually growing in humility. Like the disciples, they will be growing in practicing secrecy even with their good works (Matt 6:1-8). Why? It’s because they realize that it is the Spirit that gives life and that the flesh counts for nothing. They work hard at starving the flesh because it deserves no glory—only God does. “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor 1:31). The Judaizers were relying on their works—their righteousness—to be acceptable to God. However a true believer puts no confidence in his flesh and relies fully on God’s work.

Are you trusting in your baptism? Are you trusting in taking the Lord’s Supper? Are you trusting in church attendance? None of those count as far as salvation is concerned. Our boast is only in Christ for the flesh counts for nothing.

How do we know if we are truly saved? We are the circumcision—God has changed our relationship to sin. We can’t live in sin anymore. We are the ones who worship by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has given us religious affections—a desire to pray, a desire to serve, a desire to study his Word, etc. Our boast is in Christ alone, the flesh is nothing. We glorify Christ in everything because we know the weakness of our flesh. The Spirit gives life, and the flesh counts for nothing.

Knowing that we are saved is a great protection for us. It protects us from the attacks of the devil. It will protect us from deep discouragements. It will protect us from being drawn into cults or false teachings that profess to know the way to true salvation. We must make our election sure as we grow in the faith, and if we do, it will keep us from stumbling and falling (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Application Question: How do believers grow in assurance of salvation (cf. 2 Peter 1:5-11, Matt 5:3-11, Acts 26:20, James 2:14-26)? Do you ever struggle with assurance of salvation? Why or why not?

Conclusion

How do we protect ourselves from spiritual threats and attacks? There are attacks from within through our flesh, attacks from the world, attacks from the devil, and the constant temptations that come with trials. How can we protect ourselves from stumbling and falling away from Christ?

1. Believers Protect Themselves by Remaining in Fellowship
2. Believers Protect Themselves by Guarding Their Joy
3. Believers Protect Themselves by Living in the Word of God
4. Believers Protect Themselves by Watching Out for False Teachers
5. Believers Protect Themselves by Developing Assurance of Salvation

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¹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 215). Chicago: Moody Press.

² MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 217). Chicago: Moody Press.

³ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 221). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁴ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 222). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁵ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 223). Chicago: Moody Press.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:12-16)

How should we pursue spiritual maturity—growth into the image of Christ?

One of the things I really love about Paul’s writing is his tendency to use athletic illustrations. It’s a common feature in his letters. In Ephesians 6:12, he uses a wrestling metaphor; he says, “we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but powers and principalities.” In 1 Corinthians 9:24 he uses a running metaphor; he says, “Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way to obtain it.” Later in the same passage, he uses a boxing metaphor; he says, “I do not fight like a man that beats the air” (v. 26). I would imagine that if I met Paul in person that not only would we have great theological conversations but also great conversations about sports. However, the reason he commonly used these sporting illustrations was because he saw many similarities between a competitive athlete and our spiritual lives. Christians should work at their spiritual life like a competitive athlete works at his craft.

This text is no different. Paul compares his pursuit of becoming more like Christ to a person running a foot race. In verse 3:12 he says, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” The word “press” can be translated “’to run’ or ‘follow after.’ It speaks of ‘an aggressive, energetic endeavor.’”¹ Paul saw himself in pursuit of being like Christ in every way. What was it that Paul was running after? It was what he previously mentioned in Philippians 3:10-11. He said,

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul did not just want to know Christ intimately; he wanted to be just like him in every way. He wanted to have the power of the resurrection in his life, share in Christ’s suffering, die like him, and be resurrected like him. That was the reason that Christ “took hold” of him while he was traveling to persecute Christians in Damascus (v. 12). Christ grabbed Paul so that he could make him into his very image.

This reality of being called by God to look like Christ is true for each of us. Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Even before birth, this process of God taking hold of us began. It began in the counsel of God before the creation of the earth. Like a soon to be mother or father planning to have a child, each Christian was not an accident. He chose and predestined us to be conformed to the image of Christ.

How do we pursue this reality? How do we grow into the very image of Christ? How do we grow into maturity? In verse 15 he speaks to the mature and says, “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.” He speaks to the Philippians and says, “Those of you who are mature in Christ should think the same way. You should pursue Christ in the same way I am.” Next, he speaks to those who may think differently and says, “And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you” (v. 15b). He says if you don’t agree, God will reveal this to you.

How do we pursue maturity in Christ? How do we implement the disciplines of a competitive athlete into our lives so we can look more like Christ? We do it by modeling Paul’s disciplines. In fact, he will later explicitly call the Philippians, and therefore us, to model him in the next section. He says, “Join with others in following my example, brothers” (3:17). In this text, we will study Paul’s pursuit of spiritual maturity—knowing Christ—so that we can implement his disciplines into our own lives.

Big Question: What principles can we learn from Philippians 3:12-16 about pursuing maturity in Christ?

In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Attitude—a Holy Discontent

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (Philippians 3:12)

What is the right attitude we must have in order to pursue maturity? Paul says, “not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect.” Paul said, “I am not there yet.” Paul had a holy discontent. This is a very important attitude to develop if we are going to reach maturity.

Application Question: Why is it important to have the right attitude—a holy discontent—in order to pursue spiritual maturity?

1. Having the right attitude is important to spur growth.

Paul was probably the greatest Christian to ever live—he wrote almost half of the New Testament. His ministry led to the Gentile world being reached, and yet, he saw himself having not fully attained Christlikeness. This disposition is true of every great athlete. They are never content with their successes. And therefore, they continue to work hard to become better and to win more championships. Be careful of spiritual contentment. Many Christians are not growing because they are content with their attainments. They feel that they know the Bible enough, pray enough, serve enough, and therefore, they have ceased to progress spiritually. Spiritual contentment is the antithesis of spiritual growth; while a holy discontent is the catalyst for spiritual growth.

Are you content with your spiritual life?

2. Having the right attitude is important to deliver us from depression and discouragement when we fail.

Personally I struggle with perfectionism; meaning, I have an overriding feeling that I must always do things as perfect as possible. And when I have failed God, especially as a young Christian, this would often lead to bouts of discouragement and depression. Satan would at times attack me with great condemnation over my failures and even make me feel like I shouldn’t read my Bible or go to church. However, when a great athlete fails, it makes him work even harder. Michael Jordan would have a bad game where he only scored ten points, and then, the next game he would score fifty. Failures make great athletes work even harder. Similarly, Paul said, “Not that I have already become perfect, but I press.” His imperfection inspired him to seek to know God even more, instead of causing him to quit or give up. It should be that way in our spiritual life as well. Let your spiritual failures make you pursue Christ even more, instead of allowing them to encourage you to quit or settle for less than Christlikeness.

3. Having the right attitude is important to not be led astray into false teachings that emphasize “perfectionism”.

Some scholars believe Paul was indirectly attacking the belief of the Judaizers when he said that he had not been “made perfect.” It was common in those days for pious Jews to believe they could perfectly keep the law. When the rich man approached Christ about how to gain eternal life, Christ told him to keep the law. The rich man replied that he had kept it since his youth (Matt 19:16-20). Christ told him that perfectly keeping the law was enough for salvation so he could see that he had not kept the law and that he needed a savior. However, the rich man believed he had kept the law as many pious Jews did. Maybe, the Judaizers thought that combining law-keeping with faith in Christ could take them to an even higher spiritual plane. If they could keep the law without him, how much more could they attain perfection with him? Kent Hughes said this, “Paul’s enemies claimed to have reached a state of perfection that made them possessors of all the blessings of salvation, in effect the arrival of Heaven itself. Heavenly perfection was theirs now, they argued.”² However, perfection is not attainable on this side of heaven. It must be our continual pursuit, our continual endeavor, but we will not reach it until the second coming of Christ. Listen to what John the apostle said: “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2b). We will never reach perfection on this side of heaven.

With that said, this belief in perfectionism has at times appeared throughout church history. Groups of Christians often from a Wesleyan background have taught that if they achieved a second work of the Holy Spirit after salvation, then instantaneously they could achieve holiness or perfection. Some even believe in the eradication of the sin nature. However, that was not Paul’s perspective. He said he had not achieved perfection. He also said in Romans 7 that the things he wanted to do, he didn’t do. He cried out, “who can save me from this body of sin” (v. 15-25). Also, perfectionism contradicts the rest of Scripture. John the apostle said this, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,” he was not just denying perfectionism; he also was probably referring to a person being deceived about one’s salvation. The very theme of the book is assurance of salvation. He says in 1 John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Since meeting God in Scripture always is shown to create an awareness of sin, a person that thinks they have achieved perfection is probably deluded about his salvation. Isaiah saw God and cried out, “’Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty’” (Isaiah 6:5). This man saw how grave his sin was when he met God. Peter, when convinced that Jesus was the messiah, said, “Away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8). Paul the apostle calls himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15). To truly know God means to keenly know one’s own sin. Therefore, to claim perfection is very dangerous; it might actually prove that one has never truly met God at all. Scripture vehemently denies the possibility of being perfect here on earth.

As mentioned, perfectionism is the antithesis of spiritual growth. If a person thinks they have attained perfection, then there is no reason to continue to grow and seek Christ. We must be aware of this teaching, and we must also be careful of living this out implicitly by being satisfied with our spiritual attainments.

Application Question: In what ways does Paul’s statement about not having achieved perfection yet encourage or challenge you in your spiritual life?

In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Effort

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12)

One wrestler asked his coach if he could wrestle without working so hard in practice. The constant running, weight lifting, and dieting had taken its toll on him. The coach replied, “Why, yes, you can. However, you can’t wrestle and win without working hard.” Another aspect of pursuing spiritual maturity we must develop is having the right effort. The word “press” means “’to run’ or ‘follow after’ and speaks of ‘an aggressive, energetic endeavor.’”³ The word in ancient Greek was used of a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey.⁴ If we are going to grow into spiritual maturity, we must give maximum effort. We must work hard in order to be like Christ just like a competitive athlete.

Look at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” When Paul described his effort as an apostle he said, “I worked harder than all of them.” This doesn’t seem to be boasting but a realistic evaluation of his effort in serving Christ. Unlike most of the apostles, Paul chose to forgo pleasures like marriage in order to have more time to serve Christ. At times, he also forewent pay from churches and earned his money by building tents. He worked hard in accordance with the grace God gave him to become like Christ.

Why are so many Christians not growing in maturity? For many of them, they are not willing to “press.” They are not willing to work hard to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of them. If we were really honest in our evaluation of one another in the church, many people work hard but at things other than their spiritual lives. They work hard, even at times forgoing sleep, to get a project done for school or work. They get up early to go to a job interview, but many never do that for the kingdom of God. That was Paul’s continuous labor; he worked hard—he pressed to become like Christ.

In the Parable of the Sowers in Matthew 13, four different soils hear the Word of God—the wayside, the stony ground, the thorny ground, and the good ground. I believe that only the person who hears the Word and bears fruit is really saved—the good ground. However, listen to how Christ describes the fruitfulness of the good ground: “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matt 13:8). Some people who are truly born again produce a 100 fold, some 60 and some 30. What makes the difference? Is it the fact that God gives some people more grace? I don’t believe so. We each receive grace from God; however, some people work harder than others with it. Some people do what Paul did, “his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them” (1 Cor 15:10). Paul essentially said, “I used the grace God gave me to serve. I pressed in my spiritual life to become more like Christ and complete the works that he called for me to accomplish.”

This must be true for us as well; we must have the right effort. Some people will never reach maturity because they don’t give any real effort to their spiritual life. Everything else in their life gets maximum effort other than their relationship and service to God. Paul said this to Timothy, “discipline yourself unto godliness” (1 Tim 4:7). It can also be translated “exercise.” We must work to be godly.

Remember the discipline that Christ put his disciples through right before going to the cross. He called three disciples to pray with him for one hour. However, when they fell asleep, he didn’t say, “Oh it’s OK. I understand that you are tired. Go back to sleep.” He said, “Pray another hour.” They fell asleep again and he said, “Pray another hour” (Matt 26:38-45). He disciplined them. I think really what we see in the Garden of Gethsemane is something of the discipline Christ implemented in their lives throughout the three previous years. He made them exercise themselves unto godliness. Remember they were following a Savior that prior to starting his ministry fasted from food for forty days (Matt 4:2). Christ disciplined himself unto godliness. He woke up early in the morning throughout his ministry and went to the mountain to pray (Mark 1:35). He was disciplined, and he trained his disciples to be disciplined.

I have never been a great reader other than reading the Bible and books that explain the Bible. (I am still working out my sanctification.) However, when I have gotten the chance to read biographies of men and women that God used greatly, I often am left astounded at their great discipline—their great effort in pursuing Christ. Martin Luther had a thriving prayer life, where he would at times pray for two hours or more. I have read of other ministers who constantly finished the Bible several times a month. These people were willing to “press.” Their lives were energetic endeavors of pursuing Christlikeness and serving others. If we are going to grow in maturity, we must similarly “press” to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of us.

Application Question: In what ways is God challenging you to be more disciplined in your spiritual life—to put more effort into pursuing Christ?

In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Focus

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13)

Another aspect of pursuing maturity is having the right focus. Paul said, “But one thing I do.” This is the very reason many Christians are not growing; they have too many things they are focusing on. But for Paul, he had one thing that was above all other things and that was to know Christ and be like him. That was his one thing.

