GROW Philippian 2:12-13

In spite of who is entertaining us in the finals right now in the NBA, I believe I’m on solid ground when I say that the San Antonio Spurs are arguably the best team in NBA history. With 15 straight 50 win seasons recently accomplished and a .614 winning percentage as of 2014, the San Antonio Spurs have passed the LA Lakers in a win/loss ratio contest that takes a look at each team’s entire history. Not only that, but the Spurs have made it to the playoffs every year for the last 17 seasons and during that period have taken home the championship a whopping 5 times. To what or to whom do we credit these successes, especially in the Spurs recent history? Are we to exalt the amazing coaching skills of Gregg Popovich or appreciate the raw talent of the players? A similar question arises when we consider sanctification or Christian growth. Who is responsible for the growth we go through in our Christian lives—the believer himself or God and His grace? Paul discusses the answer to this in Philippians 2:12b-13. As we continue to dissect our mission (to Know Christ, Grow in Christ, and Show Christ to the world), we now arrive at the all-important discipleship component. In an effort to understand our responsibility and God’s involvement in the process of discipleship, we are going to ask and answer two questions that deal with the contents of Philippians 2:12b-13.

 I. QUESTION #1: WHAT IS MAN’S ROLE IN SANCTIFICATION?-2:12b-d

When we pick up the statement in 12b, Paul says to the church in Philippi, “work out your salvation…”.  The present tense of this verb suggests that what Paul is trying to communicate is not to be put off but should characterize the life of the Philippians now. It should be a present reality in order that they might be set apart from the world around them. The verb used here also suggests that it cannot be done for them but must be accomplished through them. In other words, they are to take an active role in seeing growth take place in their lives. The statement that Paul offers in the first part of this verse also reveals that this is not a suggestion or a recommendation of sorts; rather, Paul is commanding his readers to do this and carry it out in their own Christian walk. It isn’t “I would suggest working out your salvation” but “work it out.” Chrysostom explains this imperative verb, “work,” as indicating “with great effort, with great care.” Bauer states that this verb describes the idea of “achieving or accomplishing.” Therefore, it is impossible to tone down the force with which Paul here points to our conscious activity in sanctification.

The attitudes within the first part of Paul’s command are reiterated as the verse continues, “with fear and trembling” (2:12c). “Fear,” describes a healthy anxiety of offending God by doing things against His will or nature.  It is a respect for His holiness and purity that is in view. This is one motivating attitude behind the growth process. However, growth also takes effort, “…and trembling.”

No one wants to work nowadays. The very word “work” carries with it a negative connotation. Terms like “effort” and “sweat” and “difficulty” don’t really appeal to our fast, comfortable, spoon fed entitlement society. Sadly, this attitude has infiltrated the Christian faith and permeated the church. However, we aren’t given a picture here of something that is easy, or handed to us on a silver plate. Perhaps this is why we are where we are today in Christian America, because we are afraid of chipping our proverbial nails or skinning our knees in sanctification.

In order for great athletes to make it big or to achieve the pinnacle of their discipline, they must put in the work in order to get playing time with the team and grow in ability. It is the same with believers. Maybe we aren’t training or putting in the proverbial hours and that’s why God has benched us/choosing not to use us. Maybe we aren’t growing because we aren’t putting forth the effort. 

You might ask, “What is to be done with fear and trembling?” The disciples answer this question in their activities performed in Acts 2:42.

Acts 2:42-“…They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread,…”

The first direction of this intense effort and focus is on the apostles teaching. For those in the book of Acts, these were the words preached and spoken of by the twelve who ministered with Jesus. However, for you and me, the teaching that God decided to preserve in the Bible is the primary source of information that leads to growth and development in Christ. The teaching of the apostles for these new believers provided the nourishment and nutrition these people needed to mature and grow in their understanding. Much like a playbook informs a player as to what he or she should do, the teaching of the apostles informed the hearts of their audience. To this teaching believers “continually devoted themselves.” This Literally means to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of difficulty. The tense and form of this verb suggest that Luke is talking about a devotion that becomes a part of someone’s character and takes place continuously. This word does not describe a passive activity (i.e. sitting in a service of some kind and listening to what is being presented and leaving unchanged). Instead, it describes vigorous activity that leads to growth. The growth of the church or the individual believer is not the responsibility of some third party like a pastor or priest, it is ultimately predicated on one’s personal devotion.

The second direction of intense devotion according to Acts 2:42 is toward fellowship. Fellowship is an association involving close mutual relations and involvement. We read about this type of association in the remainder of Acts 2.

