Phlippians 2:12-13
God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. – Philippians 2:12-13
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As we approach Missions Emphasis Sunday, Paul’s words remind us that the Christian life is not passive, but a dynamic partnership with God.
Before Paul exhorts the Philippians to work out their salvation, he points them to Jesus’ example in the Carmen Christi, the song of Christ as recorded in Philippians 2:5-11, as we read yesterday:
• The son of God, Jesus, humbled Himself, becoming a servant.
• He obeyed the Father to the point of death.
• He was exalted and given the name above every name.
As we reflect on how we should live a missional life, we were reminded that our mission flows from this same pattern, humble obedience to God’s will, even at personal cost, with the assurance that God will use such obedience for His glory among the nations.
In the two verses we read today, Apostle Paul was not asking the Philippians to work for their salvation, because they had been justified by faith in Christ. All Christians who have been saved by Jesus’s finished work of justification are to work out their salvation, expressing such new lives in real obedience, by living a life of ongoing sanctification. This process of sanctification is the daily outworking of what God has already worked in us. Other Scriptures echo this call: • “Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election” (2 Peter 1:10). • “Strive… for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
In the context of missions and missional living, this means living a life so marked by Christ’s humility and obedience that others see the reality of the gospel through us.
Dear brothers and sisters, the call to obedience is not a burden we carry alone. God Himself is at work in us:
• He gives us the desire to obey (“I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” Ezek. 36:27).
• He gives us the power to obey (“Apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:5).
This balance between divine empowerment and human responsibility is crucial. True obedience is both God-initiated and humanly expressed.
The theme for Mission Emphasis Sunday this year is: “Only one life, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Working out our salvation means living each day with eternity in view, investing our fleeting hours in what glorifies Christ and advances His mission. Every act of humility, every step of obedience, every word of witness done in Christ will last forever.
Reflection:
• Where is God calling me to “work out” my salvation in obedience, perhaps in relationships, service, or witness?
• Do I live with eternity in mind, or am I distracted by temporary pursuits?
• How might God be prompting me to use my one life for what will last, for Christ and His mission?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself in obedience and were exalted by the Father. Teach me to walk in Your footsteps. Help me work out my salvation with reverence and trust, knowing You are at work in me. May my one life be spent for what truly lasts, for Your glory, Your mission, Your kingdom. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
Click to read
As we approach Missions Emphasis Sunday, Paul’s words remind us that the Christian life is not passive, but a dynamic partnership with God.
Before Paul exhorts the Philippians to work out their salvation, he points them to Jesus’ example in the Carmen Christi, the song of Christ as recorded in Philippians 2:5-11, as we read yesterday:
• The son of God, Jesus, humbled Himself, becoming a servant.
• He obeyed the Father to the point of death.
• He was exalted and given the name above every name.
As we reflect on how we should live a missional life, we were reminded that our mission flows from this same pattern, humble obedience to God’s will, even at personal cost, with the assurance that God will use such obedience for His glory among the nations.
In the two verses we read today, Apostle Paul was not asking the Philippians to work for their salvation, because they had been justified by faith in Christ. All Christians who have been saved by Jesus’s finished work of justification are to work out their salvation, expressing such new lives in real obedience, by living a life of ongoing sanctification. This process of sanctification is the daily outworking of what God has already worked in us. Other Scriptures echo this call: • “Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election” (2 Peter 1:10). • “Strive… for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
In the context of missions and missional living, this means living a life so marked by Christ’s humility and obedience that others see the reality of the gospel through us.
Dear brothers and sisters, the call to obedience is not a burden we carry alone. God Himself is at work in us:
• He gives us the desire to obey (“I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” Ezek. 36:27).
• He gives us the power to obey (“Apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:5).
This balance between divine empowerment and human responsibility is crucial. True obedience is both God-initiated and humanly expressed.
The theme for Mission Emphasis Sunday this year is: “Only one life, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Working out our salvation means living each day with eternity in view, investing our fleeting hours in what glorifies Christ and advances His mission. Every act of humility, every step of obedience, every word of witness done in Christ will last forever.
Reflection:
• Where is God calling me to “work out” my salvation in obedience, perhaps in relationships, service, or witness?
• Do I live with eternity in mind, or am I distracted by temporary pursuits?
• How might God be prompting me to use my one life for what will last, for Christ and His mission?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself in obedience and were exalted by the Father. Teach me to walk in Your footsteps. Help me work out my salvation with reverence and trust, knowing You are at work in me. May my one life be spent for what truly lasts, for Your glory, Your mission, Your kingdom. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.