This is true of most people who became great at something in their lives; they learned the discipline of focus. Very few people are great at more than one thing. The great businessman, the great musician, the great athlete, the great scholar, the majority of them became great because of their focus. I remember, after my junior year in high school, my mom approached my varsity basketball coach and asked, “What does Greg have to do in order to get a basketball scholarship?” My coach replied, “Greg is going to have to live basketball. He must eat it, drink it, and sleep it. It must consume him if he is going to get a scholarship.” I remember taking those words to heart. I would sleep with my basketball and my Bible every night. I would bring my basketball and Bible in my backpack to school every day. It consumed me. This must be true of us as spiritual athletes as well. Christ must become our one thing before every other endeavor.

What makes this so difficult is the fact that the enemy of the best thing—knowing and being like Christ—is often not the bad but the good. We see this in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Christ visited their house, and he was in the living room teaching everybody with Mary sitting at his feet listening. However, in the kitchen, Martha was working hard to serve everybody by being a good host. She became upset at the fact that Mary, her sister, was not doing anything except sitting at the feet of Jesus. She approached Christ about this, and he replied, “Martha, Martha, … you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v. 41-42).

Martha was doing good things. She was serving everybody in the house, including her Lord, Jesus Christ. However, Mary chose the better thing which was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Christ was her one thing, even before ministry. This is very common for people who serve. We often get busy with many good things and neglect our one thing. This was what enabled Paul to be effective at ministry. His ministry flowed out of this one thing—an abiding relationship with Christ. Remember what Christ said in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This “one thing”—abiding in Christ—will actually enable us to do everything better.

Application Question: What are some of scriptural benefits of living a life focused on Christ?

1. Seeing God is a benefit of focusing on Christ.

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” The “pure in heart” means “the single-minded.” Jesus taught that the single-minded—those who are focused on God and the things of God—will see God everywhere. In the midst of a trial, when others only see problems and difficulties, the pure in heart see God and his abundant grace.

2. Fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives is a benefit of focusing on Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 in the KJV says this:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.

We often quote this passage written to the Israelites who were exiled in Babylon. God said he had plans for them to give them a hope and a future. However, we must ask, “How would Israel go from being under God’s judgment in Babylon to fulfilling God’s plans?” Here is the answer: when they would seek him with all their heart, God would not only reveal himself to them but deliver them from exile.

The very reason they were under judgment was for neglecting God, but when they sought God with all their heart, God would reveal himself and deliver them from exile in order to fulfill his promises to them. I wonder how many people are going through trials in their life, even right now, and all God is saying is, “Seek me. Just seek me. Make me your priority, and I will deliver you and fulfill my plans for you.”

3. God meeting our needs is a benefit of focusing on Christ.

Matthew 6:33 says this: “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” In the context, Christ told the disciples to not worry about what they would eat, drink, or wear. God would provide if they would put God’s kingdom first in their lives. Many Christians go through lack because Christ and his kingdom are not their priority. In fact, often they put other things first before God in order to make sure their provisions are met. However, when they put school, work, friends, and family before God, he often allows them to suffer lack until he becomes their priority.  Jesus said if we make God our priority, he will meet all our needs.

4. God answering our prayers is a benefit of focusing on Christ.

James 1:5-8 says,

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

James, in the context of teaching about trials, said that if we lack wisdom we should ask God, for he gives liberally. However, he said that we should ask in faith because a double-minded man will receive nothing. What is a double-minded man? A double-minded man is a person who is trying to live for God and live for the world (cf. James 4:3-4). He is not a focused man. God is not his priority. This person will receive nothing from God. God answers the prayers of those who make him their priority and live a life of faith.

5. God using us greatly is a benefit of focusing on Christ.

Second Chronicles 16:9 in the KJV says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” The chronicler said that the eyes of the Lord are always looking for someone whose heart is perfect towards him. What does “perfect” mean in this verse? It seems to be referring to someone who is focusing on God—seeking him first with their lives. For those who do this, God shows his strength in their lives. Why did God use a youth named David mightily for his name? Why did God call a junior high girl named Mary to birth the Messiah? He saw they had hearts that were perfect towards him. He was their focus and God blessed them.

Making Christ our focus comes with many benefits. However, when we neglect him, we will find ourselves deprived. Christ must be our “one thing.” How do we keep the right focus?

Maintaining the Right Focus

“…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13b-14).

After declaring his focus (But one thing I do), Paul described how he maintained a focus on Christ. Again, Paul is using a running metaphor. The focus of the runner is to win the prize and for Paul that was primarily intimacy with Christ and being like him. He describes disciplines that we all must practice in order to do this. How do we keep the right focus?

Observation Question: How did Paul keep a right focus on Christ in Philippians 3:13, and how can we apply this to our lives?

1. We maintain a focus on becoming like Christ by forgetting what is behind.

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by forgetting what is behind?

• When Paul says forgetting what is behind, he is probably referring to all his achievements (Phil 3:4-9).

As mentioned in the previous passage, Paul was proud of his Jewish heritage and his accomplishments as a Pharisee. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, a tribe which produced many nobles. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews meaning that he never lost his Jewish culture. He was a Pharisee. However, when he found Christ, he counted his previous successes as a loss in order to gain salvation through Christ. Now it should be noted, Paul didn’t mean that he literally forgot his previous successes. “Forgetting what is behind” simply means that his past no longer had power over him. When God says in Hebrews 10:17, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more,” he doesn’t mean that he forgets. It is impossible for God to forget, it simply means that he no longer holds our failures against us.

In continuing the athletic metaphor, this is true of any great athlete. Michael Jordan, who was one of the most successful NBA basketball players of all time, could have been really content with one NBA championship. However, it did not make him content; it just increased his hunger. He wanted to be even more successful, and he eventually won six NBA championships. In a sense, this must be true for us as Christians as well. We must always have a holy hunger. We must never be satisfied with previous successes in Christ. Moses had a more intimate relationship with God than all the prophets during his time—God spoke to him face to face. However, the fact that he was more intimate with God than others did not make Moses content. He said to God, “Show me your glory” (Ex 33:18). He wanted more of God—more intimacy with him. This must be the same for us as well. Even though Paul had started many churches for God, he wasn’t content with his spiritual success. He forgot his successes in order to continue to pursue Christ and his calling. This enabled him to stay focused on the goal of Christ.

• When Paul says forgetting what is behind, he is also probably referring to his failures and the failure of others.

In mentioning his achievements in Judaism, Paul also mentioned how he previously was so zealous for Judaism that he persecuted the church (Phil 3:6). This no doubt was a big stain in Paul’s memory that may have taken many years to purge. Paul consented to the killing of the church’s first martyr, Stephen. After he was stoned, the Jews threw his clothes at the feet of Paul (Acts 8:1). All the Christians were afraid of him. No doubt, during his ministry he met the families of those he persecuted or even had a hand in their children’s murder. This blot was enough to destroy anybody’s ministry. Again, Paul could never truly forget his failures, but he could change the way he thought about them. Look at what Paul said about his past failure in persecuting the church:

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:13-14)

When Paul remembered his previous failures, being a violent man and a persecutor of the church, he only saw God’s mercy and grace. It reminded him of how God poured out faith and love in his life through Christ Jesus. Where, no doubt, Satan tried to condemn him and keep him from doing ministry, Paul saw the mercy and grace of God on his life. No, he never forgot his past, but he allowed God to change the meaning of it in his life.

