Nathaniel R. Martin

Christ-Like Examples: Philippians 2:19-30

Sermon Idea: The church is called to Christ-like, sacrificial service to one another. 

Introduction: In 1989, a youth leader at Calvary Reformed Church in Holland, MI, read In His Steps, a book first published in 1896 by Charles Sheldon. It was a fictional story about a town experiencing a great revival. The characters committed to not doing anything for a year before asking one question: What would Jesus do? 

The youth leader, Janie Tinklenberg, discussed the book with her students and sought to brand her group around this theme. Her initial thought was to print T-shirts, but instead, she printed 300 friendship bracelets with just four letters: WWJD. This trend took off beyond the group and into the community. Unfortunately for her, others essentially copied and marketed her idea, and the WWJD phenomenon of the 1990s was born. 

There is great power in a good example and no greater example than Jesus Christ. In several places, the Bible calls us to follow the example of Jesus Christ. 

By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 Jn 2:5–6)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph 5:1–2)

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. (1 Pe 2:21)

Of course, this imitation of Christ is not in our own power, nor is it mere outward behavior. Christians are enabled to follow the example of Jesus by God’s grace in salvation rooted in the finished work of Christ. That is really important to say. If you’re not saved by God’s grace, your effort to follow Jesus’ example will just be another empty attempt to earn your own righteousness or the approval of other people. 

Jesus is the great example, but following in his footsteps is only made possible by God’s great grace through faith in Jesus. 

What is interesting, though, is that the Bible gives us Christ as an example and Christ-like examples. 

For example, Paul can say, Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Co 11:1)

There is a way to speak of following another person’s example in a way that is consistent with the gospel of grace and the centrality of Jesus Christ. That is because the examples we are called to follow imitate, resemble, and so reflect Jesus Christ himself.

This morning’s text offers two Christ-like examples whose lives resemble the mind of Christ that Paul wants us to have. 

You might remember that Philippians call us to have the mind of Christ because Jesus is not only the power but also the pattern of the Christian life. 

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. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. (Php 2:3–5)

At first glance, these verses seem like a mere update from a missionary, offering mundane information about who he is sending to them and why, but something deeper is happening. 

Paul describes both Timothy and Epaphroditus in a way that recalls the humility of Jesus Christ in 2:5-11. Jesus emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Php 2:7–8)

Timothy and Ephaphroditus resemble the very minds of Christ that Paul wants them to cultivate. They are examples of the Christ-likeness that we as a church must emulate for each other and before the world. 

The church is called to Christ-like, sacrificial service to one another. As a church, we want to become Christ-like examples who point one another and who point a lost world to the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

To this end, we want to reflect on this passage’s example, including Paul’s. So, let us look together and glean what we can from the Christ-like examples of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. 

I.) The Christ-like example of Paul (Phil. 2:19-30) 

Although this section is about Paul’s co-workers, much can be taken from Paul’s example. Don’t forget Paul is in prison for preaching the gospel. He is confident but not certain as to whether he will be released. That is quite a lot to handle. It might be expected that Paul’s attention be focused on his own circumstances. And yet, Paul’s heart is for the Philippians. He cares for them and pursues their well-being even though he cannot be with them.

Paul does this by promising to send Timothy soon and by having already sent Epaphroditus.  

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. (Php 2:19)

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother… (Php 2:25)

Paul follows Christ by being a sender. Like Jesus discipled men to be sent out for the gospel, so Paul has discipled men and sent them for the edification and building up of other churches. 

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you (Jn 20:21)

 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… (Mt 28:18–19)

Churches should expect, by the way, for their pastors to invest in other men. They should encourage him to pour into any men who are willing to be better equipped, especially those who aspire to ministry. In fact, healthy churches consider this an important part of the church’s mission and ministry. 

Illustration (Maybe): Pastoral internship at FBC, Metro & the business meeting. 

And consider the quality of these men that Paul sends. These are godly, competent co-laborers in the gospel. 

22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel (Php 2:22)

Likewise, Ephaphroditus is described as my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need (Php 2:25)

Many organizations wouldn’t want to lose these types of men. They’re capable; their presence is a benefit to Paul. And is willing to send them for the benefit of the church in Philippi. 

When I was in North Carolina, I got to know another pastor in South Carolina, about 30 minutes from where I was. He had undergone revitalization and, by God’s grace, transformed a declining church into a vibrant, healthy congregation. After that change, he started a pastoral residency to train, equip, and send out brothers for ministry, many of whom became pastors in that county or other parts of the state. Many other churches do this well, and once you witness the beauty of that type of ministry philosophy, you can’t unsee it and return to focusing only on yourself, your church, and your name. 

Paul cares about the well-being and health of the church in Philippi and is willing to send valuable resources, in this case, co-laborers in the gospel, for their benefit.

The healthiest churches I have been around are (1) kingdom-minded, i.e., they care about the health and well-being of other churches, and (2) have a sending culture. Churches that are not kingdom-minded and care little about sending rarely serve as good examples of Jesus Christ. 

How do we want to represent Christ to Massac Co? I pray that we will consider the Christ-like example of the Apostle Paul, who cares about more than his personal ministry and cares about the well-being and health of every church he has a relationship with. 

That is the Christ-like example of Paul. Now let’s consider the Christ-like example of Timothy. 

II.) The Christ-like example of Timothy (Phil. 2:19-24)

20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. (Php 2:20–24)

Timothy is the ideal example of someone Paul is encouraging the Philippians to become because he resembles the mind of Christ. The language Paul uses to describe him echoes portions of 2:1-11. 

For example, Timothy is genuinely concerned for the welfare of the Philippians. He cares about them and truly seeks their good. In other words, he is a good example of what Paul calls us to do in 2:4: Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

Paul further describes him as a son with a father he has served me in the gospel (Phil 2:22). In other words, he is an example of Jesus Christ who, emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Phil. 2:7)

If Paul demonstrates Christ-likeness by sending, Timothy demonstrates Christ-likeness by serving in the gospel. This “in the gospel” phrase is quite important. We are talking about much more than being nice and courteous. Timothy is a servant of Jesus Christ, who seeks the interests of Christ, and part of those interests is the health and well-being of the church in Philippi. 

Friends, when we commit to serving one another in the gospel—whether it be our church or sister churches— we are committing to serve those for whom Christ died, those Christ has purchased, and those Christ has made his own. 

and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:44–45)

Jesus served the church by humbly giving his life. How can we say that we’re following Jesus if we won’t even give up our time?  

Since I came here, I have been so encouraged by watching you all love and serve one another. I have been so encouraged by how we’ve embraced the opportunity to serve our neighbors when it has presented itself. That’s sincere. 

What is important for us is to persevere in Christ-like service to one another so that we’ll remain unified for gospel advancement. We do that by continually fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, contemplating his humble cross, and being shaped by it. That’s how we do it. We never stop being enamored with the glorious reality that the eternal Son of God assumed human flesh, was born in the likeness of men, and became obedient to the point of death. 

Timothy exemplified a Christ-like service in the gospel, and it is an example we are meant to follow, for it is the mind of Christ. 

III.) The Christ-like example of Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30)

If you remember the introductory sermon from several weeks ago, the church in Philippi sent one of its members, Epaphroditus, to minister to Paul and give him a monetary gift. While he was with Paul, Epaphroditus became so ill that he nearly died, delaying his return. So Paul wrote the letter to thank the church for their gift, assure them that Epaphroditus fulfilled his responsibility, and address the disunity within the church. 

This is why Timothy is coming soon, but it is necessary to send Ephaphoditus now. We said that Paul offers us a Christ-like example of sending Timothy of service, and now we can reflect on the Christ-life example of sacrifice given to us by Ephaphroditus. 

26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. (Php 2:26–30)

Epaphroditus’ journey alone was a form of sacrifice as he left his home, but the sacrifice did not end there. Although he recovered from his sickness, he suffered as part of his ministry to Paul and in service to Philippi. 

Like his description of Timothy, Paul uses language to describe Epaphroditus in a way that directs our minds back to Jesus. The work of Christ nearly brought Epaphroditus to death. Jesus became obedient to the point of death. 

Jesus’ suffering was a road to glory, for after he was resurrected, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (Php 2:9)

When Ephaphroditus returns to the church, they will receive him joyfully and honor him. 

9 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. (Phil. 2:30) 

Service to Christ and his people will require us to follow Jesus in some form of sacrifice. It may not be illness near death or even severe illness like many missionaries experience, but we’ll sacrifice for one another. 

We must remember that no amount of suffering and sacrifice now can compare with the glory that awaits every saint in Christ. 

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, (2 Co 4:16–17)

We are called to adopt the mind of Christ, exemplified by Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. They are faithful models whom we can follow to the degree that they followed Jesus Christ. 

Application 

  1. In what ways does your life reflect the mind of Christ? 
  2. How often do you think about the example you’re leaving for your spouse, children, and friends? Can they follow you as you follow Christ? 
  3. Is our church committed to following Jesus in serving, sacrificing, and sending? 
Nathaniel R. Martin

Gospel Unity: Philippians 2:14-18 (Caleb Waddell)

Sermon Idea – “Gospel unity is both the foundation and the fruit of a humble and joyful spirit, enabling us to shine brightly in a dark world.”

Outline 

1) Gospel Unity through Humility (v. 14)

2) Gospel Unity causes us to shine. (v. 15-16)

3) Gospel Unity brings joyful service (v.17-18)

Introduction: Let’s take a second to think about where we have been, so that we can know where we are going. 

Last time, Bro. Nate brought a wonderful message on God working in us throughout the journey of our Salvation. Paul gives us this exhortation, in verses 12-13, to be empowered by the fact that it is God who works in us, it is not dependent on our own power. 

It is clear that we are called to work and grow in our faith. And just as it was mentioned last time, this exhortation stems from the main passage of this letter. 

“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. (Philippians 1:27)

It is worth noting where Paul writes that it is about a lifestyle. It is about living our life for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not something we do on the side while we live our own life! We strive towards living our entire life for Christ and His Glory! 

We are to work out our own salvation, to work toward maturity in Christ, and to become more like him. We are Justified, but we are walking in Sanctification. Meaning, through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, repentance, and faith in Him, we are made right in the eyes of God. However, we are also still working toward Holiness. It is the idea of Already/Not yet. However, we must never forget that it is God who works in us through the Spirit. This should empower us to move forward in our journey of salvation!

I want to provide a better definition of Sanctification that comes from the Baptist Faith and Message, a confession to which we hold here. 

“Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.” (bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/#iv)

Thus, as we know that Sanctification is a journey of maturity, it is important to understand that this journey requires Humility. Specifically, rooted in the example of Christ’s humility as He is the exalted mediator between God and man. And as we journey together as a Church family, we are called to be of the same mind, to be unified in Christ.

This is important because in our passage this morning, Paul is giving an application to the exhortation in which he has been building upon. In Philippians 2:14-18, we will find that Paul is giving a call, both as individuals and a Congregation, to unity in Christ through our humble and joyful service! Why? Because we will shine brightly to a dark and broken world in need of a Savior.

  1. Gospel Unity through Humility (v. 14)

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

As I mentioned previously, this passage is a call to application stemming from the exhortation that Paul has been building in this letter. This command is a tangible way that one can work out their own salvation. However, Paul is also connecting this application back to the main point in Philippians 1:27, as well as connecting it to the beginning of Chapter 2.

Thus, it brings a straightforward way of thinking here. We cannot be like-minded, embracing a common love if we are grumbling and arguing. 

But why is this so important? How do we realistically walk in unified humility?

This passage is interesting because it presents itself to be a simple command. “Don’t grumble or complain.” However, it also has a deeper intent. This is a command to Gospel Joy and Unity. As established in Pastor Nate’s intro message to the book of Philippians, “The Christian life is one of joy in the Gospel by the Spirit.” Throughout this letter, Paul is calling us to replace grumbling and complaining with Gospel Joy and Gospel Unity. 

So, let’s look at a few of the connections to this idea of grumbling and disputing and how, through our sanctification journey, we are striving to replace this with Gospel Joy. 


Before I get much deeper, I want to quickly define a few important terms here.

  • Grumbling: In this context and in a similar context in 1 Cor. 10:10, we know that Paul intended this word to point toward our complaining and discontentment. The word discontent is super important here.
  • Disputing: In this context, Paul is most likely using this word in relation to arguing or literally disputing with others.
    • Its this interesting dichotomy of both inward discontentment and outward quarreling.
  • Humility: In this context, it is clear that Humility is a lack of pride and “counting others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3)
    • I always tell my students that humility is not thinking less of ourself because we are fearfully and wonderfully made, but it is thinking of ourself less

Let’s look at Chapter 1 again. 

Paul is describing his circumstances in light of understanding the circumstances of the Philippians. He is in prison, and they are facing opposition from several angles. However, several times throughout the first chapter, Paul describes his joy in the midst of his circumstances. 

Where does this joy come from?

  • 1:18 states that “Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice!” 
  • Paul is not focusing on his circumstances, he’s focusing on the Gospel, and specifically here, the advancement of the Gospel. 
  • He mentions in verse 20-21 that he desires his life to honor Christ and that he can do that with full confidence. 
  • He continues to point to our goal of living for Christ in verse 27. 
  • Then He starts chapter 2 off with this encouragement toward unity, understanding that Gospel joy is connected to Gospel partnership. 
  • But, he grounds this exhortation toward unity and joy with the beautiful truth of Christ’s humility. 

3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:3-8)

Thus, we know that this joy that Paul speaks of is rooted in the humility of Christ. The one who had true humility, the one who died so that you and I could experience life and life abundantly with the Father!! 

Jesus never grumbled or disputed!! 

Isaiah 53:7 – 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 

1 Peter 2:22-23 – 22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23When 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.

So, where does our Joy come from? It comes from Christ. It comes from our connection to him. Joy is not measured by our circumstances. Joy is a response to God’s faithfulness and a discipline that reshapes how we view our circumstances. 

Now, I want us to understand a difference between our grumbling and disputing, and genuine lament. I have discussed this before, but I want to reiterate it here. 

The idea behind this verse is complaining, and the fact about complaining is that we are discontent and want out of it. The harmful thing to ourselves in that is our discontent heart, because discontentment is often rooted in selfishness. 

The difference in a lament is that we learn to be content in the Lord and pray for Him to walk with us in a difficult season. To find comfort in the truth that we are dependent upon His deliverance and healing. Because when we choose joy, it trains our hearts to focus on God’s presence rather than our circumstances.

So, you may be asking, how does this tie into Unity?

Its simple. You are not alone. We learn to walk in Christ both personally and communally. 

Just as Pastor Nate noted in His sermon over Phil 2:1-11; “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.”

You see, this journey of Sanctification is both individual and communal. We cannot strive to be like Christ without the Church. This cannot be mentioned enough.

Let me put also show you another passage in which Paul gives this same idea. 

  • 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16

Thus, “Growing together in joy, humility, and unity, we shine brightly, lighting up the world with hope and inspiration.

  • Gospel Unity Causes us to Shine (15-16)

Similar to the previous verse, the exhortation here is simple. We strive to do all things without grumbling so that we are blameless and innocent children of God.

But, what does this mean? What does it mean to be blameless, innocent, and faultless (without blemish)?

It is important to remember that Gospel unity and gospel joy is the foundation for verse 15. The word “that” indicates this connection. 

Now, this may initially catch your attention because the exhortation of being blameless, innocent, and faultless brings with it this idea of being perfect. We know good and well that we are nowhere near perfect. So what is Paul saying here? Because even in his own letter, he later states that he has not obtained perfection in 3:12. So how could Paul make this statement?

I could sit here and breakdown each word and the meaning of each word, but Paul does something here that warrants me not doing that and boring you all with the semantics. He writes what is known as a stylistic reinforcement. What is really interesting is that all three words here are actually an alliteration in the Greek text. Each word starts with the Greek letter of a (alpha). George Guthrie, in his exegetical commentary of Philippians, states, “The alliteration of the Greek terms should be read as ‘stylistic reinforcement’ – the drumming home of multiple, similar, potent, rhetorically crafted descriptions to make a point.” Thus, Paul is emphasizing the importance of the Philippians’ testimony to the rest of the world. 

It goes back to this idea of living our lives in a manner that is worthy of the Lord. When we strive for unity through Joy and ultimately through Christ, we exemplify God and his glory. I believe that we often forget that we are called to be witnesses for Christ. We forget the purpose in which we’ve been given. 

Paul is encouraging the Philippians to recognize this calling. So often we make our salvation to be this individualistic thing. That Christ saved us to sit and grow on my own. How do I know that this exists? Because I have experienced it in my own life, and in the lives of others around me. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people talk about how they don’t need a Church. Not only that, but when we do come to church, we do not become connected because it is an item to be checked off of the list. And when these mentalities are at play, our life for Christ gets placed to the side. And when it gets placed to the side, our witness and testimony to the world around us dims.

Are you seeing how all this is meant to come together?

We are called to be together. To strive together. That’s the main theme in this letter. We cannot grow into maturity alone. And as we grow together in unity and joy, we shine as a beacon to those around us for the hope that is in Christ! The church is the main vehicle that God uses to advance the Kingdom. That means our focus is on the Kingdom. Our focus should not be how the church can serve us, its about how we can serve in the church joyfully! Why? Because its not about me. It’s all about pointing to the love of our savior Jesus Christ, its about bringing him the Glory!! We can’t do that if we are caught up in our selfish desires through conflict. 

Thus, We should desire to be unified, being built up towards Christ. 

Unified by what? The Word of life.

There is often debate on whether or not Paul is referring to “holding out” or “holding on” the Word of life here. 

However, I don’t want to dive into the semantics because either way, I believe it has a similar message because there is no life in Christ apart from the Word of God. It is our guide, it is where we draw close to Him, it is where we draw strength, it is where we find peace, it is where we find joy, and it is what has true impact on the world.

