Nathaniel R. Martin

For God Works in Us: Philippians 2:12-13

Sermon Idea: The Christian life is a journey of working out our salvation,  empowered by God who works in us.

Introduction: Many consider Johnathan Edwards to be the greatest and most influential theologian in American history. He served as a pastor for several years, a missionary among Native Americans, and, before his death, briefly as the president of what is now Princeton University. 

As a young man, about 18 or 19 years old, Edwards wrote 70 resolutions in an attempt to live in light of eternity. Here are some examples. 

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before. 

43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s…

Edward’s preamble to this long list of resolutions makes it clear that he is totally dependent on God’s grace and power in his Christian life. This power leads him to action, not apathy. Thus, he resolved to live before God in light of eternity, wishing not to waste any time. 

“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.” 

Edwards did not believe that God’s saving grace resulted in an apathetic Christian life in which the believer coasts to glory. He believed that the Christian life was the working out of our salvation because of God’s gracious work in us for salvation. 

This morning’s text teaches us that the Christian life is a journey of working out our salvation, empowered by God, who works in us.

I began with Edwards’s preamble because I want to be explicit and clear that our work as believers is only possible because of God’s work of grace in us. With Edwards, I want us to read a passage like Philippians 2, believing we cannot do anything without God’s help and that we need God’s grace to enable us to work out our salvation as we are called to do in these verses. 


In a passage like this, it is obvious that God is at work, and believers are to work. However, God’s work and our work are not equal. It is not a cooperation where God does his part, and then we do our part. God’s work is primary, so anything a believer does completely depends on the work God does in us. 

The context reinforces this important point. The exhortation for the Philippians to work out their salvation is an elaboration of 1:27, Paul’s main purpose for writing this letter. 

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel (Php 1:27)

The gospel is fleshed out beautifully in 2:1-11, where the example of Christ’s humiliation in the incarnation and his death on the cross shows how the church is to live among one another humbly. Christ’s life and death are the pattern and the power for the Christian life. Why is this important?

It is important because of the word “therefore” in verse 12. We are to work out our salvation because of what God has done for us in the life and death of Jesus Christ, the gospel. Our manner of life is to be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so we work out our salvation toward that end. 

The Christian life is working out our salvation empowered by God, who works in us.

I.) The Christian life is working out our salvation (Philippians 2:12) 

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, (Php 2:12)

As a good friend should, Paul begins with a word of affirmation before giving them instruction. He mentions how they’ve obeyed Christ but wants them not to depend on his presence. He wants them to mature and live faithfully, whether he is with them or not. Paul describes this obedience as working out their salvation. 

The idea to “work out,” as Paul uses it here, means cultivating, practicing, or living out. This may seem odd to us because few themes in Scripture are more prominent than salvation, being total of God’s grace and not of our works (Eph. 2:8-10; Gal. 2:15-16; Titus 3:5). This is a precious truth, and everything Paul teaches us here in Philippians 2 is consistent with it. 

That is because when the Bible speaks of salvation, it does so with tension. Salvation, in one sense, is completed; in another, it is incomplete. It is already, but not yet. 

Salvation is complete in that we have been justified before God, forgiven of our sins, reconciled to God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and so saved from the guilt of our sins. Just as Jesus cries out on the cross, “It is finished!” All who place their faith in Christ can rest knowing their salvation is secure because of the finished work of Christ. 

Salvation is also incomplete in another sense because we don’t now experience all that salvation has accomplished. We can still be troubled by temptation and sin. We know we’re not fully all who God has declared us to be in Christ. This means we can speak of salvation as past, present, and future: we are saved from sin’s guilt, we are being saved from sin’s power, and we will one day be saved from sin’s presence. 

The New Testament speaks of salvation in the future in a number of passages. Here are just a few examples. 

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Ro 5:9–10)

16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Ti 4:16)

18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Ti 4:18)

When Paul encourages us to work out our salvation, he does not mean that we contribute to our salvation in any sense. Paul has in mind the totality of salvation so that “working out your salvation” is the believer’s work by God’s grace in becoming more of who God has already declared them to be: holy in Christ Jesus. 

What Paul has in mind is what we would normally call sanctification, the process by which we become more like Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit who works in us. 

Charles Spurgeon once described hearing about good sculptors who see a block of marble and see there is a statue hidden in it. In their minds, all they need to do is remove all the extra useless material to reveal the beauty of the statue inside. 

Spurgeon then used this to illustrate how we are to work out our salvation to reveal the beauty of the image of Christ that God has made us. 

“Believer, you are that block of marble…God has sketched the image of his Son in you; and you have but to go chipping away these sins, infirmities, and corruptions, till the fair likeness of the Incarnate God shall be seen by all.”

We might also think about watching the sunrise. As it rises, we can often only see portions of its bright glory, but it’s there nonetheless. So the Christian life in sanctification is like the rising of the sun. We are holy saints in Christ Jesus, but life in this fallen world and life in our fallen bodies dims this reality. Working out our salvation over time slowly makes us more of what God has made us to be.

These verses make clear that believers should be diligent and make every effort to care for their own souls. Our spiritual lives will not coast unattended into greater Christ-likeness. 

Many godly pastors before me have noted that no one drifts into godliness. If we are drifting, we are drifting from sound doctrine, godly character, and the church. We don’t drift into greater holiness and love for God. We only drift away from it. 

Spiritual growth in Christ requires grace-fueled, Spirit-empowered working out of our salvation in the fear and trembling of the Lord. In the words of Hebrews, it is to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

The question naturally arises: how might we do this? The answer is much simpler than you may like, and that is truly good news for you. Too many Christians think true spiritual growth only comes through big, spiritual experiences. The truth is that God has promised to work in us by his grace and Spirit through ordinary means. Before moving to verse 13, I want to encourage you to work out your salvation in three ways. So much more can be said, but these three ways are primary. 

  1. Work out your salvation by confessing and repenting as often as you sin. 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 Jn 1:9)

Don’t suppress the Spirit’s work on your conscience, even this morning. If you’re burdened by sin, confess it before the Lord this morning. Hear the reassuring grace of the gospel, and ask God for the grace to change. The finished work of Christ on the cross is sufficient for every sin and transgression of God’s law. Trust in the cleansing and renewing power of the gospel. 

2. Work out your salvation by making use of God’s ordinary means of grace, especially the Word of God, and prayer. 

According to our statement of faith, sanctification “is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit… in the continual use of the appointed means- especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.”

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Ti 3:16–17) 

16 vRejoice always, 17 wpray without ceasing, 18 xgive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

As the new year approaches, pray about making a plan for the disciplined reading of God’s Word. Read it prayerfully to meet with the Lord, hear from Him, commune with Him, and be transformed by the grace of his presence. 

With Jonathan Edward, be resolved “…to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

3. Work out your own salvation by committing to gather on the Lord’s Day with your local church. 

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb 10:24–25)

One of the most important ways to work out your salvation is to be committed to gathering with the church for corporate worship. This is much more than simply “going to church.” It is to gather with the saints of your local church to worship God and be nourished by the ordinary means of grace (preaching, prayer, & the ordinances) in covenant fellowship with one another.  The corporate worship gathering is God’s plan A for making his people more like Jesus Christ. 

How might your Spiritual life look like a year from now if you committed in 2025 to faithfully read God’s Word daily, cultivated a habit of daily prayer, and resolved yourself to be faithfully present every Lord’s day, gathering as far as it depended on you? 

II.) The Christian life is empowered by God, who works in us (Philippians 2:13)

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Php 2:13)

God’s work in us for his good pleasure is the ground and motivation for working out our salvation. We should remember the glorious promise of 1:6, 6 And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. (Php 1:6)

God’s work in us has two ends: to will and to work. 

  1. God works in you to will. God’s work in us changes our will or desires so that we’ll want to obey him in great holiness and godliness. Every desire we have to defeat sin, turn from it, and be free of it comes from the gracious work of God in us. Every desire for God, his Word, and his church comes from the gracious work of God in us. 
  1. God works in us to work for his good pleasure. Not only does he change our desires by his grace, but he enables and empowers us to obey His Word. Beloved, the power of God and the grace to change is available for all those who are in Christ Jesus through faith. 

It is amazing to think that God works in us what pleases him. He works in our desires of holiness so that he might be pleased with our holiness. He works in our obedience so that he might be pleased with our obedience to him.

I can’t help but wonder then if some of our troubles in seeing progress against temptation and sin are rooted in unspoken unbelief that God really is working in us to will and work for his good pleasure. 

Friends, if you’re in Christ Jesus, please know with assurance that God is at work in you. Believe that the grace to grow, change, and mature is at work in you through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

Reflection Questions 

  1. How would you describe your spiritual life? Are you working out your salvation, or are you coasting aimlessly? 
  1. Is your private devotional life with God consistent with your public displays of devotion to God? 

3. Are you fueled by God’s grace in your life to pursue greater holiness and joy in God? Or do you think about your spiritual life apart from God’s work of grace, as if it’s all on your shoulders or as if you’re trying to earn favor with God? 

We work out our salvation, but we do so because of God’s gracious work in us! Let’s believe we’re only working out what God has worked in. The work he began in the past will be completed in the future. That is all that grace we need to work out our salvation in the present. 

Nathaniel R. Martin

The Christ of Christmas: Matthew 1:18-25

Introduction: A recurring theme throughout the Bible magnifies God’s miraculous work in the world. When things have gone wrong, and there is a need for God’s great work among his people, the Lord accomplishes his purposes in a most vulnerable and unsuspecting way. There is always a woman who gets pregnant by the miraculous hand of God. 

Sarah was old and barren when God promised to give her and Abraham a son. 

The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him (Ge 21:1–2)

During the time of the judges, when things were very bad for Israel, the angel of the LORD appeared to a barren woman and promised she would bear a child. 

3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. (Jdg 13:3)

24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him (Jdg 13:25-25)

There is also Hannah, who had no children because the Lord had closed her womb. Hannah knew God loved her, so she lamented, wept, and prayed for a son. 

And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” (1 Sa 1:19–20)

I love the way theologian Ben Myers sums up this theme, “This is how it goes in the Old Testament: at the great turning point in history, we find a woman, pregnant, and an infant child brought into the world by the powerful promise of God. Israel’s story is a story of miraculous births.” 

So when we open the Gospel of Luke, our hearts should begin to beat with excitement when we read about Elizabeth, “But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” (Luke 1:7) 

The birth of John the Baptist marked an important turning point in redemptive history as he would prepare the way for the Lord. 

What greater turning point in history could there be than the birth of the Messiah, who will save his people from their sins? This birth should be the most miraculous of all, the Son of God in human flesh born of a virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

This morning, we will reflect on the Christ of Christmas from the Gospel of Matthew. I want us to think about what it means for Jesus to be born of a virgin and why he needs to be the son of David. I want us to think about how Christmas leads to the cross, as the one born of a virgin is named Jesus, who saves his people from their sins. I want us to think about Jesus Christ being the promised Messiah in fulfillment of the Scriptures, Immanuel, God with us. 

As we do so, we’ll see who Jesus is and why his birth is truly the turning point in history. We will see that the Christ of Christmas is a son of David, born of a virgin; Jesus, the savior of sinners; and Immanuel, fulfilling the Scriptures. 

I.) The Christ of Christmas is a son of David, born of a virgin (Matt. 1:18-20) 

To fully appreciate all that the Gospel of Matthew is doing in these verses, we have to understand the Old Testament hope that God would provide a Messiah, who would be a descendent of Kind David. 

The promise begins in 2 Samuel, who promises that a descendent of David will sit on his throne forever. 

12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Sa 7:12–13)

Notice two things about this promise. It is a promise about a coming king and about a kingdom that will be established forever.

Throughout the Old Testament, this theme is developed, especially in the prophets.  

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. (Is 9:7)

23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. (Eze 34:23–24.)

Matthew wants to show us that Jesus was born as an Israelite in the line of David. Now, I can’t do the implications of Jesus coming in the line of David justice. Trying in one sermon to capture all the theological connections Matthew makes between Jesus and David is like splashing at the waves, hoping to feel the depths of the ocean.