This is the problem with many Christians. They remember how they failed God or how someone hurt them, and these sins keep them from ever fully serving God. For some, it even keeps them from attending church or reading their Bible. If we are going to stay focused on Christ, we must exercise a holy forgetting in order to keep the right focus. We must take God at his Word and allow him to change the way we think about things that happened in our past. He works all things to the good of those who love the Lord (Rom 8:28). We must let our past failures and the failures of others draw us even closer to Christ.

We see how God wants to change the power of the past in the story of Joseph. Consider how Joseph responded to his brothers who previously sold him into slavery. He said this: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph said their sending him into slavery was a grace of God to save many. Believe it or not, God wants to use our failures and the failures of others as well in order to help save many. It has been said that one’s misery often becomes his/her ministry.

Have you learned how to forget the past? Have you learned how to see God’s hand and grace even over your failures and the failure of others? Again, Scripture says, “God works everything for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). One of the things we must do if we are going to learn how to focus on Christ is develop a holy forgetting.

2. Christians maintain a focus on Christ by looking towards the prize.

“…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13b-14).

Again, in using the running illustration, a successful runner never looks back, to the side, or at himself while running. He constantly looks forward towards the goal. The phrase straining toward “describes stretching a muscle to its limit, and pictures a runner straining every muscle to reach the finish line.”⁵ Paul was straining toward the goal of the prize for which God called him heavenward.

Many Christians cannot grow spiritually because instead of looking forward they are always looking at others or at themselves, and it either discourages them or makes them prideful. They get discouraged because they are not as spiritually mature as others or as successful. Or they get prideful because they are more mature than others. Both hinder their spiritual growth. Competitive runners keep their eyes on the goal—not on themselves or others around them. It’s the same with Christians who are maturing in Christ.

Interpretation Question: What goal or prize was Paul straining and pressing towards?

It was the goal of knowing and being just like Christ (Phil 3:9-10), but it also seems to refer to him being approved and rewarded by him at the judgment seat of Christ. Paul said this:

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Paul aimed to please Christ because he realized that one day he would appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We see the athletic metaphor in this judgment as well. The word “judgment seat” used here is not the judgment seat of a court case but one from an athletic competition. It is the word “bema” which was a raised platform where the judge would give a reward for winning an athletic competition.

That was Paul’s goal; he wanted to look like Christ and be approved by him. This approval would ultimately come when Christ said, “Well done thou good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:21).

There is a story about a great pianist who had just finished a concert and the crowd stood and gave him a raving applause. However, the renowned pianist did not seem satisfied. Only when a man in the rafters stood and began to clap did the pianist smile and bow before the audience. The man in the stands was his teacher. Only the approval of his teacher mattered, and this should be true of us as Christians as well. We press to receive the approval of our Master.

In seeking the approval of the Master, Paul also wanted to be rewarded by him—possibly the ultimate form of approval. Listen to what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Paul did not want to be disqualified from the prize—the approval of Christ and the rewards that came with it. This was always on his mind. In fact, look at what Paul said at the end of his life:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Paul, like a competitive runner, kept his eyes focused on the prize. For him, the prize was knowing Christ, looking like him, and being approved by him.

If we are going to stay focused on Christ in a secular world, we must be motivated by heavenly things. We must be motivated by the approval of Christ and his reward. Jesus said this: “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12).

Practicing these truths will help us stay focused. We must forget what is behind, including past successes and failures. We must continue to look forward at our goal in the future, which is Christ.

Application Question: In what ways is God training you to practice a holy forgetting so you can progress in your spiritual life? What distractions—achievements or failures—commonly keep you from pressing forward to know Christ more?

In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Practice

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:15-16)

A great athlete never neglects his basic disciplines. The basketball player practices dribbling, shooting, passing, and defense over and over again. The runner focuses on the swing of his arms, the distance of his stride, breathing, and pacing himself. All athletes are faithful in practicing the basics which eventually makes them successful in competition. It’s the same with a spiritual athlete pursuing maturity in Christ. In order to pursue spiritual maturity we must have the right practice.

In verses 15 and 16, Paul calls for those who were mature in the congregation to practice the same disciplines as him in pursuing Christ and Christlikeness. However, he recognized some in the congregation might not agree with him. Maybe, they believed that sanctification was a process that God did all on his own without the believer’s help. This is at times taught today. “Let go and let God,” some say. But Paul taught spiritual maturity was attained, at least in part, by our rigorous effort. He said to those who disagreed with him that God would make it clear to them, but “only” if they lived up to what they had already attained (v. 16). What they had already attained may have seemed liked basics, but they needed to continue to practice them if God was going to reveal further revelation to them.

This is true for each one of us. If we are faithful with what God has already revealed to us, he will give us more. We will know Christ more and grow in Christlikeness. We see this principle taught in other parts of Scripture. Christ said this to the disciples:

“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:24-25)

Christ told the disciples that the measure they used what God had already revealed to them, it would be given back and even more. Those who were faithful in practicing the truths that God had already taught them, would be given more, but those who did not, even what they had would be taken away.

When you look at any person who is growing in the Lord, you can be sure this principle is working in their lives. God has taught them truths, and they are applying it to their lives. They are faithfully practicing it and sharing it, and therefore God is giving them more. However, instead of growing, many are going backwards based on the same principle. God taught them to delight in and meditate on the Word of God day and night (Psalm 1:2), but they choose to delight in other things. God taught them to let no corrupt communication come out of their mouths (Eph 4:29), but they instead talk much like the world. God taught them to forgive so they will be forgiven (Matt 6:14), but instead they harden their hearts against others. Therefore, God takes away.

If the Philippians who did not agree with Paul’s assessment of following Christ and growing in maturity were faithful to all God had already taught them, then eventually he would correct their wrong theology. When we are faithful, God by his grace enables us to progress into the image of Christ. However, when we rebel, there is a taking away, a hardening of a person’s heart (Matt 13:12-15).

Are you living up to what you have already attained? If so, God will give you more. If not, God will take away. Great athletes never stop practicing the basics, and it’s the same with mature Christians.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen the principle in Mark 4:23-24 happen in your life or others? Are there any areas where God is especially calling you to live up to what he has already taught you, so you can grow in maturity?

Conclusion

How do we pursue spiritual maturity in Christ?

1. In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Attitude—a Holy Discontent
2. In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Effort
3. In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Focus
4. In Order to Pursue Spiritual Maturity, We Must Have the Right Practice

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¹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 245). Chicago: Moody Press.

² Hughes, R. K. (2007). Philippians: the fellowship of the gospel (p. 146). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

³ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 246). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁴ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 90). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

⁵ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 247). Chicago: Moody Press.