  • Gospel Unity brings joyful service (v.17-18)

Ministry is worth it. 

It is discussed exactly what Paul meant by “poured out as a drink offering.” There are obvious Old Testament implications in this phrase. And through this, Paul is painting this beautiful picture of Old Testament worship and his sacrificial ministry. 

The Philippians’ faithfulness will result in Paul’s celebration on the day of Christ that his ministry was effective

and

even if he is martyred in the course of his continued ministry, this does nothing to dampen the celebration.

When we are working out our salvation with gospel joy, growing together in gospel unity, we have the opportunity to joyfully serve one another as well as the world around us. We were not meant to come and sit on a pew; we were made to serve one another. We need each other. 

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. 

    Nathaniel R. Martin

    Our Shepherd: Psalm 23:1-3

    No image in Scripture has haunted me more than the image of a shepherd. It is haunting because the image is often used negatively throughout the Bible. The Lord indicts the leaders of Israel for being self-serving, rather than feeding the sheep they feed themselves. 

    Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. (Eze 34:2–5)

    Passages like this remind pastors of the gravity of their tasks. Pastors are called to lead, protect, and provide for the sheep. 

    After I walk through the valley of the hauting rebukes of these unfaithful shepherds, I see light breaking in on the horizon. The shepherd image offers a comfort that shines so brightly, the darkness cannot overcome it. God himself becomes our shepherd and does so most intimately in Jesus Christ. 

    The rebukes of the shepherds in Ezekiel 34 are followed by the promise that God himself will become the shepherd using language filled with messianic hope and expectation. 

    15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. (Eze 34:15–16)

    And listen carefully to verses 23-24 which remind us that there is one shepherd whom God will set up over us. 

    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)

    There is hardly a better passage to contemplate the Lord as a shepherd for his people than Psalm 23. It is a royal Psalm of David, who was once a shepherd of sheep before being called to shepherd the people of Israel. In its verses we are led to the green pastures and still waters found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In the next few posts, I’ll try and wring as much edifying truth as I can out of these verses. Today, I’ll reflect on verses 1-3, verse 4 next and conclude with verses 5-6.  For now, I want us to see that the Lord is our shepherd who provides for our needs and guides our souls to rest, refreshment, and righteousness.

    I.) The Lord provides for His sheep (23:1)

    1. The Lord provides because we are his sheep: The Lord is my shepherd (Ps 23:1)

    Notice how David speaks of God as his shepherd in a personal and intimate way. God is not a shepherd generally, but particularly. He has a flock and the flock is cared for by God who is their shepherd. This is why the Psalms also employ the shepherd image corporately, but no less intimately. Consider the corporate language of Psalm 100.

    We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Ps 100:3)

    This thought alone is worthy of our reflection, gratitude, and praise. The God who created all things by the Word of his power, who sustains all things by his sovereign hand so cares for his people, the church, that he uses the image of a shepherd,so we might know the personal and intimate way he leads us. 

    “What condescension is this, that the infinite Lord assumes toward his people the office and character of a shepherd! It should be the subject of grateful admiration that the great God allows himself to be compared to anything which will set forth his great love and care for his own people.”- Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

    This, of course, should lead to a question. Can you speak of God in this intimate way? God is only the shepherd of those who have humbled themselves in absolute dependence upon the Lord. God is only the shepherd of those who have embraced their weakness, and who know they need to be led, provided for, and protected. 

    This humble act of dependence is faith in Jesus Christ, who is the good shepherd. 

    9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn 10:9–11)

    All of the benefits in Psalm 23 depend on whether you have humbled yourself and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit through the Psalmist is proclaiming to us the grace of God in Jesus Christ, calling any who have not to repented of their sin to trust in the Lord, finding rest in the God who will become a shepherd in Jesus Christ. 

    1. The Lord provides so that we shall not want: I shall not want (Ps. 23:1) 

    As our shepherd, the Lord provides for all that we need. As a shepherd meets the needs of sheep—providing food and whatever else is necessary, so the Lord provides what his people need, so that they are not in want. This does not mean that we will always have whatever we want, but that we shall not want. When the Lord is your shepherd, life circumstances don’t determine your safety and security. 

    Those who depend on the Lord as their shepherd can say with Paul, 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Php 4:12–13)

    So, whatever season of life you’re entering, let me encourage you: don’t fear the uncertainty or be anxious about tomorrow. The one who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the Lilies of the field is providing for you as a shepherd. 

    On a more personal and individual level, some of you need to hear that although you don’t have everything you wish for, you shall not want. How often does the devil tempt us toward ingratitude and discontentment because he convinces us that we deserve all that we wish for? 

    This text offers an opportunity to reflect on God’s goodness and provision for you. Yes, there are material blessings, but more than that, there are spiritual blessings in Christ: the forgiveness of sin, fellowship with the saints, and a future inheritance that awaits us in heaven. As God’s people, we shall not want. All of this provision by God should lead us to ponder his goodness and praise his name. 

    II.) The Lord guides His sheep (23:2-3) 

    1. The Lord’s guidance leads to rest: He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. (Ps 23:2) 

    A good shepherd knows where to lead his sheep so they can safely rest and enjoy the lush pasture. The image we are given is a green pasture covered in fresh vegetation that has grown after good rain. 

    To be sure, there is an aspect here of material provision: food, comfort, and security. But there is most certainly a spiritual significance to this image. Those who have placed their faith in Christ rest spiritually while being guided by their shepherd.

    The gospel of John equates this pasture to the abundant life that comes in Jesus Christ.  9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture….I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Jn 10:9–10)

    We experience God’s guidance to green pastures through the ordinary means of grace: the Word of God, prayer, and the ordinances. Through these means God again and again makes us lie down in the green pastures of the gospel. We hear and we see the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We are led to rest from our works and rest in the finished work of Christ. We are led to rest from our anxiety and rest in God’s care for us. 

