Vers, 12, 13.- W7mt should be the result of Christ's example 1 I. OBEDIENCE. 1. Christ became obedient even unto death. The Philippians have hitherto been obedient; they were obedient when the apostle called them to faith and repentance; let them be obedient now. 2. That obedience is due to God who seeth the heart. We must not depend too much on human teachers, whether present or absent; we must look to the unsE1E'n Saviour who is ever present, and work out, each one for himself, our own salvation. 11 EARNEST EFFORT TO SA v !: OUR SOULS. 1. Because our salvation was the end of <Jhrist'a humiliation. He came into the world to save sinners. 'l'be greatness of his self-sacrifice shows the momentous importance of the object for which he hurublPd himself. The cross of Christ throws a bright light on the tremendous alternative-lifo or death, salvation or damnation. 2. Because if salvation is lost, all is lost. The woril 110,.-71pl11 means simply safety-safety from anything that may harm us, from danger, sickness, death. lu Holy Scripture it means tlrn safety of the soul, (l) from siu, which is the sickness of the soul; (2) from dealh, the death of the soul, which is eternal death. It is a precious word, for it points to unspeakable blessedness; an awful worJ, for it suggests e. fearful alternative. It reminds us of that condemnation, that horror <Df eternal despair, which must be the portion of the lost. That great danger threatens us; wo need to be saved from it, and therefore from sin. 3. Because our salvation must be wrought out by ourselves: no other man can do it for us. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Saviour; he is the Alpha and the Omega., the B,·ginning 1\11•1 the ~nu, "By i;raco yo a1·e save<l, .•. and thut not of yoursolves; it is the gift of GoJ." THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [on. n. 1-30.
Our sah'ation ie the work of God. But there are two sides to the sBmo grel\t truth. It i8 his work, Bnd yet it is ours. Both views of the one truth are presented to us in Holr Scripture. Both are true; they meet somewhere above our hel\ds. Now wo know in part; our standpoint is not high enough to command a connected view of all God's dealings with men. But we can see far enough to guide us on our way to heaven; we know enough for the needs of the Chri8tian life. We know that Christ is our only Saviour; he came into the world to save sinners; he died for all. But Holy Scrip~ure bids us to car~ out the_work of ~alvation in _our own souls, to complete it, workmg from t_he cross, 1n the faith of Christ. There 1s need of persevering energy. Others may gmde, c.omfort, exhort; but each man must work out his own salvation for himself in the depths of his spirit,-it cannot be done by deputy. We must work for God bi<.is us ; we must work, for we have an irresistible consciousness of power t~ choose the good and to avoid the evil. But we must trust wholly in Christ. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. It is he that saves us, not we ourselves. III. A. TBEIIBLING .U.AIETY TO PLEASE Goo. 1. If we are in earnest, the1·e must somdimes be fear and trembling in our religious life. The work is so very momentous; it is no matter for ina.ifference or lukewarmness. We must pass the time of our sojourning here in fear, for we were "redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ." The greatness of the ransom shows the greatness of the danger. We must pray for i::rnce to serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for true religion involves a deep, a\\·ful reverence for the majesty of God. Reverence is an essential element in true holiness. "Hallowed be thy Name" is the first petition in the prayer which the Lord himselr hath taught us; and with reverence must be mingled holy fear-the fear of undue familiarity intruding itself into our solemn worship; the fear of displeasing God who will jud.!!;e us, who gave his blessed Son to die for us, by unfaithfulness in our daily lives. 2. The ground both/or fear and for encour01Jement. God worketh in us. It is a ground for fear; for if it is God that worketh in us, then to take part with the flesh is to strive against the Most Higl:., to resist the Holy Ghost--& most awful danger. And it is a ground for encouragement; for if it is God that bath begun the good work ·"·ithln us, we may be confident that be will carry it on. His strength, if only we persevere, will be made perfect in our weakness. Man can do nothing without God, and God wiU do nothing without man. He bids us work out our own salvation, because he worketh in us both to will and to do. Holy desires and just works alike proceed from him. Yet, though he willeth that all men should be saved, all a.re not saven ; for they will not come unto him that they might have life. The problem is insoluble in theory; it is solved in the religious life. If we live in the faith of the Son of God, the very sense of entire dependence upon him will urge us to work out to the end the salvation which he bath wrought for us by his precious blood-shedding, which he is working within us by the gift of his Holy Spirit. LEssoNs. 1. You work hard in your outward calling; work hard in your religiou11 life. 2. The alternatives at issue are of stupendous moment; work with fear and trembling. 3. But remember, Christ died for you, God worketh in you. Work from the cross ; trust in God, not in your own efforts, however earnest. Vers. 14-18.-The salvatum of t/,e Philippians the apostle's joy. I. THErn OBEDIENCE HUST BE THE READY OBEDIENCE OF LOVE. Christ died for them, God worketh within them. They have the great gift of reconciliation with God through tLe precious blood of Christ; they have the indwelling presence of God the Holy Ghost. 'l'berefore : 1. It is their duty to be cheer/ul, to render to God a loving service. A Gl:.rutian who knows that the Son of God loved him and gave himself for him, has no right to be gloomy and melancholy. There must be no murmurings. 'fhe Christian life is a pilgrimage, like the journey of the Israelites_ fro~ the ~ouse of bondage to_ the promised land, but we mUBt not resemble the Israelites m their conBlant murmunngs aga.iru;t God. Do all things, each duty as it comes, without murmuring. Have a sLeadfast faith in God as your Father, "who maketh all things work together for good to them that love him;" and in the trustful spirit of a loving faith learn to say, •· Thy will be done." Neither should there be doubtings in the Christian life. 'l'ho intellect, a.swell as the will, must submit itself. Our knowledge is imperfect, our n,~nia.l reach is limited; we can see only a very little way into the mysteries of the Ott. II. 1-30.] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS.