Applying Philippians 3 to Our Lives

[This entry follows a sermon titled "That I May Know Him."]

In Philippians 1, the apostle Paul tells his readers that they must contend side by side for the sake of the gospel.  They must defend it and advance it in the midst of adverse conditions.  In chapter 3, we get a glimpse of this glorious gospel.  Paul describes what it is to be part of the "real circumcision"...the true people of God...truly Christian.  He says that they are those who worship by the Spirit of God, glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh (v. 3).  From this point, the apostle gives a glorious exposition of what it means to put no confidence in the flesh and glory in Christ Jesus (v. 3-11).

If anyone could boast in their life, Paul could.  In verses 5-6, he writes that he was "circumcised on he eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless."

The apostle Paul was known as Saul before he became "the apostle Paul."  Saul's Jewish heritage was second to none.  He was born into the right family, and that family was full of religious devotion.  Saul was circumcised on the 8th day, per Genesis 17, and his family made sure he knew the Jewish language (Hebrew) and Jewish custom.  He was, truly, a Hebrew of Hebrews.

Not only was his heritage right, his life was right.  He took great pains in living a religious life.  Saul was a strict student and teacher of the law of God; he would let no one twist God's words and get away with it.  He zealously defended the reputation of God's people, especially against this new religious group called the Christians.  Finally, Saul obeyed when he ought to obey, and where he sinned, he atoned in the way he ought to atone.

However, this grand spiritual resume...all this gain...looked different after the resurrected Jesus came and spoke to him (see Acts 9).  Saul saw that none of this so-called "gain" made for a solid foundation on which to stand before God.  He saw that, in depending on his heritage and his religious effort, he was actually trying to build his house on sinking sand.  All that he once counted gain, he now sees as loss (v. 7-8).

Rather than looking to himself and putting confidence in his flesh, this new man now looked to Jesus Christ in faith.  He gloried in Christ Jesus.  Through faith in Christ, Saul was counted righteous, made right with God, called to be an apostle of Christ, and eventually, he became known as Paul.  God had opened his eyes.  Thus, the apostle Paul was born...or, more accurately, born again...and we are all still benefiting from his work.

It really is a glorious text, and the truth of this text is one we must come back to over and over again.  Specifically, in Sunday's sermon, I reminded our congregation that we must never fall into the trap of putting confidence in our great spiritual heritage or our spiritual efforts.  Both can be great gifts of God's grace, but neither are a sufficient grounds for being made right with God.  Only Christ and His atoning death suffice for that!

These truths are part of what is called the doctrine of justification.  Justification is the truth that on the ground of Christ's atoning death, God forgives sinners and proclaims them righteous in His sight when they trust in Christ alone.  Think of it as a great exchange.  Trusting in Christ, all our sin was laid on Him, and all His righteousness is laid on us.  He took the eternal curse we deserved, and we got the eternal blessing He deserved.  Christ was forsaken by the Father, so that we could be received by the Father.  God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).  What a sweet truth it is!

But it's also a practical truth.  Allow me to list a few practical applications of this doctrine as seen in Philippians 3.  I pray they are as meaningful and beneficial to you as they are to me.

• Just as we must not count on our spiritual heritage, we must not count ourselves out if we don't have one.  This struck me afresh yesterday as I listened to two sermons: one by Alistair Begg and one by Voddie Baucham.  Both men spoke at the same pastors' conference in 2008, and I have been listening to its contents of late.  Alistair Begg has a great spiritual heritage; I remember him speaking of sitting in the pew as a boy with his father pointing to Bible verses as the pastor would read.  His parents were great Christian influences in his life.  On the other hand, Voddie Baucham was raised, as he says, in drug-infested, gang-infested, south central Los Angeles by a single, teenage, Buddhist mother.  No gospel influence there!  Yet, both of these men, by God's grace, are being used to for His glory in gospel ministry.  Just as Alistair Begg cannot count on his spiritual heritage, Voddie Baucham cannot count himself out.  And neither should you...if that's your story.
• We must be careful not to boast in our standing before God, but in Christ who has died for us.  I realize that for some, it may seem that I am splitting hairs by making this distinction, but I think it's an important distinction to make.  It's a hair that needs splitting.  Why?  Because thinking of oneself as a "true Christian" can become a source of arrogance.  We think about the world and the grave sinfulness of man, and we are tempted to think, "I'm so glad I'm not like all of those people!"  Suddenly, we are one of the characters in Jesus' story about two men praying in the temple, but we're the wrong one (see Luke 18:9-14).  Yes, it is a great blessing to be forgiven and to be counted righteous.  Yes, we live our lives in the full knowledge of these things.  But no, we do not boast in them...we do not think ourselves superior because of them...because we had nothing to do with them!  It was all Christ; we must boast in Christ.  We must not boast in the gift of righteousness but in the Giver of righteousness...the Righteous One! Paul wants to know nothing among his listeners but Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).  He wants to boast in nothing but the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14).
• Parents must look to this text and find relief...but not relief from our responsibility.  Raising children is a heart-wrenching exercise.  One day, we are rejoicing at the progress we see.  The next day, we wonder if the progress we once saw was just an illusion.  It's three steps forward, two steps back, two steps back, two steps back, one step forward, two steps back, three steps forward...you get the idea.  When we parents remember that a sterling spiritual heritage is no guarantee of being right with God...and we remember that a sub-par spiritual heritage is no guarantee of not being right with God...then we should praise God and stop believing our children are doomed because we forgot family devotions last week.  [Just to be clear...this also means that getting it all right, all the time, in every way, with every devotional, every bedtime prayer, being at church every time the doors are open, etc., etc., ad nauseum, is no guarantee of salvation or spiritual maturity.]
  