From the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ humanity, especially his being in the line of David, is in view. Look with me at Chapter 1, verse 1. 

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Mt 1:1)

Although David comes after Abraham in history, Matthew identifies Jesus first as the son of David. It’s as if Matthew is writing in crayon, making it as plain as possible. This is what I want to show you. 

He does something similar in verse 20. How does the angel of the LORD refer to Joseph? “Joseph, son of David…” (Matt. 1:20). 

Now let’s return to Matthew 1:18-20. Here Matthew is going to show us how Jesus, who is born of a virgin, can be a son of David in fulfillment of God’s promises in Scripture. Key to this part is Joseph himself. So let’s look at these verses together. 

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (Mt 1:18–29)

Mary’s pregnancy comes as quite a shock to Joseph, who would have no reason to assume conception by the Holy Spirit to be the most obvious explanation. 

To properly understand what happens next, we must know that the betrothal period before the marriage ceremony and consummation was much more serious than our modern understanding of engagement. Joesph and Mary are already legally bound to one another and this commitment can only be ended by death or through a legal separation under certain circumstances like sexual infidelity.

Based on Joseph’s limited information at the time, he could only assume Mary had been unfaithful; therefore, he was obligated to separate from Mary. Matthew means this when he describes Joseph as a “just man.” Joseph wants to do what is right according to the law. Yet, he wants to do so in a merciful way. Joseph does not wish to make an example out of Mary and not shame her in a public trial. So he seeks this separation, “quietly.”

This raises several problems for Mary and the story of Jesus. If Joseph divorces Mary quietly and never looks back, then Jesus cannot be a descendant of David. If Joseph divorces Mary quietly, Paul cannot speak of the gospel like he does in Romans 1, the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh (Ro 1:1–3) 

The Lord intervenes through an angel to assure Joseph knows the truth about Mary and to assure that the Messiah is a descendant of David. Look with me at verse 20, 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, (Mt 1:20–21). 

Joseph learns of the miracle of the Virgin’s conception and birth. Notice that the text of Matthew makes it clear that Mary is a passive vessel in this entire miracle: “…that which is conceived in here is from the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the source of Jesus’s conception, but the Spirit is not an agent who acts in conceiving Jesus. Mary is a passive vessel in the conception of Jesus, not a participant in conceiving Jesus. 

Luke describes it this way, 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

This is a mystery, and we should allow it to be. Trying to make everything about the Christian life void of mystery is a mistake. It is beyond us because God’s ways are not our ways. 

That said, it is helpful to think about how the virgin birth fits God’s ways and works in salvation. Much could be said here, but we’ll mention just a few examples.

For example, the virgin birth by the conception of the Holy Spirit is most fitting because Jesus is one person with two natures. He is fully God and fully man. The miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception fits the miraculous nature of the incarnation. 

The virgin birth is fitting because it shows the uniqueness of the Son’s relationship to God the Father. A key theme in the gospels is that Jesus is from the Father. To see Jesus is to see the Father. When we think of Jesus as a son, we are to think of him as the Son of God. The virgin birth prioritizes this relationship over his relationship with Joseph. 

The virgin birth is fitting because it fulfills Old Testament prophecy. 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Is 7:14) God ordained the virgin birth and promised it through the prophets, and so it is the most fitting way for Jesus to be born. 

The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is an important doctrine that has been treasured by Christians for ages. It should be a source of joy and worship, not embarrassment. 

“Don’t be embarrassed by the virgin birth; rather, teach it, preach it, and share it as part of the gospel story so that when a person responds in faith, they will know whom they believe. Pray to see the miracle of Christ conceived in their hearts the way he was conceived in Mary’s womb.”- R. Albert Mohler

Now, let’s get back to Joseph. The angel does not give this information to Joseph just so that he might feel better and sleep easier at night. Joseph is meant to respond to the message. Look at verse 21 again, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus…” 

According to verses 24-25, this is exactly what Joseph does. He does not break off the betrothal, takes Mary as his wife, and names the baby Jesus. 

This is significant for two reasons. The first is that Joseph takes him officially as his legal heir by naming the baby. Jesus becomes the son of Joseph, the son of David. The boy born of a virgin now has a lineage and a genealogy working backward from Joseph to David to Abraham. 

The Christ of Christmas is a son of David, born of a virgin. 

The second reason this is significant is because the name “Jesus” tells us a lot about what God is doing through the son who is born of a virgin. This brings us to our second point. The Christ of Christmas is Jesus, the Savior.

II.) The Christ of Christmas is Jesus, the savior of sinners (Matt. 1:21)

The name Jesus was not an uncommon name. You can see why faithful Jewish mommies and daddies might name their son Jesus because it means “Yahweh saves.” That is religious sentiment. For the baby born of a virgin, it is the reality of salvation because he is the reason for salvation.

Jesus is the name he is given because “he will save his people from their sins.”

To be sure, “his people” immediately refers to Israel, but it will be abundantly clear as Matthew unfolds that Jesus will not be a savior for Israel alone but of people from every tribe, nation, and tongue.

The language that the angel uses is the language of both forgiveness and freedom. Jesus comes to save “people from their sins.” 

We are guilty of sin but also in bondage to sin. Sin is something we need forgiveness for, but also deliverance from. 

What Jesus is going to do is what Ezekiel promised. Listen to the words of the prophet.  

23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 37:23)

This is what Jesus has come to do. He will do so not by riding a horse and bearing a sword but by riding a donkey and bearing a cross. 

So later in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, “…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20:28) 

This means celebrating Christmas means anticipating the cross. The cradle and the cross are connected. No Christian celebration of Christmas dares to separate them. 

The Christ of Christmas is Jesus, the savior of sinners. 

Beloved, when you’re tempted to return to the sins you’ve committed, remember that Christ came to save you from your sins. He was born, lived, died, and rose again so that you can be forgiven and free. So that you can be among the people of God and God can be your God. Beloved, be free from sin.

The Christ of Christmas is Jesus, the savior of sinners.

