Joyful Living Devotional - Day 21
Day 21 – Obedience That Is Reflected in Community
Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT) 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Paul, as a spiritual father to the Philippians, reminds them of their obedience to the Lord's instructions, especially when he was with them in Philippi. This theme of obedience appears in several of Paul’s letters. He wrote to the church in Thessalonica: “3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 (NIV)
The same is true in his letter to the church in Rome: “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Romans 16:19 (NIV). He similarly encourages Philemon in Philemon 1:21 (NIV): “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.”
Paul doesn’t want their obedience to be something that happens only when he is present. He wants them to truly demonstrate what Christ has done in their lives as they live out their obedience to Him, and even more so in Paul’s absence. He might not be with them, but Jesus is. This shows the results of being a true follower of Jesus. He just gave them the greatest example of humility when he wrote the “Hymn of Christ,” and we need to see the obedience he calls for in this context. It remains within the context of unity and wholehearted agreement in Christ’s love for one another. The NIV translation renders Philippians 2:12-13 as follows: “12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
The application is twofold. First, we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us because God is already at work in us, and the evidence is a church united in purpose. Second, we work out our salvation through personal commitment. However, we cannot separate our spiritual growth from growing together in the unity of the community. All our personal growth must be reflected in how we embrace, connect with, and work for the good of others within the Body of Christ. We have somehow misplaced the energy and effort required to be united in Christ, prioritizing what is good for me and my spiritual growth over the good of the spiritual community.
Our personal growth is essential, and we need to be committed to growing in Christ with fear and trembling. But we also need to ask whether we are committed to a local family of believers. Fear and trembling are not cringing or cowardice, but an acknowledgment that we cannot make any spiritual progress without the Holy Spirit’s direct work in our lives. We cannot grow without God working in us. Paul reminds us, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). Why trembling? Again, not a fear that makes us want to run, but the opposite. Because we want to please God, we want to make sure that nothing we do displeases Him. The Lord is pleased when His kids not only get along but also have a deep sense of love and honor for one another.
You cannot practice love without a community to love. Learning to love and practice grace absolutely starts with your own natural family, but that is the beginning of our learning, not the end. You are part of a much bigger spiritual body, and the way you relate to the Body of Christ reflects how well you truly understand Jesus as our example of humility and grace. How hard are you willing to work for the Christ community you are placed in?
We know we are saved by grace and kept by grace. Thank God for His grace! We are also called to display the grace we have received. We do not work to receive grace; that wouldn’t be grace. We do, however, have to work hard to show that we have experienced God’s grace. James encourages all believers to have a faith that is evident in our actions.
James 2:14-17 (NLT) 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
– A.W. Tozer
How much effort do you put into living out your faith by looking to Jesus as your example within the community God has called you to?
Prayer:
Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT) 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Paul, as a spiritual father to the Philippians, reminds them of their obedience to the Lord's instructions, especially when he was with them in Philippi. This theme of obedience appears in several of Paul’s letters. He wrote to the church in Thessalonica: “3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 (NIV)
The same is true in his letter to the church in Rome: “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Romans 16:19 (NIV). He similarly encourages Philemon in Philemon 1:21 (NIV): “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.”
Paul doesn’t want their obedience to be something that happens only when he is present. He wants them to truly demonstrate what Christ has done in their lives as they live out their obedience to Him, and even more so in Paul’s absence. He might not be with them, but Jesus is. This shows the results of being a true follower of Jesus. He just gave them the greatest example of humility when he wrote the “Hymn of Christ,” and we need to see the obedience he calls for in this context. It remains within the context of unity and wholehearted agreement in Christ’s love for one another. The NIV translation renders Philippians 2:12-13 as follows: “12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
The application is twofold. First, we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us because God is already at work in us, and the evidence is a church united in purpose. Second, we work out our salvation through personal commitment. However, we cannot separate our spiritual growth from growing together in the unity of the community. All our personal growth must be reflected in how we embrace, connect with, and work for the good of others within the Body of Christ. We have somehow misplaced the energy and effort required to be united in Christ, prioritizing what is good for me and my spiritual growth over the good of the spiritual community.
Our personal growth is essential, and we need to be committed to growing in Christ with fear and trembling. But we also need to ask whether we are committed to a local family of believers. Fear and trembling are not cringing or cowardice, but an acknowledgment that we cannot make any spiritual progress without the Holy Spirit’s direct work in our lives. We cannot grow without God working in us. Paul reminds us, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). Why trembling? Again, not a fear that makes us want to run, but the opposite. Because we want to please God, we want to make sure that nothing we do displeases Him. The Lord is pleased when His kids not only get along but also have a deep sense of love and honor for one another.
You cannot practice love without a community to love. Learning to love and practice grace absolutely starts with your own natural family, but that is the beginning of our learning, not the end. You are part of a much bigger spiritual body, and the way you relate to the Body of Christ reflects how well you truly understand Jesus as our example of humility and grace. How hard are you willing to work for the Christ community you are placed in?
We know we are saved by grace and kept by grace. Thank God for His grace! We are also called to display the grace we have received. We do not work to receive grace; that wouldn’t be grace. We do, however, have to work hard to show that we have experienced God’s grace. James encourages all believers to have a faith that is evident in our actions.
James 2:14-17 (NLT) 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
– A.W. Tozer
How much effort do you put into living out your faith by looking to Jesus as your example within the community God has called you to?
Prayer:
- Begin by thanking the Lord that He is working in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Ask the Lord to help you continually look to Jesus as your example for how to function within the community He has called you to.
- Pray so that your life will draw others to Christ and that you will be an instrument to demonstrate His love to others.
- Pray for the knowledge to plan for growth, the wisdom to pursue it, and the strength to finish it.
Posted in Joyful Living Devotional