    We could spend all morning parsing out how God leads us to green pastures through the ordinary means of grace, but let’s consider just prayer for a moment. 

    6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6–7)

    6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Pe 5:6–7)

    These are not empty promises. Rest is found in the good shepherd who leads you to the green pastures of the gospel. 

    We should be concerned about the state of our souls when we seek rest in the things we know will fail to provide it. Perhaps during busy seasons of life and stress, you find yourself scrolling through social media an unhealthy amount. Perhaps you find yourself streaming show after show. Maybe you think spending money can offer rest and comfort. We can do this in many different ways: overeating, excessive drinking, etc. 

    When we find ourselves in these unhealthy patterns, we’ve taken our eyes off the shepherd’s lead and begun to wander off on our own way. What we are doing is foolishly trying to find rest in “pastures” of our own making. Christ leads us on a better path.

    Notice what happens when we are led by the Lord to rest. He restores our soul.

    1. The Lord’s guidance restores the soul: He restores my soul. (Ps 23:3)

    Again the words of Spurgeon are too good not to share, “When the soul grows sorrowful he revives it; when it is sinful he sanctifies it; when it is weak he strengthens it.”

    I am willing to bet some of you are sorrowful as you read this. Others of you are broken because of repeated temptation and sin. Many of you are weak emotionally, spiritually, and maybe even physically. Perhaps you’re carying more than you’re able to share with a church member or friend.

    When we gather on the Lord’s day we are to attune our hearts and minds to God our shepherd who in Jesus Christ by His Spirit will restore our souls as we follow him. We are to be reminded of the gospel of grace, the promise of the indwelling Spirit, and the hope of Christ’s return. All of these truths offer comfort for those in sorrow, forgiveness for those who have fallen, and strength for those not sure they can continue to stand. 

    Listen to the voice of your shepherd and believe he is the God of all comfort and Father of mercies. Confess your sin and believe that he is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Believe that you are weak and that the grace of God is sufficient for you today. 

    1. The Lord’s guidance leads to righteousness: He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Ps 23:3)

    The rest and restoration that God provides lead us in paths of righteousness. God restores our souls not so we’ll keep sinning or be apathetic toward his holiness but so that we’ll live righteously before him and before the world. The righteousness mentioned here is the standard of God’s covenant, which reflects God’s righteous character. 

    In the Wisdom literature of the Bible, there are two paths that one might walk. One path leads to life and the other leads to death. When the Proverbs personifies Lady Folly we read in Proverbs 5, her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. (Pr 5:5–6)

    The early Christians reflected on this in one of the earliest Christian writings called the Didache. The opening verse reads, There are two Ways: a Way of Life and a Way of Death, and the difference between these two Ways is great. (Didache 1:1) 

    The Lord shepherds us by leading us into the path of righteousness, which is the way of life. His Word reveals his character and his character is righteous. We are to walk in righteousness so that we might live. 

    The ultimate way that God leads us to paths of righteousness is to lead us to Jesus Christ, who is the righteous one. No matter how much righteous law we hear, we turn our ears, go our own way, and so have no righteousness of our own. The good news of the gospel is that we may be found righteous in Christ Jesus whose perfect obedience to the law is attributed to us through faith. 

    21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:21)

    For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Php 3:8–9)

    It is the person who has been led by God to Jesus Christ who truly learns the paths of righteousness. After we are justified, we are, with the help of the Spirit, transformed into the image of Christ and less like our old self in Adam. We are sanctified and grow ever more to become what God has declared that we are—righteous. 

    What are you looking to for rest? Think about the habits and patterns of your life. How much of your pursuit of rest can be described as mindless, a distraction, or the pursuit of pleasure? Can your Christian life and the way you worship be characterized by the language of green pastures and still waters? Are you always in motion and never still? Are you always speaking and never silent? 

    The Lord is our shepherd who provides for our needs and guides our souls to rest, refreshment, and righteousness.

    Praise be to God.

    Nathaniel R. Martin

    The Joy-Filled Christian Life: Philippians 1:12-26

    Sermon Idea: The joy-filled Christian life trusts that God works in us to advance the gospel and for our progress in the faith. 

    Introduction: C.T. Studd was a renowned cricket player in England, the best of his time. He was the son of a wealthy father and inherited a large inheritance upon his father’s death. His story is not one of fame or fortune but of forsaking both. 

    Studd gave away a large inheritance and became a missionary to China with the China Inland Mission in 1885. According to the Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, this decision “caused a sensation in the public press.” Except for some breaks because of health reasons, Studd would spend his life committed to foreign missions, first in China and then in Africa, until he died in 1931. Part of his legacy is a poem with a famous refrain. I want to read a portion of this poem to you, and I would be grateful if you could listen to the refrain at the end of each stanza. 

    Only one life, yes only one,

    Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

    Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,

    And stand before His Judgement seat;

    Only one life,’twill soon be past,

    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Give me Father, a purpose deep,

    In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

    Faithful and true what e’er the strife,

    Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Only one life, yes only one,

    Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;

    And when at last I’ll hear the call,

    I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

    Only one life,’twill soon be past,

    Only what’s done for Christ will last. 

    Studd’s life and this famous poem testify to a single devotion: Christ is all of life, and all of life is for Christ.

    We can say this and more about the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:12-26. As Paul provides an update about his circumstances, he sums up how he understands his entire Christian life in two verses. 

    12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… (Php 1:12)

    25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith (Php 1:25)

    The word “advance” in verse 12 and the word “progress” in verse 25 are the same, just translated differently to better fit the context. 

    Paul sums up his whole life in two ways: the advance of the gospel, and the progress of Christians in the faith.

    This is why one of my former professors, Andy Davis, speaks of the Christian life as two journeys: the inward journey of sanctification and the outward journey of gospel advancement. We are to grow more like Christ and to proclaim Christ to the glory and praise of God. 

    These ways, Paul tells us, are the way of joy. Paul knows joy in all circumstances because his life is Christ and all his life is considered in light of Christ.  

    So this morning I want us to learn from Paul about the joy-filled Christian life. 

