Phil 2:12-13, Become Holy

This message originally delivered on June 9, 1991.

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Philippians chapter two, follow along as I read verses 12 and 13. Would you Libyans chapter two verses 12. And 13. is where we are in our study in Philippians. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation, with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure. If you're like most people, I know something about you. You don't like tension? Anybody here like tension? People don't like tension. In fact, people hate tension, like people take vacations because they gotta get away from tension, right? Do you know something though? Tension is a very much part of life that really is not bad at all times. Do you ever consider that? In fact, one of the greatest places where attention is good, and yet people still don't want it is in the area of theology. It's good to have tension in theology. What happens is people don't want tension in their theology, they want everything cut and dried everything black and white, everything absolutely clear. So they don't have to struggle with it at all. And so they get rid of it by taking one side of the issue. You see, here's the doctrine and picture a doctrine is a poll across the length of this room. Well, there's tension in that poll, because there's truth at both ends of it. But what happens is, we don't like that tension. So we go over to the one end, and we can't hear and we sit here and we stay here. And you know what happens after a while you start making fun of the people that emphasize the other end. And that guess how you got to this end, because you got tired of the other end. And so now you can order this and and you start pulling and you start fighting. And what we love to do is if you ever seen a straw man burn? You ever see the straw man burn? Are you with me this morning? You build a straw man, you build a straw man over at that any that, oh, they're still bad. And you put all these things upon them, and then you burn them, and we talk about them. So you get segments and Christianity, and this segment hates those people at that end of the attention. And yet we're all Christians, we're all brothers. Well, tension is a very important part of Christianity, especially Christian doctrine. One man said like this, all good theology has tension in this. All good theology has tension in it, no doctrine in the Bible as either or you get that no doctrine, the Bible is either or it's always both. And to think about that, that will take a lot out of it. If we understood that theology is not always either or it's either gonna be this way or it's not. It's both and all the doctrines of all the doctrines of all the teachings in the Bible that people love to argue about and divide over. Probably the least known in fundamental evangelical circles these days, is the doctrine of progressive sanctification. Now, maybe in this church, it's a little bit better known because I seem to have a hobbyhorse, maybe I write on that possibly not, I'm sure I don't have any faults in my life. But if I did, it probably be that I ride the doctrine of progressive sanctification too much. You see, once you become a believer, this is the will of God for you, that you would be sanctified. Now, because that is the will of God. Once you become a believer, the number one goal for God concerning you is this God's desire is that you would become holy. And you know something, if you're not on that process of becoming holy, you're a miserable Christian. You know why? Because God is desiring and pulling and prompting and leading you to be holy. And if you're resisting there, is this that tension, it's the backsliders syndrome. I've been there have you? When you know you're not living in accordance with the will of God. You see, the reason why if you're truly a believer, here's one way you can tell there is a flicker. It just may be like this at times, see this in my heart. This is in my heart, just a little flicker, just sometimes it's sitting like this. Paul tells Timothy fanned the flame, what happens when you get some sparks in your fire you fan and try to get to blow up again. We need to have a flame going there. Why is it? Because why do you have that flicker? You have that flicker because the Spirit of God is at work in your heart calling you to be holy, calling you to turn away from sin and come little golf life. But you see, there is such little teaching as to how I have told you before that my senior year in high school, I went forward six times. And I would say things I'm tired of you 90% Christian, I want to be 100%. Christian, I want to go the only thing is is this. I didn't understand how to grow. I didn't understand exactly what you did or why I sort of had an idea you're supposed to go to church supposed to give and go on visitation and the kind of devotions if you did those things you were supposed to grow. But we because we don't understand the doctrine of progressive sanctification are tremendously sick and immature church, that I'm talking about the church generally speaking in the nation of America or the United States. And guess what, on this issue, there's tension. Did you know that on how to grow? There is a tremendous amount of tension? Remember, tension is what? It should be good. It's good to have some tension. Don't worry about it. All good theology has tension Automate, you say that. Because I'll tell you, believe me, you're we could get rid of most of all the arguing among Christians, if we could just understand that it's good to have tension, and that there is something to be said about both ends of the spectrum. Now, there are a lot of good people, good Christian people who fight over this area, or this teaching of progressive