After Pentecost (Proper 21 ) | Year A | Philippians 2:1-13 | John Wesley
This week I did something a little different. Below is a sermon from John Wesley re written in easier to understand language. The paragraph numbers coincide with the numbers in Wesley's original sermon. A link to the original language of the sermon is found at the end.
Introduction
1. Some very important truths, such as understanding God's existence and qualities, and recognizing the difference between what's morally good and bad, are known to unbelievers. These ideas can also be seen in various cultures around the world. God has given this understanding to everyone who is born into this world. And because of this, even those who don't have a written set of laws have a sense of what is right and wrong. They demonstrate the principles of the law, even if they don't have the exact words of it, because these principles are written in their hearts by the same divine source that gave the Ten Commandments. Their conscience also tells them whether they are acting in line with these principles or not.
2. But there are two main teachings that hold many incredibly important truths, which the wisest people in ancient times who didn't follow God completely missed, just as many intelligent unbelievers today who follow different beliefs also miss them. I'm talking about the teachings regarding the eternal Son of God and the Spirit of God. The Son, who offered himself to make amends for the sins of the world, and the Spirit of God, who transforms people to be more like the image of God in which they were created.
3. It's a fact that these important truths were not known to anyone, until they were revealed through the teachings of the gospel. Even though there were tiny bits of knowledge scattered here and there, the entire world was in darkness until the Sun of Righteousness rose and chased away the shadows of ignorance. Since this special day arrived, a bright light has shone on those who were once in darkness and danger. In every era, countless people have come to understand that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him will not die but have everlasting life. They also learned that God gave us His Holy Spirit, who helps us want to do what is good and actually do it, all according to God's plan.
4. Think about these amazing words from the Apostle ,
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the 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, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:5-11 NIV).
This means that Jesus, who had the same nature as God from the very beginning, didn't see his equality with God as something to take advantage of or to seize for himself. Instead. Jesus while knowing his rightful position “emptied himself meaning that he chose not to use his divine qualities for his own gain. He hid his divine glory from the view of both people and angels. He did this by taking on the form of a servant and becoming just like any other human being. He didn't stand out in terms of beauty or special qualities. In fact, he humbled himself even more by obeying God, even though he was equal with God, all the way to the point of dying on the cross. This was the ultimate act of humility and obedience.
The Apostle Paul uses Christ as an example and tells the people to work hard to secure the salvation that Christ has obtained for them. He says, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
We can see three important things:
1. The beautiful truth that “it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
2. Based on this, we should put in effort to, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
3. Meaning there is a connection between these 2 points. Because God is working in us, we should work out our salvation.
God works in us
1. First we remember: “it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” If we rearrange the main idea is seen more clearly. "It is God who, because of His good purpose, is working in you to will and act." This change in word order helps us understand that there's no room for thinking we deserve any credit; it's all about giving God the full credit for His work. We did not do something good first, and that's what made God work in us. God's motivation to work in us comes entirely from His own goodness, grace, and undeserved mercy.
2. This is the only reason why God is driven to work inside people. The phrase can be understood in two ways, and both are true. First, "to will" can mean all the good thoughts and feelings inside a person, and "to act" can mean all the good actions on the outside. So, it shows that it's God who makes us good on the inside and outside. Secondly, "to will" can mean every good desire, and "to act" can mean everything that comes from those desires. In this case, it means that God puts good desires in our hearts and makes those desires become good actions.
3. The original words in Greek, "to thelein" (to will) and "to energein" (to act), seem to support the second way of understanding it. "To thelein" includes all good desires, whether they have to do with how we feel, speak, or act—inside or outside. "To energein" implies all the power from above, all the energy that works in us to give us the right thoughts and feelings and then prepares us to do good things in our words and actions.