    I want us to see that the joy-filled Christian life trusts that God works in us to advance the gospel and for our progress in the faith.

    I.) God works in us to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12-18) 

    Verses 12-26 are essentially an update about Paul’s missionary efforts, much like we would hope to receive from missionaries that we support. He wants the Philippians to know that God is still at work even through his imprisonment. Their partnership and friendship are still needed. 

    There is one encouraging update that Paul wants to give the Philippians: his imprisonment has served to advance the gospel, and he provides two means of testimony to support this. 

    The first testimony Paul gives is that the gospel has advanced so much, that even the imperial guard and many others have come to learn that Paul is imprisoned for Christ.

    12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (Php 1:12–13)

    In Rome, where Paul is likely imprisoned, those held were done so as they awaited a trial or waited to be executed. Paul doesn’t share the details of his imprisonment, but we know that he was chained. The phrase “my imprisonment” is literally “my chains,” as the NIV and NKJV translate it. Whatever the details, it was not a pleasant experience. It was one of suffering, and it was suffering in chains. 

    Paul would likely have been chained to a rotation of guards who changed shifts every four hours. This would provide Paul with numerous opportunities to share the reason for his imprisonment, the gospel of Jesus Christ. So words begin to get around, and that word is about Christ. 

    Not only did these chains not stop the gospel, but Paul’s chains became the means for the gospel’s advancement, even among the imperial guard, which was an elite group of troops who were like special bodyguards for Ceasar. 

    The second form of testimony is found in verse 14. Many people have been inspired toward greater confidence and faithfulness in preaching the gospel. 

    14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Php 1:14)

    It is not that these brothers were excited about imprisonment and suffering, but saw firsthand what God was doing through Paul’s suffering in chains and it was God’s work in this situation that made them confident in the Lord, and so they began to preach Christ boldly without fear. 

    God has used Paul’s imprisonment as a servant for gospel advancement. The chains of Paul become a means to accomplish God’s purposes. 

    There is nothing that a government can do foreign or domestic to subvert, silence, or stop the advancement of God’s Word in the gospel. Paul’s testimony in Philippians reminds me of God’s promise in Isaiah 55 about his Word and purpose. 

    10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, 

    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Is 55:10–11)

    The gospel’s advancement is not only one way Paul understands his life purpose and current circumstances; it is a source of joy. Even when Paul reports that some are preaching with poor motives, Paul’s focus is rejoicing that Christ is being proclaimed. 

    15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Php 1:15–18)

    A lot of ink has been spilled in an attempt to understand the nature of this division. Are these two factions of one larger group of true brothers and sisters in the Lord? Or are these two different groups? What matters most though is not the historical background, but Paul’s perspective. 

    Paul’s life is of such singular devotion that he rejoices in the proclamation of Christ no matter the motive.

    So, if God works through Paul’s imprisonment and works in others to advance the gospel, how might we reflect on God’s providence in our own lives so that the gospel might advance through our lives? 

    How has God providentially ordered your life? What neighborhood do you live in? What vocation do you have? What recreation spaces do you find yourself in? Who are the people that God has brought close to you? 

    If Paul can view his suffering and imprisonment as a means for gospel advancement, why can’t we view our regular lives that way? 

    Who has God brought close to you? Have you considered that God might be preparing someone for salvation by bringing them near to you? 

    If you want to rob yourself of joy in this life, view all of your circumstances apart from God’s providence and apart from the purpose of advancing the gospel. 

    Your job is not a cosmic accident. God was not careless when your realtor found your house. Your networks of recreation—sports, dance, outdoors, etc— are not meaningless extracurricular activities. 

    In the words of a dear friend of mine, God has you where has you to advance the gospel through you. 

    A really practical way to respond is to start thinking about the people in those areas of your life. Write down one person in your neighborhood whom you can pray for, get to know, and befriend. Do the same for your job, your recreation space, etc. 

    What might happen if we all thought about our regular lives in light of God’s providence to advance the gospel? 

    Paul’s joy is not only in the gospel’s advance but in the truth that Christ is his life. Paul’s life is for Christ, for the progress and joy of others in the faith. His life is Christ, so that even in death he gains more of Christ. 

    Let’s look at the end of verse 18 and see that God works in us for our progress and joy in the faith. 

    II.) God works in us for our progress and joy in the faith (Phil. 1:18-26) 

    Paul is confident that he will ultimately be saved or delivered despite his suffering. Now, Paul might be convinced that he will soon be released from prison, and that makes sense because he expresses his hope to revisit Philippi in verse 26, “so that in my you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” 

    He may be convinced of this, but he is confident in much more than this. He is confident that he will be saved and delivered no matter what happens to him. 

    Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Php 1:18–21)

    If he is executed for preaching Christ, he will share in the suffering of Christ in his body but will be saved through prayer and the help of the Spirit. Paul isn’t going to compromise, he isn’t going to fall away, he isn’t going stop preaching Christ. He will honor Christ in his body even in death. And if he dies, he will die in Christ and live forever in the presence of Christ.

    Last week, I introduced the sermon with a question from the Heidelberg Catechism. The most famous question of that Catechism is the first one. It fits our text perfectly and is simply too rich not to share.  

    Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

    A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul,

    in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

    Finding comfort in these glorious truths, memorized by Christians for hundreds of years is only possible by someone who believes what Paul has written in verses 20-21. 

    as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

    The deliverance that Paul is confident of his salvation in Christ Jesus by God’s grace, a salvation that will be fully realized in glory. Salvation in Christ is the only way death becomes gain! 

    Paul believes that death is gain, but we must not miss what it means to live as Christ.

    22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Php 1:22–23)

    All of Paul’s life is for Christ, and so if he continues to live in the flesh, he will fruitfully continue labor. He will preach the gospel, make disciples, plant churches, and strengthen other believers. 

    Paul speaks as if he’s hard-pressed between life and death, not because he is suicidal or hoping to die. It’s a rhetorical device that speaks of his life in uncertain terms. Paul may not be released and at worst be executed. Paul may be released and at best continue to be fruitful in ministry. 