sanctification. And to remember their position on one end, and there they usually are because of a reaction of some sort. Let me give you a couple of illustrations of these kinds of people. All right. And I'll be glad to tell you I'm sure I fit into some of these categories. And I'm trying to be balanced about it. But I admit I'm sure I do. I mean, if I thought that I wasn't, I thought I was perfectly balanced. Everybody else was often you could might as well leave now. All right. But you know, there's those when it comes to how to grow, how to be sanctified. There are those that teach spectators sanctification. You know what spectators sanctification is, you just stand and let go and let God and do nothing and God does it all. You just sit back, and you don't do anything. Now, let me tell you something, that is a truth. But that's only one side of it. Remember, you just sit back and you'll go. Now here's the other side of it. I was trying to think of some overheads I'm going to make up on this Sunday, got a guy in our church that makes these fancy, really need color ones, and you'd have some guy with a shovel in his hand, just standing there like God will dig the ditch, watch what will happen, the wind will blow in the ditch, the thing will start moving. Then on the other side of the coin, you've got the person who absolutely feels if he's going to make any progress, it's going to be up to him. And the only thing it's totally up to him, and this guy is just laboring and sweating and digging as hard as he possibly can. The only thing is, he's trying to do it himself in the flesh. So there's two ends right there that I'm familiar about this. Those people that say, I have found the answer. When it comes to sanctification, I have found the answer. I learned that I needed to go back and talk to this person. And once I did, I never have since had conflict in my life or some good people, good Christian people. We call them charismatics. And if you're charismatic and you're here, we would welcome you here at this church. We don't think you're some absolutely crazy, but I will say this if you think this, that once you got baptized, the Holy Spirit started speaking in tongues, you no longer were going to have any conflict in your life, you have been sorely dismayed. You will be sorely dismayed because you're you're you're taught wrong. In other words, if you came into this big experience, oh, it's so wonderful. Now I'm not going to have any more trouble. That's the people that say I have found the answer. Now, you know, what, on the other side of the scale is you got people over here that say this, there is no answer. It's terrible. Man, the Christian life is terrible. Oh, and it just all the time crying and complaining and griping and there is illicit both are emphasizing the truth. This person says hey, you got to have a work of the Holy Spirit or you're not going to make it. This person over here saying this, man, you've got to do that, you know, it's gonna be conflict. This person over here emphasizes joy and peace and love and happiness. This person over here emphasizes strife and conflict and trouble and guess what? They're both in the Bible about this mortification, this person says this hall to be sanctified. You've got to put off, oh, I gotta keep putting off. And the Bible says that by the way, Mortify therefore the members which upon the earth, this person over here, it's all vindication. That is this, it's always something positive, let's just be positive, think positive. Don't worry about putting off let's just put on. The point is, it's a balance, both are saying something that is right. And I am glad to tell you that the one of the benefits of Expository Preaching is when you get to Philippians chapter two, verse 12. You've also got to cover chapter two, verse 13. Do you know that I've had arguments with people? And I've been, by the way, which side do you think I've been on? Over the years? Tell me, Mike, my beloved congregation. Have I been on the side where you stand here and do nothing? How many would vote for that? That's right, I'm over here. Okay. As long as you know that. That's right. He could have quit Phil was quick to see that. I've been no here and this is what you got to do. Alright, but anyway, I've had arguments with people in which we've stood there, kindly yelling at each other. And the words have gone like this. I emphasize verse 12, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, and they say but read the next verse. And I said, but that's not to my devotions. The next day, you know, I stopped there for this God who works in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure. But before we get to any of that there's a key word in this whole passage. Do you really want to grow here? is the key word. Therefore Look at Verse 12. Therefore, when you study the Bible, you got to look at their fours and see why they were there. Remember, we've heard that many times. Well listen, the proper motivation, for sanctification, the proper motivation to grow the proper, proper motivation to deny yourself the proper motivation to put on the proper motivation to work hard, the proper motivation to learn to let go and let God the power of motivation of understanding the balance between all of that is this, first and foremost, therefore tells us that we've got to have a proper view of God because what does therefore refer back to, but it refers back to verses nine and 10, and 11 looks look and see what they say. It says, Therefore, and that refers back to verse eight, by the way, therefore, God exalted him to the highest place, gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth at every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. In other words, as we have seen, in verses 567 and eight, Jesus Christ, God Almighty has this attitude of becoming man, not just becoming man to becoming a servant, not just becoming a servant of becoming a criminal die, the worst death on the cross. And one goal was this, that he wouldn't be obedient. And as a result of that, God highly exalted Him. He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, he reigns supreme in the universe. And as we understand the exalted position of Jesus Christ, if we understand that it pays to obey, because someday even though he looked like a loser dying on the cross, he was exalted to the highest, when we understand the great significance that every knee will bow before Jesus, every tongue will confess that He is Lord. When we understand that point, my friends, when we get a view of Christ, that is exalted what it shouldn't be, therefore, work out your own salvation, as we consider what Christ did. So we are to consider how to awesome encouragement that that is the motivation that that is to have a relationship with God, that could be all that it is supposed to be. You see, when you get a high view of God, let me say it this way, when there is nothing great about your relationship with God, let me tell you right now, would you say this, and there isn't too much great about my relationship with God. Now, I know you're saying you're a Christian, but you're honestly saying there's lots of emptiness. I'm not too far to about my devotions, there's not too much great about it, I'm gonna tell you something, there's one reason for it. If you do not have a great relationship with God, it is because your thoughts of God are too low. If we could get Isaiah, to walk in here for just a moment, and say, Isaiah, tell us about the year King use iodide and the vision that you had, suddenly, you would see there was such a realization of the awesome reality of God, His greatness, the glorious King, the one who threw the stars in space, the one that knows each of us by name knows the number of hairs on our heads, the God that is greater than we can begin to imagine all of a sudden, you would see a motivation to know Him and to serve Him as Isaiah had. If we can interview Peter, but Peter been out fishing all night. The Lord says in the morning, Peter, go back out and cast your nets into the deep there were supposed to be fish in the deep they get caught up, cast their nets around the shore. Peter said, Lord, we've been fishing all night. We haven't caught a thing, but at your word, we'll do it. He goes out, he drops his nets in. And the Bible says the nets were so full of fish that they began to break, Peter starts yelling guys come over and help us other fishing boats come over take us to fishing boats get so full of fish that it says the boats began to sink. You know what Peter's response was the same as Isaias. He understood how great and awesome God was, when I hear people griping, complaining, arguing all the time thinking on how bad it is, I'm gonna tell you something, we have lost the view of the therefore the first thing you need to mark in verse 12, is that therefore it refers back to the greatness of God. Now, not only that, but when we see that God is great. Listen, we are going to serve God even when no one else is watching. Let me say that again. When we understand the greatness of God, we are going to serve God even when no one else is watching, you know the difference between a conviction and an opinion. When you go to bed at night, and you have an opinion about Christianity, it stays on your dresser and you get and go to bed and sleep wake up in the morning you put it on with your wallet in your watch and you leave. But when you have a conviction, it crawls right in the bed with you. And what I want you to see as Paul was concerned about their view of God and he was concerned about the fact that they were only going to progress in their sanctification when he was there because look at the verse says, Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. He says look at have skipped. And go back to verse 27 of chapter one liquid it says, Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, then whether I come and see you, or only hear about you, in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit contending as one man for the faith of the gospel, there was some kind of problem here, as you start to relate with this book, you start to understand that there was this idea, and now that Paul is gone, he's in Roman prison, he's hundreds of miles away. He was our spiritual father, they were starting to slack off a little bit. And so he says to them obey the actually the Greek word there means under here, under two here. And the fact is this, make sure that you stay submissive to the Word of God. Make sure that you understand that character is what you are in the dark, even when no one else is around, would you still be practicing Christianity? There's a balance here again, we absolutely must have accountability, right? Without accountability, the Amen group we had Friday morning, we divided the guys into two we're supposed to keep check on each other to see how we're doing this week. And my guy had cornered me the other day and at the wedding and started asking me some questions. And that's good, because we need to be accountable. But there's also this sense of this guy, we're always accountable, because God is so great that he is with us at all times. And we need to keep that in mind. Now, one other thing I want you to see about considering the the greatness of God, as you're here in Philippians, look what else it says in verse 12. It says this, continue to work out your salvation. But notice those two little words with what? with fear and trembling, you want to see another tension. If I were to say to you, what is