Philippians 2:12-16 English Standard Version

Lights in the World

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, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

This is such a petty thing that I feel guilty for even mentioning it. Guilt is from the flesh.

Paul has written the largest part of the epistles to the churches he has started. His warnings resound even today in the midst of this crooked and twisted generation. It was so then and it continues to be so today. It is the flesh that makes itself known.

Looking at these passages written by the most humble of missionaries the body of Christ has even known I see the flesh making its presence be known.

“I may be proud” appears in verse 16. Paul isn’t proud but he wants to be. That is flesh.

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We should realize that sin does not stop God from using us.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

But!

I am a sinner saved by grace.

Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

If I were to think of myself in any other terms would be an insult to the gift of God.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

God made man perfect and gave him dominion over creation but then sin entered.

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3

The curse fell on man because of disobedience, but dominion was not taken away. With dominion man began battling between themselves for dominance.

Psalm 12:5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

God’s grace prevails.