    By speaking of both with uncertainty, we have to consider equally what both life and death mean for someone who is in Christ. Paul wants us to see death as gain in Christ and life as Christ that consists of fruitful labor in the gospel. 

    His love and affection for the Philippians leads him to ultimately say that he desires to pursue their progress and joy in the faith. 

    24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Php 1:24–26)

    Much like God used Paul’s sufferings to advance the gospel, God is going to use Paul’s life toward the progress and joy of the Philippians faith. In the next few weeks, Paul is going to parse out what this progress looks like. To progress in the faith means to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (1:27), to stand firm in one spirit (1:27), and to live in humility, seeking the interest of others over one’s own (2:1-4). 

    We will get to that in time, but what I want us to see is that God works in us, often through others, for our progress in the faith. We are meant to grow in our adoration of Christ and into great Christlikeness. 

    This is the way of joy! A life that is spiritually stagnant, discontent, and apathetic toward sin will not cultivate joy. 

    A joy-filled Christian life progresses in the faith and works toward the progress and joy of other believers. Every Lord’s Day gathering is an opportunity to walk into this building to contribute to another believer’s progress and joy in the faith. 

    This is one of the primary drives of my entire life. It is to show myself progressing in the faith and laboring toward the progress and joy of God’s church. Another occurrence of “progress” appears in 1 Timothy, and its use is similar to Philippians 1:25. 

    15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 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 4:15–16)

    One of the things God is doing in your life at this very moment is working through the preaching of the Word toward your progress in the faith and toward greater joy in the faith. 

    Friends, sin is the path of shame and guilt masquerading as a path toward joy. Our sin patterns are broken cisterns. They’ll never satisfied, and they will never be a source of Joy. 

    Believe God and trust His Word. Believe that a life devoted to a single vision is the path to joy.  Christ is our life, and our life is for Christ. 

    When we do this, we’ll see our lives as a means of gospel advancement, and we’ll work toward not only our progress and joy but the progress and joy of other believers. This is a life’s purpose worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

    Only one life,’twill soon be past,

    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Nathaniel R. Martin

    Praying With Joy: Philippians 1:3-11

    Sermon Idea: God strengthens his church and advances the gospel through the prayers of his people. 

    Introduction: Historically, churches have used catechisms to instruct and disciple Christians in the faith. A catechism teaches biblical and doctrinal truths through questions and answers. 

    One of the richest and most widely used catechisms was published in 1563 by a young theology professor at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. It consists of 129 questions, and although few things would please me more than to read all 129 to you this morning I just want you to listen to question 116. 

    Question: Why do Christians need to pray? 

    Answer: Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. 

    And also because God will give his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who continually and with heartfelt longing ask God for these gifts and thank him for them. 

    In our text this morning, Paul exemplifies thanksgiving to God and a heartfelt longing for God’s gifts of grace for the church in Philippi. 

    His aim is that saints in Philippi live in a manner worthy of the gospel so that they might be unified and in partnership for gospel advancement. 

    Paul understands that if this is going to happen, it will be because of God’s grace working in their lives. He further understands that God’s work of grace is accessed through the prayers of God’s people. 

    Prayer is the means God has appointed by his sovereign providence to accomplish his purposes in the church and the world. This is why the Heidelberg Catechism says, “God will give his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who continually and with heartfelt longing ask God for these gifts…”

    As we study these verses, I want you to believe that God strengthens his church and advances the gospel through the prayers of his people.

    If we believe that, we will seek to follow Paul’s example. We will pray with thanksgiving to God, with affection for God’s people, and by interceding for God’s people. 

    I.) Pray with thanksgiving to God (Philp. 1:3-6)

    The first thing that Paul does is thank God for his grace to the Philippians and for bringing them into partnership in the gospel. 

    I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy (Php 1:3–4)

    Notice how Paul personally addresses God, “I thank my God.” Prayer for Paul is not a mere exercise of religion. It is not another task on the to-do list. Prayer for Paul is communion with the God who has saved him. 

    Paul is not praying to some distant, unknown being. This is a thankful address to the God and Father of his Lord Jesus Christ. 

    When we pray to the Lord, we should enter into God’s presence with the confidence of a child running into the arms of a loving parent. We pray to the God who knows us and has made us his own. 

    The personal nature of Paul’s prayer reminds me of Psalm 100.

    3  Know that the Lord, he is God! 

    It is he who made us, and we are his; 

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

    4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, 

    and his courts with praise! 

    Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Ps 100:3–4)

    Thanksgiving is the appropriate response to God for all his blessings and good gifts to us, but this is not the only reason we should pray with thanksgiving. 

    We will never seek more of what we are not thankful for. 

    Thankfulness for God and his gifts directs the heart to seek more of God and his gifts through prayer. That is why Paul intercedes in prayer for them in verses 9-11. 

    The Philippians are already in partnership with Paul for gospel advancement. He testifies to his confidence in God’s work in their lives. He is thankful for both of these things. 

    This thankfulness does not conclude his prayers for them. It continues his prayers for them. Thankfulness for God’s past grace drives praying for God’s present and future grace. 

    So it is worth asking, what can we be thankful to God for? Is thankfulness a feature of our prayer life as a church? Does thankfulness describe your private prayers in your own Christian life? 

    The reason why Paul is thankful is worth our consideration. Look at verse 5. 

    5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (1:5-6)

    Paul prays with thanksgiving and joy because of God’s work in the church in Philippi. Paul remembers how the church was planted because he was the planter. He knows how Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and many after received the gospel. They became partners in the gospel because they first shared in God’s grace through the gospel. 

    The word translated partnership is the same word often translated fellowship. We tend to think of fellowship as leisure and casual conversation with other Christians, but it is more. 

    A relationship that became a partnership has become a source of thanksgiving and joy for Paul. 

    When we refuse to build good relationships with others, other pastors, church planters, missionaries, etc., we cut ourselves off from a source of joy and thanksgiving. 

    Paul is thankful not only because of their current partnership but also because of his confidence that God’s work will continue in their lives. 