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:1-5)

How do we stand firm in the Lord? How do we develop spiritual stability? The lives of many believers are fraught with ups and downs. They are tossed here and there by the various trials and difficulties. Scripture describes spiritual infants and the double-minded as being tossed like the “waves of the sea” in Ephesians 4:14 and James 1:6. They are spiritually unstable. However, our faith in Christ should enable us to stand firm.

Paul in this text encourages the Philippians to “stand firm in the Lord” (Phil 4:1). This is not the first time Paul encouraged this church to stand. He said the same thing in chapter 1. He said,

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel  (Philippians 1:27)

Paul said whatever happens, they should stand firm in one spirit. Trials attacking the Philippians could cause them to give up ground to the enemy. They were being persecuted for their faith (Phil 1:29), people in the church were arguing and complaining (Phil 2:14), and false teachers were attacking the congregation (Phil 3:2). These difficulties could shake their faith in Christ. Still, Paul encourages them to stand firm. The word stand firm means to persist or preserve. “It is a picture of a soldier standing fast against the onslaught of an enemy.”¹

Scripture continually uses the metaphor of war for the Christian life. Peter said, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Peter described the believer as warring with his soul or flesh. Paul said in Romans 7, the things I would do, I don’t do, and the things I wouldn’t do, I do. Who can save me from this body of sin? Christians are in a war with the flesh—in a fight to be holy.

Christians are also in a war with the world. James said, “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). John said, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any man loves the world the love of the father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). There is an enmity between the world and the people of God (cf. 1 John 3:13, Matt 10:22). There is a war of viewpoints, and at times there is persecution towards believers over these viewpoints and the lifestyle that comes from them. The world persecuted and killed Christ, and since then it has persecuted his followers.

However, our battle is not just in our flesh and with the world; it is also in the spiritual realm. Paul called for the Ephesian church to stand firm against the devil and his schemes. He said, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). The believer needs to stand firm because he is always under the attack of the enemy. He attacks one’s mind, one’s body, and one’s family. Many things could cause the believer to become discouraged, to retreat, or to even give up on following Christ altogether.

When Paul says “that is how you should stand firm,” it can also be translated “in this way stand firm” as in the NASB (Phil 4:1). As Paul closes the letter, he is reaffirming their need to stand firm amongst various attacks, and he shows them how to do so.

How can we stand firm? How can we hold our ground and not be tossed to and fro by the various hardships and difficulties of life. In Philippians 4:1-5, we will study principles about spiritual stability.

Big Question: What principles can we learn from Philippians 4:1-5 about standing firm in the Lord?

Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Pursuing Intimacy with Christ and Christlikeness

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! (Philippians 4:1)

Interpretation Question: What does it mean to stand firm in the Lord and how do we develop this in our lives?

The “therefore” in this text points back to Philippians 3:10-21 as one of the ways that we stand firm in the Lord. There Paul described his desire to know Christ and the power of the resurrection, to have fellowship with his suffering, die like him, and one day be resurrected like him (v. 10-11). He described himself as “pressing” to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of him, and he called this his “one thing” in life (v. 12-13). Paul saw himself in an athletic endeavor to know Christ and be just like him. Then in 3:17 Paul calls for the church to follow his example in pursuing Christ. Now in Philippians 4:1 he says this is how we should stand firm in the Lord.

Spiritual stability comes from a continual pursuit of knowing Christ. The Christian life has often been compared to walking up stream. If at some point you stop walking forward against the current of water, you will by necessity go backwards. The power of the current is too strong; it is impossible to stay in the same place. One will either go forwards or backwards. In order to stand firm, one must press against the current. It’s the same spiritually; we must always press to know Christ more, like Paul. Knowing and being like him must be our one thing if we are going to develop spiritual stability in our lives. Otherwise, we will always be tossed to and fro like the waves of the sea, up and down in our spiritual lives.

We must stand firm “in the Lord.” Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Name in the Hebrew culture referred to somebody’s characteristics or person. Essentially, the writer of the Proverb is saying that those who know the Lord and his person are safe. They are protected because of their knowledge of God. They are not tossed to and fro by the difficulties of life. The righteous understand that and therefore are always pursuing the knowledge of the Lord. They want to know and understand his name.

We can only be spiritually stable if we are growing in the knowledge of him. It is at the point when we are not growing that we are vulnerable. It is when we are not in the Word of God. It is when we are inconsistent in the fellowship of the church (where God is present), and it is when we are no longer growing into his image that we become spiritually unstable and more susceptible to the attacks of the enemy.

It is the sheep that are not close to the Shepherd that are most susceptible to the attacks of an enemy. It is the son who has left the protection of the Father’s household—left the intimacy of the Father’s hand—that is most prone to stumble and fall. Paul says this is how you stand firm in the Lord. If you are not growing and pursuing growth as your one thing, it is then that you are most prone to be taken captive by the enemy.

Paul describes POW’s (prisoners of war) in 2 Timothy 2:25-26. He says,

Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

He describes them as not thinking correctly (come to their senses), trapped by the devil, and doing his will. Christians who find themselves in captivity, bound to their lusts, their pride, and other habitual sins are typically Christians who were not growing and Christ wasn’t their one thing. This created a spiritual apathy and a lack of sensitivity to their conscience and the Holy Spirit which led them into the stronghold of the devil.

Spiritual growth is necessary to stand firm. Are you still growing in the Lord and in Christlikeness? If not, you are vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced spiritual stability when growing in Christ? In what ways have you experienced being tossed to and fro with the trials of life when not growing?

Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Fostering Harmony in the Body of Christ

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:2-3)

The next thing needed for us to develop spiritual stability is to foster harmony in the body of Christ. In continuing the warfare metaphor associated with “stand firm,” Satan is always trying to bring conflict in a marriage, a friendship, and a church. Jesus said, “a house divided against itself cannot stand” (cf. Matt 12:25), and Satan realizes that. He always seeks to bring division in the house of God so that it will fall. In fact, division gives him an open door to attack and speed up the destruction process. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “In your anger do not sin; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.” Unresolved conflicts give the enemy a foothold in a church—an area for him to continue his attack. This was happening in the church of Philippi with two women specifically.

Paul challenged two women, Euodia and Syntyche, to stand firm by agreeing with each other in the Lord. We are not sure exactly what the nature of their conflict was. However, it seemed to be of a personal nature instead of a doctrinal conflict. If it was doctrinal, Paul would have just explained the doctrine and said who was right. Something personal divided these two women.

Most likely, the conflict was affecting everybody in the church, and they may have separated into factions because of it. Throughout the letter Paul hinted at potential problems. He called for them to “stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” (1:27). This implies they were not contending as “one man.” In Philippians 2:2 he again encouraged them to be “one in spirit and purpose.” Finally, in Philippians 2:14 he called for the church to do all things without “complaining and arguing.” Again, the implication was that they were complaining and arguing and maybe the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche was the primary source of that tension.