4. Understanding that everything we have comes from God is a powerful way to keep pride in check. When we truly realize that we haven't achieved anything on our own but have received everything as a gift, it's hard to boast as if we've accomplished it all by ourselves. If we are aware and feel deeply that the very inkling of goodness in us comes from God, and that God not only plants good desires in us but also supports them, or else they would disappear, then it's clear that if anyone wants to boast, they should boast about the Lord. In other words, our source of pride should be God, not ourselves.
Work out your own Salvation
1. Now, let's talk about the second point: If God is at work within you, then you should work on your own salvation. The original word "work out" suggests that you should do this thoroughly and completely. And remember, it's your own salvation; you have to work on it yourselves because no one else can do it for you. Salvation has different stages. It starts with what we call "preventing grace," which includes the first desire to please God, the first glimpse of understanding His will, and the initial sense that we've done wrong in His eyes. These are signs that we're moving toward life and salvation. Then comes "convincing grace," often referred to as repentance in the Bible, which brings us more self-awareness and moves us away from a hardened heart. Afterward, we experience true Christian salvation, where, through grace, we are "saved by faith." This salvation includes two main parts: justification, where we're saved from the guilt of sin and restored to God's favor, and sanctification, where we're saved from the power and root of sin and become more like God. This salvation is both instant and gradual. It begins the moment we are justified, and it keeps growing until another instant when our hearts are cleansed from all sin and filled with a love for God and others. Then that love continues to grow in our hearts as we become more and more like Christ.
2. So, how do we go about working on our salvation? The Apostle Paul gives us some guidance: "With fear and trembling." There's another place in Paul's writings where he uses this same expression, and it can help us understand what it means. In this other passage, Paul talks about servants obeying their earthly masters, even though they know that eventually, they will be free from their masters. He says they should do this "with fear and trembling." Now, we need to understand that this phrase is not meant to be taken literally. It doesn't mean that servants should stand in front of their masters shaking with fear. In fact, the following words in the passage make it clear that this isn't the intended meaning. Paul says servants should obey their masters "in singleness of heart," meaning they should have a sincere and wholehearted desire to follow God's will and purpose. They shouldn't just do their work when their master is watching, trying to please people; instead, they should see themselves as servants of Christ and do their work from the heart, as if they were doing it for God Himself. These strong words from Paul imply 2 things. First, they suggest that we should approach everything we do with a deep sense of seriousness and care. Second, they indicate that we should approach our tasks with the utmost diligence, speed, punctuality, and precision.
3. We can apply these ideas to our everyday lives. Just like Christian servants serve their earthly masters with dedication and care, we should work to serve our heavenly Master in the same way. First, with the a serious and committed attitude. Second, with diligence promptly doing our tasks, being on time, and paying attention to details.
4. So, what are the steps the Bible tells us to take as we work on our own salvation? The Prophet Isaiah gives us a general answer: "Stop doing evil, and learn to do good." If you want God to work in you and bring salvation, start by running away from sin, avoiding anything that's wrong, and staying away from even the appearance of evil. Then, learn to do good things, like acts of kindness and acts of worship, such as family prayer and private prayer. Read and meditate on the Scriptures, participate in the Lord's Supper when you can, and have conversations with other believers that are filled with grace and wisdom. Whenever you have the opportunity, do good to everyone, both in terms of their spiritual needs and their physical needs. Be committed, unshakable, and always active in doing the work of the Lord. Lastly, deny yourselves and carry your cross every day. This means giving up any pleasures that don't help you get closer to God. Be willing to embrace anything that brings you nearer to God, even if it feels difficult or goes against your natural desires. Consequently, when you have redemption through the blood of Christ. You'll keep progressing until you are "walking in the light as He is in the light." At that point, you'll be able to testify that God is faithful and just, not only forgiving your sins but also cleansing you from all unrighteousness.
How are these ideas Connected?
1. "But," some may ask, "what's the connection between the first and second parts of this sentence? Isn't there actually a clear contradiction between them? If it's God who works in us both to want to do and to do, then why do we need to work? Doesn't God's work make our efforts unnecessary, or even impossible? After all, if we acknowledge that God does everything, what role is there for us to play?"
