I just love you and just pray all that you can use Christ's name. Amen.
Now I want to preach on something that's kind of just a lesson I've talked to a couple of you guys about.
It's in Philippians chapter 2.
It's a verse that a lot of people try to say that you've got to work your way to heaven or work your way to get salvation.
But I want to explain to you what I believe this passage is talking about.
So if you would go to Philippians chapter 2.
And verse 12 is the verse in question or the verse that we're going to try to explain here.
So Philippians chapter 2 and verse 12.
And the Bible reads, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
So this is the verse that everybody will see. You've got to work out your own salvation.
You've got to work to be saved.
Clearly, if it is talking about eternal salvation, it's definitely not talking about working your way to heaven or anything like that.
But I want to show you what I believe this passage is talking about.
We've got to take it in context with the whole book.
Because there was actually a chapter before this chapter was written.
So you've got to think that this is one whole epistle.
Paul was writing to them for a reason.
And let's see in chapter 1 what he's even talking about to the Philippians.
And in verse 12.
So at the beginning of the chapter, it says Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ.
I want you to notice that they call themselves servants of Jesus at the beginning of this book.
And then in verse 12 here, he says,
But I would, you should understand, brethren.
Now, he's calling them brethren.
And it says that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather than unto the further and unto the gospel.
So there's something that's happened to Paul that he's writing to them about.
But he's saying what has happened to me, which earlier it says that he was in bonds.
And he'll say that again here, of course.
That's happened to him and he says this has actually happened to, it's furthering the gospel.
So it's something they would look at and be like it's hindering the gospel.
Because he's in bonds.
And then in verse 13 it says,
So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places.
And then it says in verse 14,
And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident behind bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
So he's basically saying, okay, I've been in bonds for preaching the gospel.
And he says, okay, but this is actually, it's come out to be a furtherance of the gospel.
It's actually been more of a help than a hindrance.
And because he said there's people that see this, they see his bonds and now they're out there preaching the gospel even more.
And actually he goes in to say that there's actually some people preaching the gospel just because they want to see him get more, you know, afflicted in bonds.
So let's keep reading here.
And I lost my place there.
Yeah, waxing confident by my bonds.
And verse 15 it says,
Some indeed preach Christ, even of envy and strife, and some also of good will.
So you've got ones that are preaching of envy and strife, some preaching of good will.
And it says,
The one preached Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds.
But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
So you've got two different types of people preaching the gospel.
One's trying to do it just to get at Paul and getting, you know, hopefully that his bonds would be made worse.
The other one's just because out of love, they love him and everything else.
But it says,
What then, notwithstanding every way, whether in pretense, that means in show, meaning not like real,
or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Now here's the verse I want you to look at here.
So we know that Paul's in bonds.
It's for the furtherance of the gospel.
It's actually helping the gospel because there's people out there that are preaching the gospel.
The gospel's getting preached more now.
But notice in verse 19 here,
For I know that they shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
So he says this is going to turn to my salvation.
Now is Paul talking about getting saved eternally here?
No.
He's talking about, what's he, he's in a troubleless time right now, right?
He's suffering persecution for the cross of Christ because he's in jail, he's in bonds, right?
So he's not talking about salvation as far as getting saved eternally.
So the one thing that we need to look at is when salvation's used or someone's saved,
it's not always talking about eternal salvation.
The way it talks about it in Matthew 24, it says,
He that endureth unto them, the same shall be saved.
It's not talking about eternal salvation because it says later on, it says,
Unless he had shortened the days, no flesh would be saved.
Amen.
In James 5, it says you've saved a soul from death.
If you've basically corrected your brother from their sin,
I'm not quoting that correctly as far as what it says,
but it basically says you've saved a soul from death.
It's not talking about saving them from hell.
It's talking about if your brother was sinning in something.
The Bible says there is a sin unto death, I do not say that he should pray for it.
So there's certain things that a Christian can do to where God maybe takes you out of this life.
But he's in bonds here and he says, I know that this shall turn to my salvation.
So he's confident that it's going to turn to his salvation.
It says, According to my earnest expectation and my hope,
sorry, if I can't see it, it's like down here, I'm trying to read it.
It says, According to my earnest expectation and my hope,
that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always,
so now also Christ should be magnified in my body,
whether it be by life or by death.
And then he goes on and says, For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
And it says, Having this confidence, I know that I shall abide with you.
So basically he's saying, I know that I'm going to get out of this.
He says, I know this is going to turn to my salvation.
But he says, even so, I'm ready to die.
I'm ready to die for the cause of Christ.
And so he's talking to these people and he goes on here and says,
And the second to last verse, in verse 29, it says,
So we're not only supposed to just believe on him for salvation.
That's all you've got to do to be saved, is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we're also told to suffer for his sake.
Now the next verse I want you to see is,
Having the same conflict which he saw in me.
So he's telling them they are having the same conflict.
He's writing to the Philippians saying,
You have the same conflict which you saw in me and now here to be in me.
So he's basically saying, you saw it in me and now you're hearing again that it's in me.
But you have that same conflict.