Transition: As the son of David and the savior of sinners, the presence of Jesus Christ fulfills the promises of God through the prophets. Let’s look at verses 22-25 and see that the Christ of Christmas is Immanuel, fulfilling the Scriptures. 

III.) The Christ of Christmas is Immanuel, fulfilling the Scriptures (Matt. 1:22-2) 

As is so typical of Matthew’s writing, he connects the event we just read with Old Testament prophecy, “All of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet…” 

Matthew then quotes Isaiah 7:14, most likely because he is reading Isaiah 7:14 in the larger context of Isaiah 7-9. 

6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government 

shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful 

Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Is 9:6).

I can’t retrace what Matthews seems to be doing, but it is clear that the promise of a baby born and named Immanuel in Isaiah 7 finds its full and ultimate fulfillment when Jesus is born, who is not merely named Immanuel, but who is Immanuel. The presence of Jesus is the very presence of God. 

The Christ of Christmas is Immanuel, God with us. 

The presence of God in Jesus Christ is important in Matthew’s gospel, as many scholars have pointed out. Matthew stresses the presence of Christ in the beginning, middle, and end of the gospel. 

The presence of God in Christ begins Matthew’s gospel here in the virgin birth narrative. 

The presence of God in Christ is reaffirmed in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Mt 18:20).

The presence of God in Christ ends Matthews, literally. These are the final words in Matthew 28:20, And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20)

If you’re ever tempted to doubt this, I want you to remember that the Lord has left us some tangible experiences to remind us that he is here. 

What do I say after I read Scripture? “This is the Word of the Lord.” 

What I say when I invite you to share communion. “This is my body broken for you, do this in remembrance of me. This is my cup of the new covenant in my blood, do this in remembrance of me.” 

I can’t think of anything more comforting than this. Christmas reminds us that God is not distant but with us. Beloved, if you’re in Christ Jesus, then he is anything but far from you.

Application 

1. Rejoice in Jesus’ humanity- Jesus took on humanity so that he could save a people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. That is not possible without the incarnation. Let it lead us to worship. 

    2. Trust Jesus as savior- Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and freedom from sin? Trust Jesus and respond by professing your faith in baptism. 

    3. Believe in God’s promises- Christmas is an annual reminder that God is faithful to his promises. Believe in God and trust his word. As sure as Christ was born fulfilling Isaiah 7, so will Christ come fulfilling the promises of his return. God is faithful. Trust him.

    4. Rest in Christ’s presence– Christ is always with us. Our circumstances don’t determine God’s presence, but Christ does. 

    Nathaniel R. Martin

    Our Lord Jesus Christ: Philippians 2:5-11

    Sermon Idea: We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, who is the mediator between God and man. 

    Introduction: There is no greater question in life than, who is Jesus Christ? The answer to the question is determinative, not only for the meaning of our life now but for the fate of our life into eternity. 

    The importance of this question is pressed upon us by Jesus himself, when he asks the disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is? (Matt. 16:13)

    Jesus praises Peter’s answer, and so we know it is exemplary for us, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:16) 

    In the Gospel of John, Thomas makes an equally praiseworthy confession when he sees the risen Christ and says, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) 

    Jesus, who was born of Mary in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, and lived among his disciples in the most mundane and human ways, is confessed to be the Son of God. This is why, throughout the New Testament, Jesus Christ is worshipped as God.

    How to faithfully make sense of and articulate biblically these two realities: Jesus is a human being, and Jesus is a human being, who is the Son of God, preoccupied the early church’s thinking and worship for centuries.  

    Unfortunately, many attempts to understand who Jesus is and what it means for him to be the Son of God lacked biblical faithfulness. Very early, some attempted to say that Jesus was divine but only appeared to be human. This is known as Docetism because it comes from the Greek word “to appear.” 

    Others wrongly suggested that Jesus was a faithful man who eventually became the Son of God. This is a form of adoptionism in which the man Jesus becomes the Son of God because of his faithfulness and righteousness. 

    Some suggested that Jesus was fully divine but did not have a human mind or soul. In other words, Jesus is divine and has a body but is not fully human. 

    Perhaps the most famous error came from a man named Arius, who taught that the Son was a created being somewhat divine but most certainly not co-eternal and co-equal with God. The famous expression of Arius was, “…there was when the Son was not.”

    The consequence of each of these errors is grave. These are not matters of biblical interpretation where people in good faith can disagree. These are matters of our salvation, for only a savior who is fully God and fully man can redeem fallen humanity and be the mediator between God and man. 

    As division over the identity of Jesus Christ continued, it became clear that what was needed was a way to speak about God and of Jesus Christ in a manner that is faithful to all the Bible teaches. Four ecumenical councils in the 4th and 5th centuries were called to articulate the language of how to speak of God, the Holy Trinity, and Jesus Christ as one person with two natures. The Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381 focused on the doctrine of the Trinity, while the Councils of Ephesus in 431 and Chalcedon in 451 clarified an orthodox view of Jesus Christ.1 

    This morning I want to put Philippians 2 in the context of what took place in Nicea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. The result of the Council of Nicaea was not only the condemnation of Arius but also a positive articulation of the Christian faith known as the Nicene Creed. It is hard to overstate the importance of this creed. It is a succinct summary of the Christian faith that faithfully articulates what the Bible teaches and is a helpful aid to reading the Bible well. 

    We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. 

    And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

    He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.

    And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets.

     We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

    (*catholic here means “universal.” It refers to the church in every place throughout every age. It does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church)

    This is how the church talks about God. This is our language. It’s a beautifully faithful summary of Scripture. 

    Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the key texts of the New Testament for a proper understanding of who Jesus is because in just a few verses it speaks of the one Lord Jesus Christ as both equal to God and in the form of a human being. 

    Last week, we saw how Paul appeals to the journey of Jesus first in heaven before the incarnation, then in his humiliation as a human, and finally to glory in heaven. This serves as a support for the life in which we are called to live as a church. We are called to live humbly with one another as we seek to be unified in the gospel. Jesus is the pattern and the power for us as we pursue humility. 

    Now that we have done that, we can come to the text again and learn all we can about our Lord Jesus Christ. As we follow the text, beginning with Christ’s eternal glory, to his humiliation in the form of a servant, to his exaltation in heaven, we will see that we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, who is the mediator between God and man. 