2. This might sound like a reasonable argument at first, but it doesn't hold up. Let's dig deeper and see that there is no conflict between these two ideas: "God works; therefore, we work." In fact, there is a strong connection between them, and here are two reasons why: First, God’s work, enables us to work. Second, because God works, it means we must work.
3. First, God works within you; therefore, you can work too. In fact, without God's work in you, it would be impossible for you to work on your own salvation. Jesus Himself said, "With man, this is impossible." Jesus was referring to the difficulty of a rich person entering the kingdom of heaven. Though it is impossible for anyone unless God is at work in them. Since all people are naturally not only spiritually sick but also "dead in trespasses and sins," they cannot do anything good until God raises them from this spiritual death. Just as Lazarus couldn't come out of the tomb until the Lord gave him life, we can't escape our sins or even take a single step toward it until God, who has all power in heaven and on earth, calls our dead souls to life.
4. However, this should not be used as an excuse for those who continue to live in sin and blame their Maker by saying, "Only God can revive us, and we can't revive our own souls." Even if we acknowledge that all human souls are dead in sin by nature, this doesn't excuse anyone because no one exists in that state. No one, unless they've suppressed the prompting of the Holy Spirit, is completely devoid of God's grace. No living person lacks what is commonly referred to as a natural conscience. However, this is not truly "natural"; it's more accurately called preventing grace. Every person possesses some degree of this grace. Everyone experiences good desires sooner or later, although most people suppress them before they can take root or produce significant results. Everyone has some measure of light, a faint glimmer, which eventually, to a greater or lesser extent, enlightens every person who comes into the world. And unless someone's conscience is completely numbed, they feel varying degrees of discomfort when they act contrary to their own conscience's guidance. Therefore, no one sins because they lack grace, but rather because they fail to make use of the grace they already have.
5. Therefore, because God works within you, you now have the ability to work on your own salvation. Since He works in you out of His own goodwill, without any merit on your part, you can fulfill all that is righteous. It's possible for you to love God because He loved us first. It is possible to live a life of love, following the example of our great Master. We know Jesus' words to be absolutely true: "Without me, you can do nothing." But, at the same time, every believer can confidently say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
6. It's essential to remember that God has joined these two aspects together in the experience of every believer. Therefore, we must be cautious not to separate them. We should avoid false humility that leads us to excuse our willful disobedience by saying, "Oh, I can do nothing!" and stopping there without acknowledging the grace of God. Take a moment to reflect on what you're saying. I hope you're mistaken because if it's genuinely true that you can do nothing, then you do not have faith. And if you don't have faith, you're in a terrible condition! You are not in a state of salvation. I'm sure that's not the case because you can do something through the strength that Christ provides. Stir up the small spark of grace within you, and He will give you even more grace.
7. Secondly, because God works in you, you must work. You need to collaborate with Him, or else His work may stop. The general rule God follows is this: "Those who have will receive more, but those who do not use what they have, even what they think they have will be taken away from them." Even Saint Augustine, who is often seen as supporting a different view, wisely said, "He who made us without ourselves will not save us without ourselves." This means that God won't save us unless we do our part. We need to distance ourselves from a corrupt world, fight the good fight of faith, grasp eternal life, strive to enter the narrow path, deny ourselves, carry our cross daily, and work diligently to make our calling and election sure.
8. So, my brothers and sisters, work not only for temporary rewards but also for the everlasting reward. Keep in mind that God is still at work in you, so never get tired of doing good. Rely on the grace of God, which goes before you, accompanies you, and follows you, “in the work of faith, in the patience of hope, and in the labor of love.” Be strong and unwavering, always excelling in the work of the Lord. And may the God of peace, who raised Jesus from the dead, perfect you in every good work to fulfill His will, working in you what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever!
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