  Of course, this does not mean that we are relieved of our responsibility.  We are to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).  We are to constantly look for opportunities to teach them...in both formal and informal settings (Deut. 6:4-9).  We have the devotions, we pray with and for our children, we have them involved at church, we seek to teach and model, etc.  But we are to do so realizing that we are merely God's fellow workers in our children's lives.  We will plant the seed of the gospel, and we will water it with all the influence we are granted.  However, it is God who gives the growth (1 Cor. 3:5-9).
  
  For those of you who are now empty nesters, take refuge in the truth of this text.  Did you fail?  Did you fail heinously?  It's quite possible.  You may need to go to your adult child and confess your failures and seek his forgiveness for not being the mother or father God called you to be.  However, your parental failures cannot stop the power of God from transforming your child's life, so stop torturing yourself.  Likewise, your parental successes cannot help God transform your child; while God uses means for His work, He needs no help.
  
  No matter where we are on the parenting spectrum, this text is both freeing and humbling.  It is freeing for us who are overly discouraged by our failures, and it is humbling for us who are over encouraged by our successes.  And it drives all of us to our knees to pray that God would give our children power to comprehend His love for them in Christ (Eph. 3:14-19).

I think the list could go on, but I will stop here.  The point is this...the truth of justification by faith alone is relevant.  It is not merely a doctrine for ivory tower theologians to debate.  It is a doctrine which communicates the gospel to us, and it is a doctrine that gives us encouragement and help as we live for Christ.

Grumbling, Isolation, and Sound Judgment

[This entry follows a sermon titled, "Work Out Your Own Salvation, Part 2."]

This past Sunday, we studied Philippians 2:14-16 together.  Having told the Philippians church that they must "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling" (v. 12), the apostle Paul goes on to give them a practical example of how they might do this: "do all things without grumbling or questioning" (v. 14).  This was particularly pertinent in Philippi because division was beginning to rear its ugly head in the congregation.  However, God's design is not that local churches would merely exist and function; rather, churches should exist and function in unity.  This means our relationships with one another in the church are very important.

 

From the beginning, human relationships have been important, as God has made us as relational beings.  Distinct from all other animals, human beings have a unique capacity for relationships both with other human beings and with God.  This capacity is part of what it means to be made in God's image (Gen. 1:26-27).  After God said that it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18), it was discovered that there was no suitable partner in all the animal kingdom for Adam.  Only another human being would do, so God made Eve.  God establishes the family as the cornerstone of society.

 

Later, Abraham is called out to be the progenitor of a new nation.  This nation would be God's people...a people having distinct relationships with God and with one another.  As the Lord Jesus carried out His earthly ministry, He did so in the company of twelve men.  Then, through His death, resurrection, ascension, and the sending of His Spirit, Jesus established His church.  He did not merely establish a religious system in which individuals are reconciled to God; He established a community of believers.  One day, all Christians from all times will be finally and forever gathered to live on the new earth, living in perfect relationship with God and one another.

 

It is this big picture that makes it unwise and unbiblical to look at relationships as disposable.  It is also this big picture that brings me to the main thrust of this week's blog.  When we consider grumbling and questioning, we must consider that it leads to separation.  It separates brothers and sisters in the church.  Grumbling and questioning isolates us from one another, and it is with this in mind that I want us all to consider the teaching of one of Solomon's proverbs.