    I.) Our Lord Jesus Christ is fully God (2:5-6)

    5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Php 2:5–6)

    The point of verse 6 is to tell us what he didn’t do. Being in the form of God, he did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped. This point alone, though, makes obvious positive claims about who Jesus is with two related phrases: form of God and equality with God. 

    What does Paul mean when he says that the Son was in the form of God? When we hear the word form, we think of some type of visible appearance. It refers to the glory and status of someone divine. 

    To speak of the Son as being in the form of God is to attribute God’s glory and majestic status to the Son. The Son is the radiant glory of God.

    The only way one can be in the form of God and equal to God is to have the same nature as God. Two texts which state explicitly that the Son is of the same nature of God are Hebrews 1:2-3 and 1 John 1:1. 

     3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Heb 1:2–3)

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Jn 1:1)

    It is because of passages like these and many others that led to the Nicene Creed’s confession that our Lord Jesus Christ is God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.

    The key affirmation that the creed clarifies is that the Son is of the same being as the Father. The Son is not a similar being or a similar nature and essence. No, being in the form of God and equal to God, the Son is of the same essence as the Father. 

    Being equal to God, of the same essence as the Father, means that the Son is not 

    1.) a created being or 

    2.) a lesser being 

    The Bible teaches us that the Son of God is the agent through whom the Father created all things. The Son is not a creature, he is the creator! 

    3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Jn 1:3)

    Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Heb 1:1–2)

    The Bible’s teaching on the relationship between the Father and Son is not creator and creature. The Bible teaches us that there is one God who eternally is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three persons of the one God share all things in common. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in God’s perfections. They are equal in glory, majesty, and honor. The only distinction we make is when we discuss their eternal relations as Father, Son, and Spirit. What do I mean by eternal relation?

    Consider John 1:14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:14, NKJV)

    “…begotten of the Father” is the language of eternal relation. The Son is the eternally begotten Son of the Father. This relation is timeless, it has no beginning and does not change. It is unique and totally unlike how humans beget children.2 The Father has never been without the Son. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. 

    This is the truth confessed in the Nicene Creed: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages…begotten, not made. 

    This may be hard to comprehend and that’s because it is incomprehensible! That does not make it any less true. 

    As part of my preparation this week I revisited an important book called On God and Christ by an early church father named Gregory of Nazianzus. I like what Gregory says about the incomprehensibility of this doctrine and if you’ll let him, I think he will help you too.  

    “If you make its incomprehensibility a ground for denying the fact, it is high time you ruled out as non-existent a good number of things you don’t understand, the chief of which is God himself…God’s begetting ought to have the tribute of our reverent silence. The important point is for you to learn that he has been begotten.”- Gregory of Nazianzus

    Being of the same essence as the Father the Son is, 

    1.) Co-eternal and 

    2.) Co-equal with God

    Our Lord Jesus Christ is fully God! He always was, is, and forever will be. Let us have firm confidence in the teaching of the New Testament, let’s adore and worship Jesus Christ as God from God, light from light, true God from true God.

    Transition: Our Lord Jesus Christ is also fully man. Paul tells us Jesus did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped (Php 2:6) In other words, Jesus does not exploit his status for his advantage. What is important about this is that everything about the Son becoming a man is for us and our salvation. God did not need to become a man. We needed God to become a man. Jesus humbling himself is for us and our salvation. 

    II.) Our Lord Jesus Christ is fully man (2:7-8) 

    7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Php 2:7–8)

    With these verses, the eternal Son of God takes on human flesh, being born in the likeness of men. The emptying reference here is a simple reference to the Son’s majestic, divine glory being veiled by human flesh. Jesus did not empty himself of his divinity in any way. That would be impossible! The Son of God remains God fully, without change, as he takes on human flesh in the incarnation. 

    So when we speak of the incarnation, we just mean that the Son of God became enfleshed as the Gospel of John teaches us, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14)

    The word “taking” in verse 8 is important for us to understand what it means for the Son of God to become a human being. The Son was not transformed into a human being, but the humanity of Jesus Christ was added and united to the divine nature of the Son at the moment of conception. 

    The significance of this is that we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human. Jesus is not two persons, the Son of God and Jesus Christ. He is one person with two natures: a divine nature and a human nature. These two natures “…undergo no confusion, no change, no division, no separation.”3 

    The purpose of the Son of God taking on human flesh was for us and for our salvation! 

    And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:8)

    Sin corrupted everything about us, both our bodies and our souls. If we were going to be redeemed, we needed a savior who could redeem us from sin and death. Only by God taking on human flesh and becoming fully God and fully man in one Lord Jesus Christ made redemption possible. 

    The Son of God talking on flesh made death in our place possible. Remaining the Son of God while in the flesh made his sacrificial death powerful to conquer Satan, sin, and death. 

    14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery, (Heb 2:14–15)

    Jesus’ humanity also qualifies him to be a faithful high priest who can help us when we’re being tempted.                          

     17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb 2:16–18)

    Have you considered how God becoming man was for us and our salvation? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? 

    Have you reflected on what grace it is to have a high priest who is able to help those who are being tempted? 

    Transition: Our Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He is one person with two natures, and because of his finished work on the cross is the one mediator between God and man. 

    III.) Our Lord Jesus Christ is the exalted mediator between God and man (2:9-11) 

    9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:9–11)

    What is crucial to see here is that God exalts the resurrected Jesus Christ by bestowing on him “the name that is above every name.” 

    Throughout the Bible, God’s name refers to his divine nature. God’s divine name is first revealed to us in Exodus 3:14. 

    13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” (Ex 3:13–14)

    YHWH is the personal name of God as revealed in Holy Scripture. What is interesting is that Israel would not say that name out of reverence for it. Instead, every time they saw the name YHWH in Scripture they would read ADONAI (Lord). In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, kupios (Lord) is the word that is used to translate God’s divine name. 

    In the New Testament to say that Jesus is Lord is the same thing as saying Jesus is the one and same God whose name is YWHW. At his resurrection, the one Lord Jesus Christ, fully and fully human, is given the name that the Son of God possesses being equal with God. He already possessed that name and all it entails as God, but now he recieves it as man. The one Lord Jesus Christ has the divine name. It is that Jesus is Lord!

    Because our one Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, he is the mediator between God and man. 

    The Baptist Faith & Message makes a clear connection between Jesus’ exaltation and ascension into heaven with his office as mediator.

    He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. ArticleII.B

    Paul teaches us elsewhere that there is only one mediator between God and man. 

    For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Ti 2:5–6)

    The only way for sinners to be made right with God is through the work of the mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ. The question for each of us is, have I bowed the knee to Jesus Christ through faith? Is my relationship to God mediated by the Lord Jesus Christ? 

    One day every person will acknowledge Christ as Lord. He is worthy of this now and will be forever. 

    We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, who is the mediator between God and man.

    Our Lord Jesus Christ is, “the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

    He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.”

    This is what we believe about Jesus Christ. This is what we confess. To the praise and glory of God. 

    1Steve McKinion, “Jesus Christ” in Historical Theology for the Church ed. Jason G. Duesing and Nathan A. Finn (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2021) 

    2R. Lucas Stamps & Tyler Wittman, “Christology” in Confessing Christ ed. Steve McKinion, Christine Thornton, Keith Whitfield (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2024) 17.

    Nathaniel R. Martin

    Christ, the Way of Humility: Philippians 2:1-11

    Sermon Idea: Churches maintain unity by being formed by the life and death of Christ, following Jesus in the way of humility. 

    Introduction: The Christian tradition has long understood pride as the root of all sin. In the history of interpretation, it was pride that caused the fall of Satan from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:8). Pride was at the root of Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve, who sought to “be like God” (Gen. 3:5). 

    This is why C.S. Lewis, in his marvelous book Mere Christianity, titles his chapter on pride, The Great Sin. “…it was through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”1

    In this chapter, Lewis offers two insightful points about the nature of pride. The first is that pride is essentially competitive, and the second is that pride always means enmity between man and God. 

    So, following Lewis, we can confidently say that the vice of pride only results in fracture and disunity. 

    Paul understands this well, so in his efforts to encourage the church to maintain unity, he wants them to adorn themselves with the virtue opposed to pride—humility. 

    The way Paul does this is important for our pursuit of unity and a proper understanding of the Christian life.

    For Paul, Christ’s life and death are the patterns that shape and form our lives as a church. We are to be a people conformed to the crucified Christ. That is the encouragement of verses 5-11. 

    The power to be formed and shaped by the cross of Christ comes from the glorious reality that in salvation, we are crucified with Christ so that we live in him and He in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

    The realities that Paul calls us to remember in 2:1, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, are not identical, but similar to Galatians 2:20. 

    20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Ga 2:20)

    Living unified as a church is only possible because of the work of God in salvation that unites us to Christ Jesus. That is where Paul begins in verses 2:1-4. 

    Furthermore, living unified as a church is rightly pursued by being conformed to the crucified Christ, whom God has united us to in salvation. That is how Paul ends in verses 2:5-11. 

    What I want us to see this morning is that churches maintain unity by being formed by the life and death of Christ, following Jesus in the way of humility. Three truths will support this idea: shared life in Christ is the basis for unity, humility is the way to unity, and Christ is the way of humility. 

    I.) Shared life in Christ is the basis for unity (Phil. 2:1-2) 

    Five realities in verse 1 describe a church’s shared life in Christ. 

    So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy (Php 2:1)

    What is assumed with each phrase is that these things are true. There is encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, and affection and sympathy. These realities are true of the church because of what God has done in Christ and by the Spirit. Our shared life in Christ is in God, the Holy Trinity.

    Elsewhere Paul refers to God as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Co 1:3–4)

    He also uses language very similar to Philippians 2:1 in a Trinitarian way at the end of 2 Corinthians: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Co 13:14)

    It’s good to remember that the immediate context is Paul’s exhortation for the church to stand firm together, especially through suffering, 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Php 1:29)

    Yes, God has granted them to suffer for Christ, but he has also blessed them in Christ with all that is needed to live faithfully with one another through suffering. They can stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel because there is encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the spirit, affection, and sympathy. 

    The key here is that God has provided what we need to maintain unity in the church. If unity is going to be maintained, we need to remember what God has already done in Christ and who we are together in Christ. We don’t need new teaching or information. We need to take heed to what God has already done and has already taught us. 

    This is how Paul connects verses 1 with verse 2, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (Php 2:2)

    Our shared union with Christ is to result in the church being like one person. 

    We might think of a rowing team that is made up of multiple members, all of whom are different but who nonetheless move as one. They do that because they have the same goal and everyone is rowing in the same direction to meet that goal. 

    For unity to be maintained, there has to be something worth striving for that is greater than personal preferences and individual ambitions. For the church, that greater something is God’s glory and the advancement of his gospel. 

    The basis of our unity is our shared life in Christ. Encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, affection, and sympathy are the motivation for being of one mind. 

    The way to unity is by living humbly with one another. Look with me at verses 3-4. 

    II.) Humility is the way to unity (Phil. 2:3-4) 

    3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Php 2:3–4) 

    Self-ambition is pursuing your own desires to the detriment of others. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious. There is nothing wrong with having goals and pursuing them. There is something wrong with pursuing your ambitions, no matter the cost to others. 

    James refers to selfish ambition as wisdom from below and goes as far as to say that selfish ambition is demonic. 

     14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (Jas 3:13–16)

    Likewise, Proverbs tells us that God hates pride, There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes (Pr 6:16–17)

    Following Christ leads us downward, away from selfish ambition and to the path of humility, “but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

    Humility is a virtue that can too easily be misunderstood or distorted. So, what is humility? Simply, humility is having a proper view of oneself. 

    At the most fundamental level, it is to know that you are a creature, not the creator. It is to know that you redeemed, not the redeemer. That sounds simplistic, but it’s the foundation for understanding that every good gift you have has been received. You’re a product not of your own making but of God’s providence and grace.

