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A Revolutionized Joy-Giving Life
Philippians 2:12-18
Every January, gym memberships dramatically increase and gyms become crowded with “the New Year’s resolution crowd.” But by March many of the them will be gone. One gym director says, “They don’t see results as quickly as they think they will; people don’t realize it takes a lot of work and perseverance to get in shape.” Yes, some of us are acquainted such failure. But we also experience failure when it comes to spiritual growth. Joining a church doesn’t mean automatic transformation. Following Christ means to be in union, to love him and keep his commandments, to abide and bear fruit. Having such revolutionized life takes time. And in the context of this passage, evidence of that life is unity in mind and spirit, humility, and esteem for one another.
In every Confession of Faith and Baptism service, a vow is taken to lead a Christian life, forsake the world and her lusts, as befits living members. So if you’re a member of Christ’s church, you’re called to have a revolutionized life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we’re new creations in Christ - the old has passed away; all things are become new. So such salvation should be evident. Christ took on humanity to die - not just to save but change us; not just to justify but sanctify us. And we know we’re saved not just by our hearing the Word, but doing it. We’d have a revolutionized joy-giving life. Upon self-examination, do we have that life?
We examine three evidences of that kind of life. Firstly, a revolutionized life examines its salvation. Secondly, a revolutionized life witnesses to the unbelieving world. Thirdly, a revolutionized life brings joy to others.
Firstly, a revolutionized life examines its salvation. Paul began with a very uncomfortable command in verse 12 - “Wherefore, my beloved…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” The word “wherefore” or “therefore” anchors this command in Christ’s work. Because Christ was humbled to save us and thereafter exalted, we must “work out our salvation.” If we’re redeemed, we’d examine our salvation. We’d put real effort to make our salvation evident. Now, when Paul used this term “work out”, he opposed antinomianism - the idea that because we’re saved by grace, our conduct doesn’t matter. But it does. The Greek word for “work out” means to “bring to completion” or to “carry out to the goal.” How we live shows our salvation. To be clear, Paul didn’t tell them to earn their salvation. He didn’t say - “work for your salvation” nor “work toward your salvation” or even “work at your salvation” but to “work it out” - to exercise it. Just as athletes work out their God-given muscles to strengthen them, believers work out the salvation Christ secured for them. If there’s the root of salvation, there must be the fruit of salvation. A saved life is a revolutionized life. It shows that God’s at work in us. And the fruit of salvation is holiness. No fruit? No root!
By giving this command, Paul also prevented the error of presumption. We must do this work with “fear and trembling”. Now, this isn’t the fear of a slave who’s terrified of punishment. Rather, it’s the awe of a child who fears grieving a loving Father. It’s a holy reverence that takes both sin and grace seriously. If you’re saved, you’d love your Savior. You’d continue the work of repentance. You’d be grieved by your sin. That’s what’s meant by work out your salvation. The Apostle Paul elsewhere in 2 Corinthians 13:5 commanded, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove [or test] your own selves.” And how do we examine ourselves? Not by looking inward for some mystical feeling, or historically whether we’ve walked down the aisle or said the sinner’s prayer. To be sure, in making Confession of Faith or getting baptized, a credible confession must be made. But if you’ve been in church long enough, you can fake it. But faking the life is harder. And Paul, understood the human condition. He urged his readers to examine - to stir up the fruit of their lives. Is there loving obedience? Humility? Living with holy reverence before God? Do you see fruit?
And this working out “your own” salvation is in the reflexive plural. Paul wasn’t telling them individually but corporately to exercise themselves to godliness. It’s not work out “thine own” but work out “your own.” It’s not just the individual’s duty to make sure of his own salvation, but the our duty to make sure of each other’s salvation. Parents, urge your children in the gospel. Spouses - encourage each other to live out the gospel. And our new living members, do the same toward the longer time members. Yes, many people don’t always like rigid, hierarchical authority, but favor mutual respect - so do that, be accountable. Don’t leave each other behind. Encourage godliness, holiness, spirituality. Not just encourage it, but require it from each other. Let’s walk with each other - making our salvation evident.
But what’s wonderful is this - we’re not doing it alone or corporately, but with God’s help. Hope of a revolutionized life is certain if we work out our salvation; verse 13 - “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” We’re not left to our own resources. God works in us. He changes us so we’d want what God wants. Therefore, examining salvation isn’t a burdensome duty. It leads to greater assurance. God helps you in that work. That’s why we have pastoral visits and care groups to motivate mutual self-examination. Even among officers, we have mutual censure. When we do these things, God works in us. Revolutionized lives examine themselves and hope not in their own performance, but in God who performs his work in us.
But secondly, a revolutionized life witnesses to the unbelieving world. Paul moved from a general command to a specific command. Yes, work out their salvation; but specifically in what? Verses 14-15 - “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” If we’re working out our salvation, and God works in us, the result is a life without murmuring or disputing. That’s a testimony to this crooked and twisted world. Now, how do we understanding this? Let’s work backwards. Without Christ, we’d be the same as the world - crooked and perverse. This language reminds us of Deuteronomy 32, in Moses’ closing words to Israel. He described their ancestors this way, verse 5 - “They’ve corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.” The wilderness generation - crooked and perverse. Why? They grumbled and disputed against God. Yes, they came out of Egypt, a mixed multitude, but many were fake. They didn’t want to be a holy people. They wanted to return back to slavery. Eventually they perished in the desert. But Paul said of the Philippians - they were to be different. The world and fake believers are crooked, but you must be blameless. They’re perverse, but you must be innocent. The world and false sons will be cast into outer darkness, but you’re shining lights. And how are we to shine as blameless and harmless sons of God without rebuke? How? Do all things without murmurings and disputings!