the book of Philippians? About what would you say joy, how many would say joy, and you would be right 40 Sometimes or something that word joy is not to rejoice? It's a book of joy. But here it is, again, in the middle of the book of joy. It says one of the key attitudes you need to have in order to make progress in your sanctification is fear and trembling. The word fear is Phobos from where we get the word phobia. In other words, a tremendous fear. The word trembling is true almost sounds very similar. But it's the idea is to be absolutely quaking and trembling from fear. Do you remember the woman that the women that came to the tomb early in Mark chapter 16, and they're looking around and they can't find the body of Jesus? And all of a sudden an angel speaks to them? And they jump back? And he says, Why are you looking for him among the dead, He is not here He is risen. Remember that? It says they absolutely started trembling, same word, as if realizing you're in the presence of the supernatural. And the point my friend says, Let me ask you this question. The last time. When is the last time you made progress in your walk with the Lord, out of fear and trembling? You're supposed to, therefore refers back to a great view of God. That great view of God will mean that you will obey even when no one else is around. But also this one thing we don't know much about in America anymore. And other law sense of this is the reason we're so shallow. And that is this God is no longer an awesome God. He's the big buddy in the sky. He's my good neighbor up there, that's gonna keep my Pocket full. If we had a glimpse of the Almighty we would obey, out of fear in trouble. You know what, I think a lot of you Christians here today, as your pastor, I want to tell you something. I think a lot of you here today need to recapture what this says. In my life, there are times when I do not sin, because it is an awesome thing to flaunt yourself in the face of Almighty Jehovah God. And there needs to be this is New Testament. This is Philippians. It's right here in the text. There needs to be a fear of God there needs to be a trembling. What is it? One man says like this, the thought is not of tormenting misgiving, about present peace with God or final perseverance, in a reverence and wakeful conscience in his holy presence, a reverence and wakeful conscience in his holy presence. You look at men and women through the ages and read their biographies, or talk to men and women that are alive today that have gone deep into their relationship with God and really know him. In other words, they've made progress in their sanctification. And I want to tell you, there is one thing continue and that is this a tremendous fear of God. Not the type where he's gonna beat me over the head, but an understanding of how who he is and that He has given us this great salvation. And then it is a it is a wonderful thing to realize we're no longer under his wrath. You know why salvation is so misplaced today. You know why so many people Oh, you're just saved. Well, really the key thing is getting baptized and Holy Spirit, you know, Why there's that kind of attitude. Because we don't even have this beginning degree to understand what it means to no longer be under the wrath of the Almighty, to know that our sins have been forgiven, to know that we've been cleansed, and that we're no longer under his condemnation, but now we're in peace with him. If we came to understand that just for a second, what a difference that would make. I've said this to you until I've worn you out, I realize but you know, you show me somebody that has come as a sinner that deserved hell and repented of their sins and trusted Christ as their Savior. And I'm going to show you somebody you don't have to beg and plead to serve the Lord. I'm going to show you somebody that's not gonna, I don't have time this week, because I'm, you know, we're gonna wait, I can't miss my television show. I'm going to show you people that are desirous to willingly give up their lives in order to follow him. Again, we could refer to Isaiah, to Peter to Paul after his acts chapter eight experience. And as gi Packer said, Those who know God's greatness have great energy for him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We seem to have lost that these days. So a proper view of God. But now let's get on with our text. Here's the main work in the text. And that is this. It says, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Okay, are you ready? First off, there's your part. Are you ready? Okay, now, remember, I've had this problem over time, and that is I've emphasized your part a lot. How many agree with that? Raise your hands. Okay. Oh, some of you were very kind to me this morning. Now raise your hands. The fact is, is clear. Here. You have a responsibility. Don't get out of it. Don't pretend like somehow you don't. You have a responsibility. Listen, you know what? There's lots of men and women in this church that you've heard them teach. And you go like this. I love to hear them teach. And I always rejoice in that. Or there's there's others. You might like swindle, MacArthur, Stanley, throw out some others, whoever it is you like, okay, James kitty, whoever is and you all think, Oh, I love them. They I get so much out of it. It's so rich, or you know, Christians, maybe they're not teachers, but they're Christians and just being around them. They seem to have such wisdom and sweetness about life, that maybe they're not teachers, but you see, they know God. And you know what y'all think you all sort of think that just sort of happened one day? No, my friends, it is a responsibility that we have on their part. You know, on April 26 1974, I made a commitment to Christ. Now, I'm sure on that