    When we have a proper view of ourselves, it frees us from being preoccupied with trying to get others to think more highly of us than they ought, and we’ll be less tempted to step over others to lift ourselves. 

    True humility is thinking of yourself less as you seek the good of others. Humble people are preoccupied with the needs of those around them, not only individuals but also the needs of their community.  

    The motivation that the Bible gives for the pursuit of humility is contrary to our instincts. Glory and exaltation follow the path of humility. 

    God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (Jas 4:6–8)

    Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, (1 Pe 5:5–6)

    Humility as the way of exaltation is the pattern modeled for us by Christ. Humility may be the way to unity, but Christ is the way of humility. 

    III.) Christ is the way of humility (Phil 2:5-11) 

    Christ’s life and death are the pattern that shapes and forms our lives as a church. We are to be a people who conform to the crucified Christ. We’re not going to reflect on every detail until next week, but for now, it’s important to see that the life and death of Christ are the support for Paul’s exhortation to maintain unity. 

     5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Php 2:4–7)

    The text begins with the glory of the Son before the incarnation. He was “in the form of God” who had “equality with God.” The emptying in verse 7 is a simple reference to the fact that the Son assumed human flesh and was born in the likeness of men. Christ’s humanity is referred to as the form of a servant. That is because the purpose of Christ’s mission was to redeem humanity, now corrupted by sin. 

    Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, so that in every way, he experienced human life as we do. He hungered in the wilderness. He became tired and slept. He wept at the grave of friends and experienced grief. He knew betrayal and abandonment. He became thirsty on the cross and experienced pain. Christ is as human as you and me. 

    We can’t stress enough the importance of the Son being born in the likeness of men. The author of Hebrews makes a direct connection between Jesus’ humanity and his ability to redeem us. 

    14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Heb 2:14–15)

    The reason Christ humbled himself ultimately was to die on the cross to defeat Satan, sin, and death. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Php 2:8)

    The scandalous reality of the Son of God incarnate dying on the cross is such a powerful example of humility that it can only expose just how proud we are. We can only hope that we’ll respond in the way Isaac Watts did in this famous hymn. 

    When I survey the wondrous cross

    On which the Prince of Glory died

    My richest gain I count but loss

    And pour contempt on all my pride

    Friends, if there is lingering pride in us let us meditate on the humility of Christ on the cross. By God’s grace, we can hope to have great contempt for our pride until it dwindles down to nothing. 

    It is against our instincts, but humility leads to glory. Note carefully the “therefore” in verse 9. The exaltation of Christ is in response to his faithful obedience.  

    9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:9–11)

    Application 

    1. Meditate on the shared life we have in Christ. Think about the encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, etc.
    2. Let’s keep Christ and the cross at the center of our worship and ministry. 
    3. Reflect on the pride of your heart, confess it before the Lord, and ask God for the grace to change. 

    1. C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: Harper One, 1952) 122. ↩︎

    Nathaniel R. Martin

    Gospel Citizenship: Philippians 1:27-30 

    Sermon Idea: God calls us to live worthy of the gospel of Christ. 

    Introduction: A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking to the Junior High FCA. There was a great group of fun but attentive students present. My hope was to encourage them from Colossians 3:1-2. 

    If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Col 3:1–2)

    To do that, I opened with a common saying I thought they would be familiar with. I asked them if they had heard the saying, “Some are so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good.” 

    This is when I realized I had made a misstep because they looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. It was obvious that they had never heard this phrase or ever thought about it. That’s not an indictment of them. They just hadn’t been exposed to it. It’s more an indict of me. I’m given a chance to speak to young people, and I open with that? C’mon, Nate. Be better. 

    I am willing to bet though that this is a better crowd for this reflection, so let’s hear it again, “Some are so heavenly-mind that they are of no earthly good.”

    Although I can understand the criticism a statement like that brings, Scripture calls us, again and again, to remember who we are in Christ (Gal. 2:20), and that we have received in Christ all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:3), to seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:2). The church is to be a people who are heavenly-minded. 

    If the church is going to be of any earthly good, we must set our minds on the realities accomplished by Christ, who we are in Christ, and the heavenly future that awaits because of Christ.

    Last week, the text showed us how Paul was able to find joy, even while suffering in prison because he believed that to live is Christ and to die is gain. (1:21) Paul was a missionary who was heavenly-minded. Now, he encourages the Philippians to pursue their progress and joy in the faith. 

    Our text this morning is connected to the previous section in that Paul’s example of how to suffer well for Christ becomes the model that the Philippians are to follow. After all the Philippians are, “engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” (Php 1:30)

    The way that does that is by reminding the Philippians that they are gospel citizens. He wants them to know that they are representatives of the kingdom of heaven on earth and to live out that citizenship in a manner fitting of God and his people.  

    By way of review, it’s good for us to remember that verse 27 begins the main body of the letter, which ends at 3:20. We know that because in both verses Paul references citizenship. 

    27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Php 1:27, CSB)

    20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Php 3:20)

    Citizenship would have resonated with the Philippians because Philippi was a colony of Rome, and residents of Philippi would have shared the legal status of being a Roman citizen with all its benefits and protections. Paul now employs this theme so that they’ll live faithful to Christ as citizens of heaven. They are to persevere even through suffering because they are citizens of heaven with benefits and protections greater than this world. 

    So what I want us to do is to hear God calling us to live worthy of the gospel. Gospel citizens live worthy of the gospel, live unified in the gospel, and live with the assurance gifted in the gospel.

    I.) Gospel citizens live worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27a) 

    27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Php 1:27)

    There are two things worth noting about this verse, but I want to caveat that with a third. This command corporate. It’s aimed at the church. Of course, we want our Christian lives to be worthy of the gospel, but Paul’s concern is grander than that. We are to live worthy of the gospel as a church. 

    1. The gospel is the priority of the Christian life. 
    2. The gospel is the standard of the Christian life. 

    The word “only” in verse 27 speaks to the priority of the gospel in the life of the church and our Christian lives. Commentator George Guthrie translates it this way, “Make this your focus.” 

    When I was in college, one of my professors shared a quote from D.A. Carson, who is a well-respected New Testament scholar.