    The work God began in them is saving them by his grace through their faith in Jesus Christ, which has resulted in their becoming partners with Paul in the gospel. This work God will complete, that is, bring to perfection at the day of Jesus Christ. 

    Paul is teaching us about God’s work in preserving his people so that they persevere in the faith. 

    There is not a single born-again believer in Jesus Christ who does not, by grace and the power of the Spirit, continue in the faith unto glory. In Romans 8, Paul goes as far as to say that God’s good work in Christians begins not when they receive the gospel but before the foundation of the world by his sovereign providence. 

    30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Ro 8:30)

    Friends, this is incredible. What grace this is! What a grace it is to have confidence that the completion of our salvation rests not with us but with God, who will complete the work begun in us. 

    The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 has a wonderful article on perseverance, and it’s worth reading together.

    All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. – Baptist Faith & Message 2000, Article V

    So Paul prays with thanksgiving and joy because of their partnership and his confidence in God to complete his work of salvation in them. 

    This confidence leads Paul to pray more for them, not less! And it should do the same for us. 

    Transition: As good friends do, Paul is going to give them some affirming words. He is going to explain why he is right to feel this way about them and he does so with deep affection. So let’s look at verses 7-8 and be encouraged to pray with affection for God’s people. 

    II.) Pray with affection for God’s people (Philp. 1:7-8)

    7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus (Php 1:7–8)

    Never underestimate the power of affirming words from a friend. Paul says it is right for me to feel this way about you because you were partners with me not only when I was defending the gospel and confirming the gospel but also in my imprisonment. 

    What makes their support worthy of affirmation is what they know and what they don’t know. 

    What they know is that following Christ can include suffering, in this case, imprisonment. When that happened, the Philippians didn’t back away; they didn’t run when things became difficult, and they weren’t afraid to be associated the an apostle who was imprisoned for preaching the gospel.  

    What they don’t know is that God has used Paul’s imprisonment to advance the gospel. 

    12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ (Php 1:12–13)

    One could have equally assumed that Paul’s imprisonment would be an unproductive time for Paul’s ministry. That would have been a reasonable thought. They didn’t know that God was doing far more than they could think, but they supported him still. 

    Paul affirms them because he has great affection for them! He calls God as a witness to testify to how real and genuine his affection is. This relationship is not circumstantial. They are not a means to an end. Paul loves them, and his love is an extension of Christ’s love for them.

    This is what is meant by, I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus (1:8)

    I understand this is not the same situation, but I know what’s like to experience the love of Christ through the affections of a mentor in the gospel. 

    Shortly after I expressed an aspiration for ministry, Joe Buchanan was called to pastor FBC, Metropolis. I was 17, a mess, and a blank slate. I mean, I knew nothing. It didn’t take long before Joe invested his time and energy into me and others. Every Thursday evening, we would go to his house, eat, read books, and just learn from a seasoned pastor. 

    He was the first person to allow me to preach. First, on a Wednesday night then eventually Sunday evening, and then Sunday morning. Y’all I have preached so many bad sermons at FBC, Metropolis. 18-year-old preachers just aren’t good and I wasn’t, but he kept investing. 

    After my final sermon before leaving for College, Joe hugged me before the congregation with tears falling down his face. Hearing public, affirming words through the voice of a tearful pastor was one of the more meaningful moments of my life. 

    So when he texts me, like he has every Sunday morning since becoming your pastor, “I’m praying for you. Preach Christ” I know it comes from someone who loves me with the affection of Christ. 

    As we seek to develop and love our ministry partners well, we should always affirm all we can, encourage more of it, and extend the affection of Christ Jesus to them. 

    Because Paul is thankful to God for his work in the Philippians and his affection for them, he intercedes in prayer for them in verses 9-11. Look with me there as we are encouraged to pray by interceding with others. 

    III.) Pray by interceding for God’s people (Philp. 1:9-11) 

    9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Php 1:9–12) 

    Paul’s prayers for others are among the richest and most edifying prayers you’ll ever read. As much as Paul has expressed thanksgiving and affection for them, he knows God’s work in them is progressing toward perfection. So he keeps praying for God to work in them toward that end. He is not content to celebrate where they are and move on like their race is complete. He intercedes for them. 

    The structure of the prayer is simple, but it’s important to see how it all works together. 

    Paul makes one request in verse 9, “…it is my prayer that your love may abound and abound more and more.” 

    For a purpose in verse 10, “so that you may approve what is excellent.”

    This purpose has an expected result found in verses 10-11, “and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

    The foundation for all of it is love, but love is supplemented with knowledge and discernment. Remember, true love for one another does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. This is not mere emotion or sentiment; it is a love that pursues the best for one another in accordance with God’s Word. 

    As love abounds with knowledge and discernment, they can approve what is excellent. In other words, Paul prays that the church in Phillipi would be able to choose what is best. This is not a matter of dividing right and wrong; it’s a prayer for not settling for average, but choosing what’s best for the church and in their individual Christian lives.

    The expected result is that the church will be pure and blameless, bearing the fruit of righteousness to the glory and praise of God.

    Friends, there are a lot of things that you can do that aren’t necessarily wrong, but they simply are not best for you. 

    There are a host of things we can do as a church that are not wrong, but they are not the best. 

    There are habits and patterns in your marriage that aren’t necessarily wrong, but they aren’t the best. 

    Think about how powerful this prayer could be if you prayed it for your life, your family, and your church. 

    How would your use of time change if you asked God to increase your love for him and his church so you can choose what is best?

    How would your marriage change if you asked God to deepen your love for one another so that you’ll choose what is best and not settle for “just not wrong.”

    How might your teenager change as you ask God to deepen their love for Christ and his church so that you’ll choose what is best? 

    Go before God, seek him again and again, and pray this prayer for yourself and pray it for others. 

    Why? Because God has a plan for us to be pure and blameless on the day of Christ to the praise of his glory! I want to experience as much of that ahead of time as I can. I don’t want to push it off for another day. 

    Prayer is the means that God has appointed to strengthen us and others, so let’s pray!