day, other people did too. But you know, that since April 26 1974, people in that boot camp was just sticking to the word a few months after that there are people that have made greater progress than I. And there are also people that have not made as much progress as I would think. And you know, what? We know one of the reasons is this. Those who are hungry, go for it. And those that aren't hungry, don't go for it. And one of the fears I've had in my life, and I've told it to you again and again is this I'm scared that you're going to become satisfied full, I'm afraid there's going to be a place where you're going to think you don't need to eat anymore. I told you the story. I worked one summer in every day that summer, I brushed 300 Rats teeth every day, that's a kid and I worked for Indiana University Oral Health Research. And I would get the big thing, grab the rat out. And there were always No Listen, it sounds funny. But there's a point to this, right? There were always two rats in every cage. And I got to hate those rats. But I would reach in and grab the rat out. And every case ate the same diet and I did all the A's there was like 20 A's and 20 Bees and 20 seeds until you come up to about 300. And I did them in a formula to be formula C formula region. But every cage every time the two rats in the cage one got big and fat you'd reach in there and you could feel was muscle and he would fight you the whole time. And the other was skinny and scrawny. You know why? Because one ate more than the other. And the difference is this. You need to work out your own salvation. What does that mean? It doesn't mean that you're gaining salvation for yourself. It doesn't mean that you're not quite saved. And now you need to get it it says this The salvation you presently have, work it out. That's what it says. Make sure that it comes to full fruition. Make sure that it that it is finished and that in your life's time here you can say I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course I have kept the faith. What is that your responsibility? Paul didn't say God fought the good fight. God finished the course. God fought the good fight and already said I did it. Because you have a responsibility. And we live in an age today when Christians no longer feel responsible. So now they think oh, I'm not responsible for this. You are responsible. You will give an account before God you already work out your own salvation you are to make sure that you're supposed to grow. Why do you think there's words like this in the Bible fighting, striving, enduring putting on putting off seeking confessing for sinking denying, why are those words there? They're there because that's what we're supposed to be doing. Now that we know this wonderful God that has saved our souls we are to be doing our part. Does that make us safe? No, we're saved once and for all by coming to Christ for salvation. You see, there are some well meaning kind hearted Christians who don't understand this side of sanctification are probably a well meaning kind hearted Christian that has emphasized that all. We got to remember something that I want to show this quickly to you. Some of you may have seen this before. But just make sure you understand the difference between this and that is this justification, sanctification, glorification, all aspects of salvation glorification is when you get to heaven. So don't worry about it. Now you will be taken care of then okay. But the fact is this, this one here is positional, you stand before God absolutely righteous. But this one is experiential. How you experience living for Christ. This one has been declared 100% righteous by God once and for all. This one is becoming more and more like Christ Jesus and attitude and lifestyle. This one instantly happens. This one's a lifelong process until death, Paul wasn't there. This one is by faith alone, are you ready, some of you are gonna get mad at me. But this one's by faith and works. And there's more than just this passage to show you. This one here is perfect and holy in the eyes of God. This was attempting to live only life in this present world. This one has given a new nature, this is putting off the old nature and putting on the new nature. To get this, the quality of justification is the same for the weakest to the strongest or the youngest to the oldest. You're the same. Everybody's just like you are perfectly righteous before God. But get this quality widely varies depending on the application of the truth by the believer to his personal life is going to vary concerning the attempts that we make. And here's some more the different terms that you could show biblical terms. Notice this one takes place in heaven about someone on earth this will take place on Earth with the help of heaven. This is not seen by the world only the courts of Heaven This is seen by God and by the world. Great percentage the Bible talks about both living out made right with God living right with God concerns the attitude of God towards the believing sinner towards the believing enter it looks like at center concerns the attitude of the believer towards God working out with God was working within. Now, I know I went over that fast. If you want copies of that, ask for them. We'll get it to you. All right. That's all you got to do. But remembers now that we are emphasizing still the first part and I got time to get to the second part. Those of you that want me to get there. All right. Here's a quick little overhead I thought I'd throw in this is this man is created by God. All of life revolves around God. All life revolves around self as sinners. The believer in salvation more and more surrendered to Christ. If there is such thing as a carnal believer, you're less and less surrendered than mature believer. Everything we've all is the goal of being mature. Everything revolves around Christ. But now while we're still here on this part about man, let me get to this. Let me show you some scripture. Let's read these together. Okay. Can you see him back there in the back? See it, Marty? Alright. I can't see it when it's over that way. No, this way. Okay. Philippians 212 was read. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. We already read that when we didn't need to do that, do it. Or look at this. First Peter one, five. says this For this very reason. Make every effort to add to your faith goodness and to goodness, wait a minute, what's it say right there? What's that? Say right there? Make every effort you're supposed to do that. How about this? Read this? Let's read it. Train yourself to be godly. Train yourself to be godly? How could you do that? Because one aspect you got to understand it's completely up to you to grow. That's one aspect. That's the one end. If that's all there were we'd be miserable. But that's that's part of it here. How about this one? First Timothy four. Let's read it. Be diligent in these matters. Give yourself wholly to them so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them? Because if you do, you will say both yourself and your hearers about this. Is it getting weird? Or is that me is getting blurry there to this. Then he said to them all? If anyone would come after me, let's read together. Come on, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. How about this? Not that I have already obtained all this, or I've already been made perfect. But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me I press on you see his part of it. Now, with that in mind. There's other ones first Corinthians 924 through 27 I find I strive lest I would be a castaway and those types of things. And before we go any farther let me remind you quickly and then I promise we'll get to these second half of this, but I promises to you, JC little Baxter gives what I think probably the best illustration of what we're supposed to do on our part, our friends this some of this to you before, but I think it's important to read again. He wanted to be the most Methodist Baptist preachers that ever lived. Methodists were known for their Methodism. He wanted to be methodical and what they did, but he found out as time went on in the ministry, he wasn't praying. He wasn't having the holy times with God that he always wanted. And so he makes a commitment one day that he was going to change that he was really going to become a man of prayer. And he writes in his diary, this as never before my will, and I stood face to face. I asked my will the straight question Will Are you ready for an hour of prayer? And will answered here I am. I'm quite ready, if you are. So Will and I linked arms and turn to go for our time of prayer. At once all the emotions began pulling the other way in protesting. Were not coming. They said, I saw we'll stagger a bit. So I asked, Can you stick it out? We'll and we'll replied yes, if you can. So we'll went and we got down to prayer, dragging those wiggling emotions with us. It was a struggle all the way through. At one point, when will and I were in the middle of an earnest intercession, I suddenly found one of those traitors, emotions had snared my imagination, and then run off to the golf course. And it was all that I could do to drag the wicked rascal back. A bit later, I found another of the emotions that sneaked away with some off guard thoughts and was in the pulpit two days ahead of schedule, preaching a sermon that I have not yet finished preparing. At the end of that hour, if you'd asked me Have you had a good time I would have had to reply No, it was a been a weary wrestling with contrary emotions and a true and imagination from beginning to end. What is more, the battle with the emotions continued for between two and three weeks? And if you asked me at the end of that period, have you had a good time and your daily praying I would have had to confess No, it at times, it seems as though the heavens were brass God to disturb to hear and the Lord Jesus strangely aloof and because in prayer accomplishing nothing, yet something was happening. For one thing well, when I really taught the emotions that they were completely independent, we were completely independent of them. Also, one morning about two weeks after the contest began, just when Will and I were going for another time of prayer. I overheard one of the emotions whisper to the other. Come on, you guys. Just no use wasting more time resisting they'll go just the same. That morning for the first time. Even though the emotions were still suddenly uncooperative. They were they were at least quiet, which allowed willing me to get on with prayer and distractedly. Then another couple of weeks in what do you think happened? During one of our prayer times when we when I were no more thinking of the emotions than at the man the moon, one of the most vigorous of the emotions unexpectedly sprang up and shouted hallelujah. At which all the other emotions explained, amen. And for the first time, the whole of my being intellect world emotions was united in one coordinated prayer operation all at once God was real heaven was opened, the Lord Jesus was luminously present, the Holy Spirit was indeed moving through my longest prayers were surprising, vital, done at a great time, right? He says, it requires a tremendous amount of discipline in the courts. Philippians 212. Working out our salvation, my friends, one of the reasons why the Christian life seems so dull and boring is this it says, Make every effort given all that you've got and we just go like this. We make a little tiny, we put more effort into watching our