Who were these women? All we know is that they were prominent women in this church. They were probably there when Paul started the church in Philippi (cf. Acts 16).  Paul said these women had “contended at his side” for the cause of the gospel. “Contended at my side” is a gladiatorial term. It literally can be translated “fought side by side with me.”² He also says that their names were written in the Book of Life. The Book of Life is where all the names of the redeemed are listed (cf. Daniel 12:1, Luke 10:20, Revelation 3:5). This means that these women weren’t some carnal Christians causing problems in the church. They were warriors for Christ. While Paul was in Philippi, they faithfully fought by his side to present the gospel and possibly start the church there.

It is good for us to hear this because sometimes even well-meaning and devoted Christians have conflicts.  Paul and Barnabas fought over the inclusion of Mark on a missionary journey (cf. Acts 15:36-39). It actually led them to split and go different ways. Sometimes our spiritual warriors, the spiritual elite, if we can call them that, fight amongst one another. This actually makes sense because it is the devoted Christians that really care. Caring about the lost, ministering to the poor, and discipling the saints is really important to them, and it is this passion that at times causes conflict. Sometimes their methods are different. Sometimes their personalities are very different. Sometimes their doctrine is different, and these differences can cause conflict among passionate people. People who really don’t care aren’t usually the ones who fight. This is more of a danger for passionate Christians.

Observation Question: How can we foster harmony in the church, especially amidst personal conflict as seen in Philippians 4:2-3?

1. Believers foster harmony in the church by thinking like Christ.

Paul said, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.” “Agree with each other in the Lord” literally can be translated “think the same thing in the Lord”³ or “to be of the same mind.”⁴

What does he mean by this? This seems to point back to what he taught in Philippians 2:3-5. These women needed to develop the mind of Christ. If they thought the same way as Christ, then they could work out their conflict. Listen to what Paul said previously:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude [mind] should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:3-5)

The very thing that often causes conflict in our lives is “selfish ambition.” It is the desire for our own way and for things to be done the way we think is best. However, the mind of Christ considers others first. Christ cared about the interests of God and others before his own. If we adopt the same mind, a servant’s attitude (cf. Phil 2:7), then we can have harmony and unity in the church even amidst our various differences.

Do we consider others and their interest over our own? This is the secret to harmony and unity in the church. We must have the mind of Christ.

2. Believers foster harmony in the church by fixing their relationship with Christ.

“To agree with each other in the Lord” also may infer that they needed to fix their relationship with Christ in order to agree with one another. John MacArthur said, “Paul knew that if they both got right with the Lord, they would be right with each other.”⁵ He calls them to “agree in the Lord.”

This is the reality of most relational conflict. Relational conflict, and how we respond to it, is a picture of where our relationship with Christ is. The conflict shows us our selfishness. It shows us our lack of patience and our lack of love for others. Our relationship with others is a picture of our relationship with God. If our horizontal relationships are off then so is our vertical relationship. John said,

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:20-21)

John said it is impossible to love God and hate our brother. It is impossible to love God whom we have not seen, if we don’t love our brother whom we see every day. He says emphatically that whoever loves God must also love his brother. The implication is that if one is in discord with his brother or hates his brother, one’s relationship with God is not right. In the context of 1 John, hate and love are actually pictures of truly being saved or not according to 1 John 5:13. The very reason John wrote the book was to give assurance to those who believed in Christ. However, the principle is the same. Our earthly relationships reflect our heavenly relationship. Jesus said if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us (Matt 6:15). To fix our heavenly relationship is therefore the key to fixing our earthly relationships and vice versa.

The way that we mend relationships is by first going into the secret place and meeting with Christ. He cares about the unity and harmony of his body, and it is from that relationship that we gain what is needed to agree in the Lord.

Often when I am sharp or impatient with my wife or daughter, it is very clear to me that I am not living in the Lord as I should. I don’t have the peace, the patience, or the love that comes from abiding in him. The way for me to fix these relationships is to be with Christ (cf. John 15:5).

3. Believers foster harmony in the body of Christ by carrying the burdens of others.

Paul calls for a man named “yokefellow” or “companion” to help these two women agree in the Lord.  We do not know who this man is, but since he was addressed in the letter, he obviously was known by the congregation. He must have been a prominent man and maybe one of the elders mentioned in Philippians 1:1.⁶ The name in the Greek is actually “Suzugos.” It is a word picture of two oxen yoked together carrying the same burden. Many commentators believe that the name should remain untranslated. Paul was using a play on his name. He calls him “loyal” or “true” yokefellow meaning that his character fit his birth name. In the same way that this man’s name meant yokefellow, he should help these women resolve their conflict. The yoke was an instrument fitted around the neck of two oxen that attached to the plow. The yoke enabled the oxen to pull together and get the work done more quickly.⁷ As Suzugos worked with these women, it would enable them to resolve their conflict speedily.

This is the same thing we should do as believers in order to have harmony in the church. Conflict in a congregation creates spiritual instability. It opens the door for Satan’s attacks; it affects everybody. Since we are the body of Christ, the problems of others affect us as well. If one part of the body is sick, the whole body is sick. Therefore, we have a responsibility to lovingly get involved with people in conflict so the body of Christ can remain stable and healthy. Paul said this in Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

We must willingly take on the burdens of others in order to work for unity. This means praying for a couple struggling in their marriage—getting involved and showing the love of Christ. It means encouraging those who are down. Sometimes it even means getting other spiritual leaders involved so they can help carry the load. We are the body of Christ.

In the West, we have a very independent culture that often doesn’t want to get involved in anybody else’s life. However, this is not a biblical culture. Christ said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This does not only mean that we need to be sacrificial in how we love. It means that we must teach the Word of God to one another as Christ did. That is one of the ways he loved us (cf. Eph 5:26). It means sometimes there is a need for admonishment. It means to carry one another’s burdens and problems as Christ carries ours. That is what Paul called for this yokefellow to do. He called him to love these two women by helping them work through their conflict as Christ would.

If we are going to be spiritually stable, we must maintain harmony in the church. A soldier who fights by himself will not stand. We must work together if we are going to stand, and for that reason Satan always seeks to bring discord among congregations. We must stand by walking in harmony with the church.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced the enemy’s attempts to destroy the church through conflict? In what ways is God calling you to work for harmony in a relationship or to be a yokefellow to others?

Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Maintaining Our Joy in the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

What else is needed to develop spiritual stability? Paul commands them to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” In fact, he repeats the command for emphasis, “I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). The repetition shows its importance. Satan is always seeking to attack our joy. He knows that a discouraged Christian is a vulnerable Christian. A discouraged Christian is a Christian that typically will not be active in serving Christ and others. They typically are too self-consumed. Therefore, he works hard to bring discouragement and take away our joy. Nehemiah said, “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh 8:10), and therefore, to not have joy means to be weak and vulnerable. In order for us to stand firm in the Lord, we must rejoice in him.