    “If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.”

    What are the saints of Waldo most excited about? What are we going to emphasize again and again and again? What we focus on and get excited about sets the culture of our church. I want the gospel of Jesus Christ to be what excites us the most. It should be what we emphasize more than anything else.

    Every Lord’s Day should be a rehearsal of the glorious good news that God has sent his Son in human flesh to live, die on the cross for sinners, and be raised to a new life as the ascended Lord over all things. 

    We should reflect on our sins, be assured of God’s forgiving grace, and sing praises to the God who has saved us. 

    The gospel is also the standard of the Christian life. When Paul says, 

    let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ; he means the gospel is the standard or point of reference for our life as a church. 

    Perhaps we can think about it this way. Does the way we live with one another and among the world bear witness to the power and grace of the gospel, or does our way of life distract or minimize the gospel? 

    Some churches distract and minimize the gospel by embracing a view of cheap grace that borders on lawlessness. That is, they are not zealous for personal holiness and sanctification in Christ. Sin is not taken seriously enough, repentance is infrequent, and people are apathetic toward change. God is gracious and merciful, but apathy toward the things of God, because he is gracious, distorts the gospel. God’s grace should not be presumed and taken for granted.  

    What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Ro 6:1–2)

    Other churches distort the gospel by embracing such a graceless view of the Christian life that it borders on legalism. That is, there is pressure to meet some extrabiblical standard to be right with the Lord. Legalism places burdens on people that are too heavy to carry. Legalism distorts the gospel by making works—what we do— the means of gaining favor with God. That is not the good news of the gospel. This is the good news of the gospel.

    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  (Eph. 2:8-9)

    Lastly, some churches distract from the gospel by embracing pragmatism. This is the idea that something’s value is determined by whether it works or not. Rather than being guided by Biblical convictions and principles, pragmatism simply asks, does this method give me the outcome that I want? Pragmatism is doing what is right in our own eyes. The problem is that pragmatism ignores something very important: asking how God has instructed us in his Word to do ministry. What are his methods to achieve his purposes? We not only need to avoid pragmatism in ministry and worship but in our cultural engagement. We should bring all of our Christian convictions to the public square, participate in the political process, and seek the good of our city. We just need to remember that true, lasting change comes through spiritual means.

    All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. – Baptist Faith & Message 2000, Article XV

    We want to avoid all three of these dangers by making it our focus to live as citizens worthy of the gospel. The Word of God, prayer, the ordinances, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. This is how we pursue a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. 

    We are to as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ. One way we do that is by being in unity with one another for the faith of the gospel. 

    II.) Gospel citizens live unified for the gospel (Phil. 1:27b-28)

    so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, (Php 1:27)

    For the church to live as citizens worthy of the gospel, they must maintain their unity so they can continue to strive together for the advancement of the gospel. 

    The unity spoken of here is the unity shared by the Church in the Holy Spirit. The church is made up of different people from all walks of life, who become one because of their shared faith in Christ and sharing in the indwelling of the Spirit.

    13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Co 12:13)

    18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (Eph 2:18–19)

    When unity is maintained, church members can strive side by side for the faith of the gospel. The image we are given is that of soldiers fighting with a united front. They are so united that they are like one man instead of several. They have the same mind that is unified in the gospel. 

    What do we mean by unity, though? Are you talking about the mere absence of conflict? Is unity simply agreeing to disagree? We can say a lot about this, but for now let’s focus on this: unity is in something for some purpose. 

    “…with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27) 

    One mind = unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are united in their shared confession of faith. They are united in something.

    “…for the faith of the gospel” = unity in a shared purpose and mission. The church’s unity is for a purpose: the advancement of the gospel.

    Unity is in something for some purpose. 

    It would be fruitful for us to consider what unites us as a local church. We should be united in what we believe, our confession of faith. We should be united in how to live before God and one another, a membership covenant.  We should be united in our purpose, the great commission. 

    If we spend most of our time divided and fighting one another, it’ll prevent us from being united and on mission together. 

    When you get upset about nonessentials, you should ask yourself some questions. Is this concern worth disrupting unity and distracting from our mission? What is lost if I overlook this with grace? 

    I want us to be united in what we believe, united in covenant commitment to each other, and united in purpose. Why? Because I want to make more disciples, raise up more pastors, send more missionaries, and plant more churches. 

    Transition: We live worthy of the gospel by being in unity but also not living in fear of opponents of the gospel. This is possible because God reassures us with gifts in the gospel. 

    III.) Gospel citizens live with the assurances gifted in the gospel (Phil. 1:29-30) 

    28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God (Php 1:28)

    The Philippians would have been under perpetual pressure to conform themselves to Roman culture and values, including religious worship. Some scholars suggest, for example, that there may have been pressure to offer sacrifices to the emperor. Paul encourages them to stand firm because despite whatever trouble these opponents can bring, God will work salvation for them.  

    29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. (Php 1:29–30)

    God granted belief in Christ 

    God granted suffering for his sake 

    Both trust in Christ and suffering for Christ are described as gifts by Paul. We need to be clear about this: Paul is not referring to all suffering but “suffering for his sake.” Believers, some more than others, will share in the sufferings of Christ, and God will not waste that suffering. God redeems suffering in his name for his glory. 

    and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Ro 8:17)

    21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Pe 2:21–23)

    The oldest written account of Christian martyrdom outside the New Testament is a letter called the Martyrdom of Polycarp. 

    Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna, and at 86 years old, he was arrested for not swearing allegiance and making sacrifices to the Emperor. It is a fascinating and moving read.

    “…the magistrate persisted and said, “Swear the oath, and I will release you; revile Christ,” Polycarp replied, “For eighty-six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

    Polycarp would then pray a beautiful final prayer, and upon saying Amen, he became a martyr as he was set on fire.

    It is doubtful that we will face martyrdom or even the pressure the Philippians are experiencing. But we should believe God’s word about suffering for Christ. We should prayerfully ask God to make us worthy of the gospel. 

    We are to be heavenly-minded because we are citizens of heaven. We are to live out our citizenship in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, unified in one Spirit, of one mind, and trusting that God is working for our salvation and his glory.