It is this type of fellowship that warms the heart of each believer and allows one to grow by association. Much as the teamwork is vital to the success of the team, fellowship involves a the cooperation of individuals who meet together to encourage, and love each other in a way that fosters growth and leads to success in the Christian life.

The breaking of bread and prayer that follows fellowship renames or defines what the fellowship consisted of in those days.  It was customary for New Testament believers to gather together and eat a meal. This was their primary means of entertaining and experiencing life together. One thing that often accompanied such meetings was the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. Ultimately, fellowship meant doing life together in spiritual community. Association in such environments is crucial for proper spiritual growth.

Along with doing life together, prayer was understood to be an essential element to corporate meetings and integral to Spiritual growth (as Acts 2:42 suggests). If the Word is the playbook, and fellowship is the teamwork, then prayer involves the all important communication with the coach. According to John Wesley, this (prayer) is “where the action is.” And as in any successful team, communication with the coach is perhaps what is most important, “The most important thing a born again Christian can do is pray” (Chuck Colson).

In Acts 2:42, commitment to the word of God, community, and prayer, were seen as the only proper response to belief in Jesus as Messiah. The picture of growth portrayed in this passage is spiritual and relational. All of these considerations make up the second phase of the mission…should you choose to accept it.

However, us playing a role in sanctification as Acts 2:42 suggests should give us pause. Our salvation, which we confess to be God’s from beginning to end, is here described as something that we must bring about. However, as we will next see, our dependence on divine activity for sanctification is nowhere else mad more explicit as in the next verse.

II. QUESTION #2: WHAT IS GOD’S ROLE IN SANCTIFICATION?-2:13

Paul continues in his comments to the church in Philippi by saying, “For it is God who is at work in you” (2:13a). Just as the command in verse 12 is a present reality, so is the presence of God at work within the believer. God is presently within His children working within us. Likewise, it is He that is doing the work. In other words, He isn’t just within us; He is also working to continue the growing process. This process doesn’t slow down, take breaks, or finish until our ultimate end. Instead, the work of God within the believer to make them more like Himself is a continuous action that is ongoing. Paul already mentioned this in Philippians 1:6.

Philippians 1:6- “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” No doubt, Paul was alluding to this idea and the concepts around it in this verse which involve the total work of salvation.

Some commentators believe that there is a play on words in this passage. Paul compels his audience to “work out” only because God “works in.” Both actions rely on God who is emphasized in the passage (and in all of Pauline literature). The grace of God is ultimately responsible for the believers ability to participate in the growing process to which God invites him/her. 

Good coaches get involved with their players. Often times they demonstrate the plays they hope to make or how they want a something to be run but either way, they are intimately aware and actively involved in the game, coaching their players on to victory. It is the coach’s will that decides what actions the team will ultimately take and it is the hard work that the coach puts in that ultimately leads the team in the game. In the same way, God is actively involved in the Christian life, in their sanctification. He is the one who calls the shots, He is the one who decides what is best for those on His team. However, it is only when the players are submitted to the coach that they do their best. In the same way, it is only when believers submit to their God and His leadership that they are at their best.

What is God bringing out in this work? His pleasure, “both to will and to work for His good pleasure…” (2:13b). This can also be translated “His good purpose” and is a term that generally relates to the ultimate will of His own glory. In this turn of phrase, Paul reinforces the believer’s dependence on direction toward God’s sovereignty. All is ultimately for the glory and pleasure of God. If it is good for God it is good for His children. The sanctification process is about Him working with us to make us more like Him. In this, He finds delight.

So What?

By way of concluding, I want us to answer this last question, who wins the game--the players, or the coaches? I believe it is both the coach’s solid direction/leadership along with the full commitment of his team that wins the game. In the same way, we’ve examined that both man and God play a part in this thing called sanctification or growth. In fact, in light of our salvation (which is totally by the grace of God) the Lord invites us to journey with Him in order to become more like Him. While He is ultimately in control and it is His grace that allows for the growth, the efficiency of the process is in some ways dependent on man’s submission to God. By way of application may I suggest that we not take a passive role in our own sanctification. May we be willing to work hard and get off our duffs to be men and women who take our spiritual lives seriously. May we adopt a fearful reverence for those activities that we see the disciples yielding themselves over to (meeting together, breaking bread, praying, etc.) while at the same time relying on the same grace that saved us to grow us. Don’t be a bench warmer. Study the playbook that is the Word of God, show up for practice in our small groups and prayer meetings, and communicate regularly with greatest of all coaches. Our mission depends on it.