Some may find it strange to command an emotion. Many people look at an emotion as something that comes and goes as it pleases. They say things like, “I just fell in love. I couldn’t help it.” or “I really don’t like that person, and I don’t know why.” But Scripture doesn’t treat our emotions in the same way others do. They are treated as an act of the will, and that is why they are commanded. We are commanded to love our enemies, to be anxious for nothing, and here, we are commanded to rejoice.

How is it possible to rejoice always, especially when things are difficult?

It is good for us to remember the context of this letter. Christians were being persecuted throughout the Roman Empire, and Paul himself was in prison for the faith. He was awaiting a possible death sentence, and yet throughout the letter, he talks about his own joy despite his present circumstances. In Philippians 1:4 he says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” He experienced joy while praying for the Philippians. He said in Philippians 2:17-18, “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. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

Many believe Paul was talking about his potential death when he referred to being poured out like a drink offering. Even if he died and his imprisonment was the end of his sacrifice for God, he said, “I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” Doesn’t that sound crazy? How can one have joy at the prospect of death?

Moreover, Paul commanded the Philippians to have this joy, despite their circumstances. They similarly were being persecuted for the faith. Paul said in Philippians 1:29 that it had been granted them by God to not only believe in Christ but also to suffer for him. At the founding of the Philippian church in Acts 16, Paul was imprisoned for serving Christ, and no doubt, some had suffered the same fate as him. Despite all that, he calls for the Philippians to rejoice.

How is it possible to always have joy regardless of our circumstances? It is only possible if our joy is in the Lord. For many their joy is based on circumstances. If life is good, they are joyful, but when life is bad, they lose their joy. Instead of being Christians that stand firm, they are up and down with every event in life. If we are going to stand firm, we must develop a joy that is constant, regardless of trial or persecution.

Application Question: How can we develop a joy in the Lord regardless of our circumstances?

1. We can have joy in the Lord as we get to know his person more.

Many Christians cannot have joy “in the Lord” because they don’t know Christ well enough. Knowing God is much like any other relationship in the sense that we must develop it and foster it through intimacy. When you know God’s characteristics, when you know his perfections, and you constantly think about them, it creates joy. But again, this is a problem for most Christians. We don’t know God very well, and therefore, we don’t think about him often. Remember how Job responded in the midst of his trials which included losing his wealth, his sons, and many other difficulties? He said,

“Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:21-22)

Job saw God as in control of everything that happened in life including bad things. He said the Lord gave and took away, and he praised him for it. He also never charged God with wrong. See, Job understood two major doctrines about God. He understood God’s sovereignty and God’s goodness. Scripture says that God works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph 1:11). There is not one event God isn’t in control of and that includes evil committed by men and Satan. However, Job also knew another characteristic of God and that is the fact that the Lord is good. James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift comes from God. The Psalmist simply declares that the “Lord is good and his love endures forever” (Psalm 100:5). God is good. In fact, he is the definition of good. That is why Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. He saw no conflict in God being in control of the bad things that happened to him and God’s goodness. For him, he must have thought, “In some way or another, even the bad things must work for the good.”

See, some Christians, who don’t know God well and don’t understand his characteristics, become angry at God. They think he didn’t do what was best, and unlike Job, they charge him with wrongdoing. They do this because they don’t understand his goodness. They don’t know his character. Others don’t see God at all. All they see is the difficult boss, the corrupt government, or Satan, and therefore, they can’t praise God. They have no comprehension of the sovereignty of God and his goodness in all things.

When you see God in control of all things—the job you have, the food you eat, the friends he gave you, and the trial that he allowed—then everything in life will make you look up. When you realize that the character of God is good in everything, then not only will you know to look to God but also to worship, praise, and rejoice. David in Psalm 13:1 cried out, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” However, in verse 5 he responded this way, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” He could rejoice even in the waiting season because he knew God was eventually going to deliver and save him. He knew the character of God, and it caused him to rejoice.

Therefore, in order to rejoice in God, we must simply know him more. We should give great attention to studying his characteristics, his perfections, and his works throughout biblical history, and this will enable us to begin to have joy in every situation. We can have joy because we know the one who holds our past, our present, and our future. We can have joy because we know him.

2. We can have joy in the Lord as a fruit of the Spirit.

One of the wonderful things about God’s commands is that what he commands, he empowers us to do. Paul taught in Galatians 5:22 that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. He teaches us in Galatians 5:16 how to bear this fruit. He says, “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” When we live in the Spirit or it can be translated “abide” in the Spirit, we will not gratify our sinful nature because of the fruit that is born in our life. When I obey the commands of the Spirit through the Word of God, when I am worshiping God through the work of the Holy Spirit, then the fruit of the Spirit is born in my life and one of them is joy.

This reality is very important for me as one who often struggled with depression in the past. I have to remember that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, and that the way I bear this fruit is by living in the Spirit. It is a reminder to me that as a believer my depression and discouragement is not a product of my circumstances, it is a product of me not making my home in the Spirit of God. I am not negating precipitating factors such as environment or physical issues, but Scripture promises this fruit regardless of our situation. When I first got married and I would start to get depressed, I would tell my wife that I needed to go “take a pill.” What that meant was that I needed to go spend time in the Word of God, prayer, and worship so I could have joy. In order for us to rejoice in the Lord, we must make our home in his person. We must live in this relationship because as we abide, he gives us joy. He equips us to rejoice.

3. We can have joy in the Lord as an act of obedience.

Again, “rejoice in the Lord” is a command. This means that God calls us to choose to rejoice no matter our circumstances. When a trial comes, somebody harms us, or something unpleasant happens, we have a decision to make. We can choose to be angry or to be depressed, or we can choose to respond to God in obedience. Joy is a choice. We can choose to reflect on God’s sovereignty, God’s goodness, and his wisdom, or we can choose to reflect on the storm, the person who hurt us, or the unknown. We make this choice every day. Focusing on God will bring joy. Focusing on the difficulties will bring worry, discouragement, anger, and depression. We must choose just like Paul did while in prison. He could have joy while on death row, and he called the Philippians, who also were suffering persecution, to do the same. He called them to make a choice to focus on God and trust him. We have the same choice. What will you choose?

Many Christians cannot stand firm because their joy is based on circumstances instead of their relationship with God. Circumstances are constantly changing, and therefore, it affords them no stability. Our joy must be based on a person that is unchanging. God’s unchangeableness, or his immutability as theologians call it, is something that should give us joy (cf. James 1:17). He is not like us; we constantly change. However, God never changes, and therefore, as we know him and seek him, we can have joy. Are you rejoicing in the Lord? Are you living in intimacy with him? This relationship will keep us from being up and down like the waves of the sea. This relationship will enable us to stand firm.

Application Question: What are some things that constantly take away your joy? How is God calling you to develop joy in him despite your circumstances?

Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Practicing Gentleness to All

Let your gentleness be evident to all. (Philippians 4:5a)

Another thing we must do in order to stand firm in the storms and trials of life is develop the characteristic of gentleness. Paul says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” This is one of the hardest words in the Greek to translate. In fact, there is no one English word that can fully express what this word means. One might even say that it is untranslatable. We can see this by the various words used to translate it. It has been translated “sweet reasonableness, generosity, goodwill, friendliness, magnanimity, charity toward the faults of others, mercy toward the failures of others, indulgence of the failures of others, leniency, bigheartedness, moderation, forbearance, and gentleness are some of the attempts to capture the rich meaning.”⁸ John MacArthur believes the best way to translate the word is “graciousness.” ⁹ However, most commentators tend to agree that “either forbearance or gentleness is the better translation.”¹⁰

Application Question: How do we let our gentleness be made known to everyone and how will this help us stand firm?

1. “Let your gentleness be made known to all” means that we must be merciful towards others’ faults.

A person that is vengeful and vindictive when harmed will never stand firm. Proverbs 25:28 describes an angry person as “a city without walls.” In ancient times, a city without walls was not only open for attack but ultimately for destruction. In the same way, a person that is constantly angry at people who hurt him or treat him badly will not stand. Their anger will ultimately lead to destruction.

Jesus was the ultimate gentle one (cf. Matt 11:29). When his enemies crucified him, he said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). He is also gentle in his response to our failures. He continually washes us with his blood so we can be in a right relationship with the Father (cf. 1 John 1:7, 9). He taught his followers to turn the other cheek instead of responding in wrath to wrong doings (cf. Matt 5:39). His gentleness allowed him to stand amidst constant attacks and also the failures of those he loved.

How do you respond when people hurt or mistreat you? Scripture says that instead of being harsh, you should let your gentleness—your forbearance—be made known to all. This will enable you to stand. Anger is destructive not only to those who are recipients of it but also for the person who harbors it.

2. “Let your gentleness be made known to all” means that we must graciously serve others, especially those who hurt us.

Not only must we be gentle in response to those who hurt us, but we should also respond with graciousness and kindness.  In America, we have something called a gentleman. He opens the door for those behind him so they can enter a building first. He pulls out a chair so a lady can sit down first. He serves others before he serves himself. He is a gentleman. In the same way, as Christians, everybody should be able to see our gentleness, especially those who harm and persecute us. Again, all this is given in the context of Euodia and Syntyche’s conflict. Instead of holding a grudge toward one another, they should forgive and serve one another. This is what we should do as well. Listen to what Paul said in Romans 12:20-21:

On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

We must be gentle to all but especially to those who hurt us. We should feed them when they are hungry and give them something to drink when they are thirsty. We should overcome evil with good.

One of the ways we stand firm is not by fighting for our rights but giving up our rights and serving others. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5).

This is very relevant as persecution towards believers is growing rapidly throughout the world, and one day, according to Christ, we will be hated by all nations because of him (Matt 24:9). How can we stand? We stand by responding gently to those who hurt us and returning good for evil.

Application Question: How do you typically respond when mistreated? Why is gentleness important for spiritual stability? How is God calling you to develop gentleness?

Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Maintaining a Constant Awareness of the Lord

The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5b)

Next, Paul seems to give motivation or encouragement for being gentle to all and also for “being anxious for nothing” in the next verse (4:6). He says the Lord is near. However, this is not just a motivation for gentleness, but it is also necessary for us to foster if we are going to stand firm. We must develop a constant awareness of the Lord.

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by “the Lord is near” and how is that meant to encourage us to be gentle towards others, especially those who mistreat us?

1. “The Lord is near” could mean that the Lord is near in space.

This would encourage people suffering or being persecuted in several ways. Scripture says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). (a) God is near to comfort those who are hurting. (b) In addition, the Lord is near to empower them to serve those around them. Paul said this:

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. (2 Timothy 4:17)

(c) It also could mean that he is present to defend and judge those who hurt them. Listen to what Paul said in Romans 12:18-19: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Live at peace with everyone. God will fight your battles. He is near to fight for you. Your job is to be gracious and serve people (v. 12: 20-21). (d) Finally, it also could be a form of accountability. God is near to discipline us if we are not gentle and gracious to others. James uses God’s presence as a form of accountability for the Hebrew Christians in the book of James. He said, “Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9). If we grumble and complain in the midst of conflict and injustice, it could bring the discipline of God (cf. 1 Cor 10:10).

Certainly, God’s nearness in space means all these things. We should be gentle to all because he is near to comfort us when we suffer, to empower us, to defend us, and even to judge us if we do wrong.

We must develop this awareness by practicing his presence. How is this done? Living in a state of prayer and thanksgiving is necessary for developing a sense of the Lord’s presence and also thinking on the right things (Phil 4:6-9). This will help us be stable in life and not up and down with various events. Do you seek to live in a constant awareness of the Lord’s presence?

2. “The Lord is near” could mean that God is near in time.

This would be an encouragement by the fact that the second coming is near. When he comes, he will make all things right. In addition, we will be held accountable when our Master comes. Reward and loss of reward will occur based on our faithfulness (cf. Lk 12:42-48). Jesus gave this parable about his coming:

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (Luke 12:42-44)

Scholars who believe “the Lord is near” refers to the second coming, point to Philippians 3:20-21 in the previous chapter. Paul said:

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

However, since the text is ambiguous, it probably refers to both. The Lord is near both in space as his presence is always with us and in time as he is coming soon.¹¹ We must develop an awareness of Christ’s presence if we are going to stand firm amidst the trials of life, and we must develop a sense of his immanency—our Lord could come at any moment.

Application Question: How do we develop or practice an awareness of Christ’s presence throughout the day? How should this help us stand firm? In addition, how do we develop and maintain a sense of Christ’s immanency—that he could come at any moment? How should that comfort and enable us to stand firm, regardless of our circumstances?

Conclusion

How do we stand firm amidst the various trials and temptations in life? Paul in this text calls for believers to stand firm.

1. Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Pursuing Intimacy with Christ and Christlikeness
2. Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Fostering Harmony in the Body of Christ
3. Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Maintaining Our Joy in the Lord
4. Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Practicing Gentleness
5. Spiritual Stability Is Developed by Maintaining a Constant Awareness of the Lord

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¹ Teacher's Outline and Study Bible - Commentary - Teacher's Outline and Study Bible – Philippians: The Teacher's Outline and Study Bible.

² Hughes, R. K. (2007). Philippians: the fellowship of the gospel (p. 163). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

³ Hughes, R. K. (2007). Philippians: the fellowship of the gospel (p. 164). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

⁴ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 271). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁵ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 271). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁶ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 272). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁷ Teacher's Outline and Study Bible - Commentary - Teacher's Outline and Study Bible – Philippians: The Teacher's Outline and Study Bible.

⁸ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 276). Chicago: Moody Press.

⁹ MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (p. 276). Chicago: Moody Press.

¹⁰ Teacher's Outline and Study Bible - Commentary - Teacher's Outline and Study Bible – Philippians: The Teacher's Outline and Study Bible.

¹¹ Hughes, R. K. (2007). Philippians: the fellowship of the gospel (p. 168). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.