 

"Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment" (Proverbs 18:1).  Though man was created to be relational, the presence of sin means we tend to isolate ourselves.  First, our sin isolates us from God.  Second, our sin isolates us from one another because it brings with it conflict and strife to our relationships.  This can happen in the home, at work, in friendships, in societies...it can even happen in the local church.

 

Solomon's words ring as true today as the day he first penned them.  Isolation from others is the result of seeking our own.  In the movie Finding Forrester, Sean Connery plays a famous author who lives as a recluse, living in isolation to escape society.  He never goes outside (except to clean the exterior of his windows).  He has his groceries delivered...the whole nine yards.  He decided at some point that regular contact with other human beings was too much for him, so he isolated himself...he sought his own desire.

 

You and I may not be recluses, but we still may see to isolate ourselves from others.  Some of us keep our friends at arm's length, so they will not see the real me...the sinful me...the struggling me.  Instead, they will see the happy me, the spiritual me, the best version of me.  In doing this, I am seeking my own desire to not be diminished in the eyes of others.  You know, Facebook is perfectly designed for such an approach to relationships.  It gives me the ability to put forward the "me" I want others to see...without anyone really knowing me.  It can give the illusion of relationship while remaining essentially isolated.

 

Some Christians decide to isolate themselves from the church...a concept absolutely foreign to New Testament doctrine.  However, they think that with TV and mp3s and online tools, the physical gathering of the church is not needed.  After all, I can get much better preaching online than in my local church (I don't argue).  Others determine that since there is no church where all my preferences are met, I have no need of the church.  And...I know some Christians at work, at school, or at the gym.  So, I have relationships with other Christians.  That's all I really need.  This is seeking my own desire.

 

Other Christians live an isolated existence by hopping from one church to another.  This is not unlike the one who keeps friends at arm's length.  The person or family spends a few weeks, a few months, or a few years at a church, but once I start feeling a bit "blah" about the congregation or the leadership or whatever it may be, I feel it's time to move on.  We may have the same relationship with the church that we have with our local grocery store.  As long as the product and the cost fit my needs, I stay.  Again...seeking one's own desire.

 

Let me mention one more.  There are still other Christians who may tend to remain isolated without ever leaving a particular local church.  We come to corporate gatherings such as this, but we do not care to involve ourselves in relationships...or serve in ministries...or concern ourselves with the business of the church...or whatever the case may be.  We are all together...yet alone.  Still seeking one's own desire.

 

This proverb speaks boldly to all these kinds of isolation, saying that "whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment."  So, what does this have to do with grumbling and questioning?  Well, think about the reasons why we grumble.  I mentioned two on Sunday: (1) we don't get what we want, or (2) our expectations go unmet.

 

When we don't get what we want or our expectations go unmet, we must respond, and there are two main responses.  We will either respond with the kind of contentment that trusts God's sovereignty in all situations, or we will respond by grumbling and questioning.  If we grumble, we seek our own desires with such conviction that we are willing to isolate ourselves from others.  Left uncorrected, this passionate pursuit of my own desires can lead to radical amputation of relationships.

 

What I want can become so important to me that I am willing to sacrifice my relationship with you or anyone else who stands in the way of what I want.  My heart is open to sinful bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice, where I should be kind and tenderhearted (Eph. 4:32).  I am willing to grumble, I am willing to hold grudges, I am willing to walk away from the church where God has placed me...and all because I do not get what I want.  To paraphrase the proverb: we seek our own desire and isolate ourselves.

 

Now, what's the big deal?  The big deal is that Solomon didn't stop with just describing the relationships between isolation and our desires.  He goes on to say that the one who does these types of things "breaks out against all sound judgment."  What is this sound judgment?  It's God's judgment.  And God tells us that we are to seek to live peaceably with all men (Rom. 12:18).  With that in mind, grumbling and questioning must be put to death by the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:13).

 

The only way we will do this is to learn how to hold to our own desires and expectations: loosely.  My desires and my expectations cannot be ultimate; they must be subordinate to the purposes of God.  In many cases, they must be placed in submission to those whom God has placed in authority over us.  This brings the place of prayer to the forefront.  We must cry out to God to give us the grace necessary to live in this way, and the good news is that God is at work in us, "both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

 

One last thing – If you commit yourself to do all things without grumbling or questioning, it is almost certain that you will soon find yourself not getting what you want...having your expectations unmet.  God will superintend our lives to show us where we must continue to repent...continue to live by faith.  And we can do so, looking to Jesus, who did all things without grumbling or complaining, including facing the wrath of God on the cross.  His perfect "doing" is credited to us through faith, and we can never add to that righteous standing before God.  So, we can work hard at working out our own salvation without relying on our own hard work.  And that's what we must do...for God's glory and for our growth.