Then it goes on to the next chapter and he goes through the synopsis of Jesus
and how he was made unto, I'll just read it because I'm going to misquote it but I don't say it right.
It says that he made himself no reputation and took upon the form of a servant.
And it says that he was made into likeness of men.
And it says he was obedient unto death.
So he was a servant. He became a servant for us.
He was obedient unto death.
So he's giving Jesus Christ as an example for suffering.
Of course Jesus is our example for suffering, the cross and everything else.
So then it gets down after he says every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess.
And you know that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Now he's picking back up where he left off with these people about them suffering for Christ.
So he's kind of giving an example of who to look to.
It says let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus.
And then it says in verse 12, this is where he's coming back to him and saying,
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.
So he's saying you've obeyed in my presence and now much more in my absence.
It says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
He's not talking about eternal salvation. He's talking about their physical salvation.
They're all going through tribulation.
If you read all the epistles, they're all going through different tribulations and trials and everything else.
These churches, we're all going through that.
And he's basically saying, work out your own salvation.
It says, I know that this shall turn to my salvation, but work out your own salvation.
Now I've got some other texts that kind of show this.
Because then it talks about, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do with his good pleasure,
do all things without murderings and disputings, that you may be blameless, harmless,
the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.
So he's basically telling them, do all this.
And it says, work out your own salvation because basically salvation is being saved from some kind of trouble or situation and everything else.
In Psalm chapter 2 and verse 11, that word fear and trembling, with fear and trembling,
now fear can be in so many different types of tenses and everything like fearful and fearfulness and everything else.
But fear and trembling in those tenses are used like in seven verses in the Bible.
One of the first verses that it uses is in Psalm chapter 2 and verse 11.
Let me take this off, it's kind of hot.
But in Psalm chapter 2 and verse 11, it says, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
So what I believe this is talking about is serving the Lord with fear and trembling.
Now are we supposed to fear those, anybody besides God?
No, it's the only person we're supposed to fear and the command of the fear is God.
And there's many of verses where it talks about to do something with fear and trembling, meekness and fear, right?
So we're supposed to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
And it says in Ephesians chapter 6, just with a physical master and servant, it says,
Servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling,
and singleness of heart as unto the Lord.
So a physical servant is supposed to look at their master and serve them with fear and trembling.
Of course Christ is our master and it even says here, not unto men, not unto Christ.
So he's saying with fear and trembling.
Now the verse that always comes out of mind with me is 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15,
where it talks about having an answer to every man with meekness and fear.
Let's look at 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15 and see what the context of that is.
1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15, and right before that verse it says,
Who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good?
But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.
And it says, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you the reasons and the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
And it says, Having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed which falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Same thing, remember it says in Philippians right after it says,
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling?
It says that you may be harmless, you know, blameless, harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke from the presence of a crooked and perished nation.
So we're supposed to serve the Lord with meekness and fear, we're supposed to serve the Lord with fear and trembling,
and to work out our own salvation, meaning physically, whether we're in tribulation or anything else.
So in the other text of course is 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and the very beginning of the chapter,
same kind of language that he uses here, and at the very beginning of the chapter, 2 Corinthians chapter 1,
and the first bit here, he's talking to the saints of Corinth, so we know that he's talking to save people.
And in verse 4, it says, 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 4, it says,
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble,
but the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
And it says, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our consolation also abounded by Christ.
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same of sufferings,
which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation,
and our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
So basically, they're talking about the tribulations, troubles they're going through, and it says that they have consolation in Christ.
They have comfort, and their salvation that they have in Christ, talking about the physical salvation that they get from Christ in all their trials,
and he even goes on here saying that they were despaired even of life, because they thought they were going to die,
but then of course Christ delivered them out of it. He's not talking about an eternal salvation here,
because in verse 8 it says, For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,
that we were pressed out of measure above strength, in so much that we despaired even of life,
but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raised the dead,
who delivered us from so great a death.
So I believe he's talking about a physical salvation. They basically had a sentence of death in them.
They thought they were going to die, but God delivered them out of that, and they had consolation through it.
Now there's many other verses that I kind of wanted to go through with that, but I'm not going to belabor it,
but I do believe that's what it's talking about in context with that passage.
I definitely think you could tie in soul winning with it, but not necessarily to working out your salvation,
but I definitely think that everything you do with soul winning is with meekness and fear,
fear and trembling serving the Lord, and even when you're in perilous times, or you're going through hard times,
you need to do it in meekness and fear, you need to do it with fear and trembling before the Lord,
but not fear men, because that fear is to them a token of perdition, but to you of salvation.
We're not supposed to fear what they're going to do unto us, but we are to fear the Lord,
and we're supposed to tremble before him, we're supposed to be meek before him,
and that's what I believe that passage is talking about in Philippians,
is working out your own salvation before the Lord, just like Christ did.
As far as, he committed himself to him that judges righteously.
Now he was supposed to die, and it even says that even if we go to death,
Paul knew that, he said, I know this shall turn to my salvation, but he said, for me to live is Christ and die is gain.
So basically in his mind he says, if I die, I die, but if I live, it's going to be through God,
and that's basically what I believe that passage is talking about.
So that's the end of the word of prayer.