There is an amazing facet of relationship with God in which
he wants us to work with him in the working out of our salvation. The
expression of God’s Word under consideration calls us to understand how our
participation with God in our growth to maturity in Christ involves us working
out things he is already working in to our lives.
Pray through this Scripture, asking God to lead you into the
fullest experience of his will and his work as is possible this side of heaven.
While the questions are aimed at helping us glean the meaning of this
instruction to the church, our greater purpose is to help one another set our
minds on the Holy Spirit so he can teach us through this Scripture however he
pleases.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only
as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work
for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2)
1. 12 Therefore,
A. According to
Philippians 2:1-11, what is the meaning of Paul’s “therefore” (to help with this, the following questions encourage
us to consider how each part of this section works together to communicate a
central thought about relationships with God and his people)?
i. What does Philippians 2:1 indicate Paul
expected to be in the church already as a foundation for other qualities and
characteristics of church life?
ii. What does Philippians 2:2-5 indicate Paul
expected the church to build on the foundational qualities and experiences of
verse 1?
iii. How does Jesus’ “mind”, as expressed in Philippians 2:6-11, contribute to our
understanding of how to pursue Paul’s description of church relationships in verses
1-5?
B. How does this
context help you to consider the working relationship between you, God, and the
church?
C. How would you
compare or contrast your experience of relationships in the church with what
Paul teaches in this prelude to our text?
12 …my beloved,
A. What
relationship must we keep foremost in our minds as we consider our
participation with God and his people in the working out of our salvation?
B. How does our “my beloved” identity relate to both God
and his people at the same time?
C. How would our
acceptance and experience of this characteristic of relationship with God and
other believers help us in our efforts to join our heavenly Father in whatever
he is doing in us?
D. If “my beloved” is the bull’s eye of God’s
target in terms of what he wants you to feel like in relationship with him and
his church, how close or far from the target is your actual experience of feeling
like a child who is beloved by God and his people at the same time?
12 …as you have
always obeyed,
A. What is the
connection between “my beloved” and “always obeyed”?
B. How does Jesus’
example in verses 6-11 help us see what it looks like for a beloved person to
always obey?
C. What happens
inside you when you consider yourself as a beloved child who is called to
obedience?
12 …so now, not
only as in my presence but much more in my absence,
A. How is
obedience often affected by whether a leader/parent is present or absent?
B. Based on the
context of Philippians 2:1-11, what does our life in Christ give us to make us
just as obedient when leaders are absent as when they are present?
C. If the apostle
Paul were to come visit you today, how would your obedience compare or contrast
to the way you have been living the last while?
12 …work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling,
A. Why is working
out our own salvation with fear and trembling an obedience issue for beloved
children?
B. In terms of
the order in which things happen, which comes first, us working out our own
salvation, or us having the salvation that now needs to be worked out?
C. What is it
about the salvation we have received that requires anything to be worked out on
a daily basis?
D. Why would fear
and trembling be the appropriate characteristics of those who are working out
their own salvation?
E. How much or
little does this describe your participation in your growth to maturity in Jesus
Christ?
13 for it is God
who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
A. What does Paul’s
“for” indicate about the order in
which us working out our own salvation relates to God working in us for his
good pleasure?
B. How does the
fact that “it is God” who is working
in us affect our attitude in working out our own salvation?
C. What is the
connection between God working “in you”,
and us working “out” our own
salvation?
D. What are the
two things (“both”) that God is
working in us?
E. What is the
measure God is using for what he is working in us?
F. What effect
does it have on your innermost being to know that God would be doing things “in you” that are based on what he
considers “his good pleasure”?
G. Based on this
picture of you working out the things God is working in you, “both to will and to work” what is according
to the measure of his own good pleasure:
i. What are some things you recognize God
working in you that he wants you to have the same will as his will?
ii. What work would you need to do to put God’s
will into practice?
iii. How is your obedience reacting to the
activity of God’s good pleasure in your life?
The application of God’s
word always comes down to, what is God saying, what is God doing, and how do we
join him in his work. This Scripture has made it abundantly clear that God is
speaking through his word, he is doing a work in us to will and to work for his
good pleasure, and we join that work by working out our own salvation with fear
and trembling.
As much as possible,
communicate to God your willingness to know all he is working into you to both
will and to work for his good pleasure, and then put these things into practice
by obedient faith, watching for divine appointments in which you will be able
to work out with others the things God is working into you.
© 2016 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
This post is also shared on
my Facebook page in order to give another venue for sharing these things with
others who need to hear them. https://www.facebook.com/In2Freedom-721488284658063/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
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