Helping Others Interpret Life Biblically

[This entry follows a sermon titled "Interpreting Life Biblically."]

As we studied Philippians 1:12-26 on Sunday, we saw that Paul interpreted his past, present, and future biblically.  He was constantly wanting to see his life through the lens of the Bible, and we were all challenged to do the same.

If I am going to see life with a biblical lens, then I am going to need help.  One thing that is true about interpreting life biblically is that we typically have an easier time interpreting other people's lives more accurately and honestly than we do our own.  We may look at the trials of others, knowing that if only they understood God's purposes in their trials, they would have such great hope!  Yet, we look in the mirror at our own trials, and all we want is to get out of them.  We want to escape more than we want strength to endure.  This is why we need help to interpret our lives biblically.

Think about it this way.  If the TV is getting blurry...if I have to squint to read (and then get a headache afterward)...if seeing while driving at night is getting harder...I have to look outside myself to get the problem fixed.  I go to the optometrist to get my eyes examined, receive a prescription for glasses, and then begin to wear them. The same is true in seeing our lives and trials and struggles and temptations clearly.  We need help from outside ourselves.  Yet, there is one great, hope-giving difference between these two. It doesn't take a doctorate, a master's degree, a Bible college degree, or a certain certification to be able to help others interpret their lives biblically. These can be helpful, if you have the ability to pursue them, but they are not necessary.

Let me explain. Paul wrote this to the Roman church: "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another" (Rom. 15:14). The word for "instruct" in this verse is noutheteo, which means to warn...to admonish...to counsel. He's saying to this congregation that he knows they are full of goodness and knowledge...and that they are very capable of counseling one another. Do you know what makes this verse all the more astounding? Paul had never been there in person (1:10)!  So, if Paul is confident that this unknown Roman church could counsel one another, then certainly we can have confidence that, by God's grace and with His help, we can do the same.

So, what must you do if you are going to really help others interpret their lives biblically?  Let me finish by listing four commitments we must have:

• Be committed to the Bible.  You cannot help others see their lives through the lens of the Bible if you are not committed to the lens itself.  This means you must be consistently reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on, and applying God's Word.  When God calls us to "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15), He calls us to speak His truth.  This means we must be committed to knowing His truth!
• Be committed to compassion.  When people are in the hospital, especially for serious conditions, the people they most remember are not the doctors but the nurses...good and bad.  Good and bad nurses have the same mission...carry out the doctor's orders.  The bad ones carry out orders in a cold-hearted way...get in, apply the meds, and get out!  No talking, no concern, no empathy...just a task to perform.  The good ones carry out the same orders.  They apply the same meds, and they, too, have other patients.  But they do their job with compassion...they hurt with you...they hate your pain.  Likewise, as we speak God's Word into another person's life, we are carrying out the orders of the Great Physician of Souls.  We should not just seek to get in, spout off some verses, and get out!  Rather, we should feel our brother's pain with him and minister the Word with compassion.
• Be committed to the relationship.  The trials of life are often times when spiritual warfare is at its strongest.  This means helping your friend interpret the events of her life through the lens of the Bible will not be easy.  Your friend may go back and forth in her interpretation of life.  Sometimes it's biblical; other times it's just downright selfish and worldly.  There will be times when she doesn't want to hear anything you say, and other times, she will need to hear biblical hope like a thirsty man in the desert.  Whatever may come, remember, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Prov. 17:17).
• Be committed to your own spiritual growth.  As I said earlier, it is often easier to help others see life from God's perspective than it is to see our own lives that way.  At times, when I am in the middle of helping other people with their problems, God confronts me with my own counsel!  For example, I may be speaking of a husband's need to do this or that, and all the while, it's as if God is saying to me: "Toby, can't you see that this is what I want from you?"  When God graciously shows me my flawed perspective, I intentionally take time to repent.  Sometimes, I'll even confess what just happened to the person I'm talking with...it helps them know that they're not alone!  So, don't be surprised when your words to others hit home in your own heart.  And when they do, listen...grow...and change!