car than we do our personal spiritual life and yet we expect it to work. We have a responsibility. Okay, enough of that. Let's get to the other side. Look at verse 13. Look what it says. It says in verse 13, here we go now, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. I'm losing my overheads here. Hang on a second. The Bible also teaches something here friends, and you know what that is? It teaches this God is the one that is at work within you, you cannot accomplish a thing without me, you can do nothing. If for one minute, you could think that just by being okay. I'm gonna do it all myself. You can't. You absolutely must be vitally connected in communion and in walking in the Spirit. You know what the Bible says? The same word for God is at work within you is the same word by the way, the same root word for verse 12, where it says work out your own salvation, you get it. You are to work out your own salvation. But here's the same thing. God is working in you. Romans seven, five translates the same word this way for when we were controlled by the flesh, the flesh aroused by the law, we're at work in our body. So we bore fruit to death, if talking about the unsaved life, that what just the natural result is the sin to go the contrary way. So now God is at work in our life, to pull us the other way. Life but translates verses 12 and 13 like this, here's a Greek scholar and just the way he translates it. Therefore, my beloved, having the example of Christ humility to guide you the example of Christ exultation to encourage you, as you've always been obedient hitherto so continued, please get this. Do not work. To my presence to stimulate you labor earnestly, not only at times when I am with you, but also when I am far away with a nervous and trembling anxiety, workout, your salvation for yourself. Now get this for yourselves did I say Nay, you're not alone. It is God working in you from first to last God that inspires the earliest impulse and God that directs the final achievement for such as His good pleasure. You know what struck me about this verse this week, something I learned, I did not know before. When God is at work within you. Look what the verse says in verse 13. God is the work within you both to will and to act. The actual translation is the word felt where we get the word fellow, the will. And the word Act is the actually the word work. God is at work to give you the even the intentions to grow. You could not even have the first desire to become godly, if God didn't give you that intention. He is the one that first prompts you. He is the one that first directs you. He is the one that it's it's he constantly pulling, tugging, nurturing, directing you towards him and holiness. You know why? Some of you and I say this, because I'm with you, my friends, but some of you that are struggling, and some of you are so miserable. And some of you are just so discouraged. And you're saying like Paul said in Romans chapter seven, oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Do you know what you had aching struggle in your heart? Praise God for it. Guess why? If you weren't a believer, it wouldn't be a struggle. If you weren't a believer, you would just go off. Forget it. I'm just gonna live for God, I can't do this. But what is it that keeps you to say no, I don't want to go into sin. No, I don't want to go that step. No, I Yes, I'm on the edge. And I hate it when I fall. But I want to keep going. You know what it is, it's God that gives you the even the intention, the will to live for him. And it's also God that does the work in your heart to cause you to start producing good works. And notice, it's in behalf of His good purpose. It's for his goals, his desires. Let's see also some verses that say, it's all of God, let's read these together to what you were read when we've already we already know here it says this, let's go for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. How about this one, his divine power has given us now when we get to the underlined parts, let's sort of read a little louder. All right, let's go again. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness, through these He's given us very great and precious promises. So that through them, you may participate. You let's read this, you may participate and escape escape readers together, escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. All right, you can do a Gaza work, his power has given you all that you need. Don't try to mix this up. Here's one side of that God does it all. Here's the other side of it. You are responsible. Christ lives in you, you live I live I no longer live but Christ lives in me. How about this? Let's read Romans or excuse me, John 15, foreign five together, ready? Let's read it. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me, I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit apart from me you can do nothing. Okay? This by the way, in the King James says, I am the Lord who sanctifies you but notice what it says, You may know that I am the Lord who makes you holy? who sanctifies you great verse. He's the one that does it. Romans 828 29 I know you know this one. But you got to see the point here, God does it. Let's let's read it. All things work together for good. And she's now the King James. And we know that all things works. For those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose, for those God foreknew He also predestined to become conformed to the image. Yeah, you see that? God, God, even God works what God works all things together for good. All right. We cannot forget that. Now. One last thing I want you to see. And that is this. It's both God and man. It's both god man. You saw that one. It was all man. You see another it's all gone. anyone tells you that it's one of those two without giving you the balance of the wrong. We've already read flippies you've already read Second Peter. But let's read Titus here. You ready? Let's read this together. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared. It teaches us to say no, stop right there. Who does it teach to say no. It doesn't make us say no. It teaches us to say no, the grace of God. Okay. And to say no to what you're doing great. Read that off the box and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this presentation. How about this? It is God's will that you should be holy, that you should avoid sexual immorality. To think about this. If it was all God and you had nothing to do with it. You can say this is God's Well that I should be holy and He will keep me from sexual immorality. No, we must avoid it. You see, we must avoid the Bible is full of that. Watch out run from temptations do your part. Hey, there's more here. It's both God, man. Ready? I can do everything through Him who gives me strength? You can do it through him. You can't do without him. How about this? This is one of my favorites. Let's read it. That by the way, this one by the way, before we read this, you realize this friends. And thanks for being cooperative me. I realize I'm a little confusing leading you through these. But listen, this one he goes back and forth and back and forth. It's like he's trying to tell you I did it. He did it. I did. He did it. That's the way it is. Let's read it ready. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them. Yet, not I but the grace of God that was with me. You see that? He did it? I did it. He did it. Really? That's what he said. Okay. So, my friends, this area of sanctification is important. Watch out, watch out, you know, that I have heard in the last several years people say this type of thing. More than one. Several, I've heard him say this. I've done my part one will God do his part in and watch out when you say that? I want to tell you why. Because you're attacking God's character. God is holy, unjust and good. He does no wrong. And I want you to remember something. It's all for His good purpose, the last part of verse 13. You know what that means? Friends. That means that by faith, you must accept that the struggle that you're having, or the situation which may seem like a losing situation here will be greatly rewarded. Their Christ died on the cross looked like a loser. But he was highly exalted. When you obey God, when you sacrifice for him, when you commit yourself to Him. When you do all that you can to reset out of your life, I want you to see that one day it will always be worth it. Don't think by the way, there's one last thing. Some people teach in this area of sanctification, that struggle is not good. That somehow if you're having a struggle, you haven't found the secret. My friends, you're wrong. They're wrong. Whoever says that's wrong. A struggle is a part of the Christian life. Read about it. The Bible says that the spirit and the flesh war against each other so that you cannot do the things that you would. What does that talking about? The war that goes on, you desire to get us the work of God and you but there's this evil desire in you not to obey. And there's a battle that's gonna go on. And if someone tells you, you can get to the place where you'll never have that conflict, you say, Yeah, I will at the pearly gates. That's when you'll get rid of that. And remember this friends, the goal is not instant success, but ever increasing measure. You know, Friends, I want so badly to grow. I want so badly to grow. And you know, something? It is not easy. Let me tell you what happened to me this week. This week, I had a situation where I had to deal with somebody. And I got really mad at him. And I talked with our new system, Pastor Jerry, for about two hours about the the evils of this person. I mean, I let them have it. And I talked to this person about it, too. So I mean, I wasn't totally hypocrite, at least I talked to that person about to, but I mean, I let Jerry have it worse than I ever let this other person habit. I mean, or the jury habit about this person worse than I ever let your head. It wasn't here, okay. And you know what happened? later on this week. This all happened this week, a family came up to me and said, Pastor, have you taken care of the situation. And all of a sudden, everything I saw this other person doing squirming, not being quite honest. whirling around the situation. I was doing everything that I was so mad at that person about I was doing but it was a totally different circumstance. It didn't hit me at the time. That night when I went home, I went to pray. I was absolutely devastated by the Spirit of God, as to what a hypocrite I've been. Here I was lamenting in great detail someone else's failure. But I was doing the exact same thing. And here is here's the bottom line principle. The tie in this give up trying to defend yourself. Give up trying to always be the one that's right. and repent before God, you know one thing. I have lived too many days of my life trying to pretend to be something in front of other people. It's a waste of time when God knows who you are. And I want to just tell you this repent. You know what, there's a God that receives humble sinners who repent. I'm even talking about Christians are humbled by their sin and they just go to God and they repent. And there needs to be an attitude. What's his whole attitude in Philippians? About lowliness humility, obedience, and I'm gonna tell you something. One thing we can't learn from Christ is how to repent because he never had to. Let's pray searcher so God and know our heart try us and know our thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. Amen.