【Php 腓8-2】How To Work Out Our Salvation?如何做成得救的功夫?

2.   How to work out our salvation?

1）The working of God in people He loves is like “silken fetters”, “binding” our heart to His love and leading

* Just as the selfless love of a wife has “bound” the husband, causing him to love her willingly; the infinite grace and truth of Christ is like silken fetters, causing us to surrender to Him willingly. In fact, the tighter the silken fetters bind us, our hearts and minds will be closer to God’s, and thus our submission will greatly manifest the glory of the Father. The silken fetters of God is like:

① God began a good work in me, and enables me to gladly obey Him <1:6, 2:12>;   

② God, for His name, leads me to the path of righteousness, hastens me to work out my salvation <2:12>; 

③ God causes me to be unable to find peace and meaning in this crooked and depraved generation, instead, only by setting apart and living out Christ can I see my own value and glory <2:15>; 

④ God all the more binds me in His joy, when I suffer for the sake of gospel, enabling my spirit to transcend the earthly joy <2:17>；

⑤ God binds me to the intercession and concerns of the brethren

2）How to connect to God’s work within us and work out our salvation? 《2:12-13》

① Knowing the attributes of God and being conscious about His indwelling, therefore fear and tremble! A lot of people misunderstand this as a fearful heart, but here it implies a heart of revering and solely seeking God. Actually, believers often lack this fear and trembling heart, and thus let loose in their living; if the people sharing God’s word lacks such heart, the message shared is often knowledge and theories.

② We need to confirm and understand God’s word, until our will and emotions match God’s. Although this is a process (our weak nature often distracts us and causes us to incline to our flesh), we need to experience the teaching and support of the Holy Spirit in all things. Eg: the calmness in making judgment, the peace of body, the wisdom in speech, the rhythm in living, the joy in playing, the fervor in serving, the sincerity in loving men etc, all these are characteristics we can see from man, but Lord wants us to learn how to listen to Him and do His will in all things, so that He can be glorifed.

③  Whether it’s toward man or things, we need to live in the infinite conviction of the Holy Spirit all the time, and live by always testing and approving God’s perfect will. (Only by living out the perfect will of God, can God be glorified.)

④  After doing the will of God, we need to always receive rewards from Him. The evidence of God rewarding us is the joy of the Spirit in our hearts.

3）In practical living, we ought to examine ourselves: if we do in reverence to God, we will surely display the virtues of believers in crowds 《2:14-15》

* Specially, Paul instructed the believers to avoid complaining or arguing. If a believer reveres and seeks God in his spirit (guard his heart and mind), he is surely able to hold his tongue. Often, believers often complain, lament, and argue with people in their own designated tasks. As a result, they lose the Holy Spirit’s conviction easily, and cause the pessimistic spirit to be working in the people around them. Such complaining and dissatisfied spirit absolutely cannot glorify God, and also stumble the people around us. Try asking, if a wife often laments, it will not benefit her husband and children, no matter how well she manages the matters of the house; if a worker often complains, no matter how responsible he is, he will not be recognized by his boss. If possible, we believers should put all these habits to stop. Specially, after this, Paul talked about being the children of God without fault in the crooked and depraved generation  (an era of not acknowledging God, letting loose of selves and being self-centred). This is not implying we can attain the perfect standard of morality, but being accountable to man in our speech and actions, a contrast to the people of the world. If we can have a little good virtue in the slightest matter, men naturally see the glory in our lives.

3.   做成得救的工夫的证据 – 有根基的事工，有喜乐的确据

1）腓立比信徒从保罗传递给他们的全备福音亲自遇见神，也继续做成得救的工夫，以至保罗所做的没有徒劳《2:16》

* 全备与欠缺的福音最终必带来差异。倘若一群信徒是受了全备真理的教导，他们虽力量与条件微小，但所信的道是必然显在他们的生活当中（与世人分别），日子过了也必传递下去。这就如同使徒们所传递下来的基督信仰。倘若因体贴人意而在福音的真意偏差了（例如：不叫人遇见神，不教导人有根有基地做成得救的工夫），日子过了，那偏差会如同面酵在人的生命显现出来，使全团发酵。

2）保罗现在虽身处囹圄，也远离家人朋友，但却因腓立比信徒的信心长进感到万分的喜乐《2:17》

* 每当我们见使徒有如此信心所带来的喜乐表现，我们总觉得难以测度。或许有些信徒认为自己一生无法达到那地步。其实若我们不继续做成得救的工夫，不更深经历圣灵在我们生命里那超然的动工，总会觉得这等信心的领域是遥远的。但确实上，当一个信徒渐渐跨越肉身安康的喜乐，开始经历遵行神的那等喜乐，有一天他在为福音受苦中便会经历如此不为人所知的能力与喜乐，使荣耀归于神。

3）最终，保罗将这等生命的喜乐传递给信徒们《2:18》

* 有些生命的表现是不能强加在人身上的，要不然便是戒律主义了。在此，保罗将圣灵最高超的能力与喜乐显于信徒们。但做法是借着他在困境当中将顺服神与爱人灵魂的喜乐表现出来。所以若我们要将爱神的能力与喜乐传递，最神为的做法就是活出顺服的喜乐。

节选自

【腓立比书 8】

“做成得救工夫的能力与喜乐”

For more detailed reading of the whole English sermon, please refer to: 

http://www.lifechurchmissions.com/downloads/SunMsg/2014/Notes/English/htm/SunMsg-20140601-Notes(E).htm

详细整篇中文讲道，请点击最下方“阅读原文”