Now to be clear, we all sorrow and struggle. But murmurings and disputing are things that pagans do. Murmuring refers to discontented complaining. It’s negative and full of grievances. People are like this to me! I don’t have enough in the world! I’m going through many trials and God doesn’t care. I have no water, no meat, no one to care for me. That’s the sin of unbelief - like how Israel murmured against Moses and God. It reveals a heart that doesn’t trust God’s providence. It reveals a heart that believes it deserves better. Disputing is a natural consequence of such a heart. It refers to ill-feeling and argumentation. James 4 - “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” Such disputes show an ill-content. This is what a crooked and perverse generation does! It’s unbelief. It’s a self-centered life. Sin isn’t just breaking the commandments; sin is seeing yourself as ultimate in your life. And when your idol, you yourself, is not polished and satisfied, all hell breaks loose. You murmur and fight because your desires are not met.
That’s pagan behavior. Now Paul was a poet in these verses. How do you know you’re a believer? 2 attitudes. You work out your salvation out with fear and trembling. If you do, you’ll be blameless and harmless. 2 virtues. And what 2 proofs show you’re blameless and harmless, working out salvation with fear and trembling? You’ll do all things without murmuring and disputing. You see, a redeemed child trusts in God’s sovereignty. When trials come, they trust in providence - that he’s working all things for their good. They receive good and calamity from God’s hands. That’s why even in trials, they do not engage in petty disputes, but in godly trust and prayer. So to put it all together, in times of trial - like what the Philippians faced, a crooked and perverse generation resorts to murmuring and argumentation - like unbelieving Israel. This destroys unity. But a reverential and trembling generation is blameless and harmless, that in trial, they preserve unity. Such a people are a witness - they shine as lights, verse 15.
And as they do this, they, verse 16 - they “hold forth the word of life.” Folks, this is our church’s theme verse. It must therefore be very clearly etched in our mind. But how do we hold forth the word of life? Now, some may have unwittingly taken this to mean our fervent proclamation of the Word and doctrines of grace. Now certainly, that’s an important thing. But this passage doesn’t refer to that. Unfortunately, some of us have become so contrarian, contentious, faultfinding, and censorious all in the name of holding forth the Word of Life - that we’re actually doing the opposite of what this verse tells us to do. We’ve completely overlooked the meaning. Beloved, this is the climax of the passage. Everything before this point - God working in you, your blameless conduct - builds to this moment of witness. The purpose of examination and sanctification is to display and proclaim the Gospel. Ultimate proof that God is working in you is in your public holiness. Your revolutionized life is missional at its very core. In the ancient world, a lighthouse held out its flame to guide ships into the harbor. We’re to hold forth the Gospel to a drowning world. But you can’t do this, if your life contradicts it. Your life of unity, contentment, patience, and love preaches before your lips ever speak. This is why corporate examination of salvation always leads to witness. Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” And this must give us pause to reflect. Have you completely misunderstood this holding forth the word of life?
But if you get it right, we see thirdly, this revolutionized life brings joy to others. If our lives are examined, blameless, but content with what God has given, our lives will pour joy into others. Verse 16 - “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” A revolutionized life doesn’t exist in isolation, but brings joy to community. Paul was laboring in such a perverse community, so that the Philippians might stand blameless. And if they continued in such life revolution, he’d be joyful. He’d know his ministry was not in vain. Can you imagine, laboring so much and the church is so divisive? And there are churches which are like that - like the Corinthians church. Always divisive with people who are never happy. But when your maturity is seen in speaking forth truth lovingly and firmly, patient with those who disagree with you, in trials not murmuring or arguing, not bearing grudges, not bitter - you bring joy! Some churches love members who can defend the faith and win every argument, but showing forth ungraciousness. May we never be such a church! But when you in difficult situations have the dignity and heart of Christ, you bring joy to those around you - especially the officers - who invest in your spiritual life. You prove their work has not been in vain.
Paul would be happy, verses 17-18; if the Philippians modeled that kind of spiritual maturity and unity - I’m prepared to die! Not, “I’ll be turning in my grave!” but “I can die happy now!” Would your life make Paul turn in his grave? No doubt, some believers, by their lives would cause disappointment and upset. But others show deep revolutionary change in their lives. Paul himself was going through terrible trials, but he wasn’t complaining. “Why am I not out of jail?! I preached so faithfully! Why doesn’t God reduce my prison sentence?!” He was exhibiting this non-murmuring attitude. To live is Christ, to die is gain. Even if I die now, poured out like a drink offering, like a martyr - I’m happy - if you’re such witnesses. And that’s our revolutionized life. If we, fear and trembling, work to be blameless and upright, not murmuring or disputing, our lives bring joy to ourselves.
Beloved, God has rescued us in Christ to be his people. But this must be a reality. Intellectual agreement is not saving faith. Even the demons believe and shudder. Examine your life. Is God working in you? And are you shining and causing joy, or causing disappointment. Let us resolve to shine for Christ at today’s public confession of faith and baptism.
1. A Revolutionized Life Examines Its Salvation
2. A Revolutionized Life Witnesses to the Unbelieving World
3. A Revolutionized Life Brings Joy to Others
Conversation for Change:
1. Paul speaks on how the Philippians should respond to adversity. What attitudes does Paul insist on us having? Why are these qualities so difficult to foster?
2. Godly living isn’t just about proper attitudes, it also requires action. What actions should we take to show our faith?
3. How important is it to give others joy by our testimony? Is it important to please others in this manner or should we only be accountable to God?
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2026, Rev. Mark Chen
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