God will do it and you’ll think it’s you.

Steve Brown:
God will do it and you’ll think it’s you. Let’s talk, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
That was Steve Brown. He’s an author, seminary professor, and our teacher on Key Life, a program all about God’s radical grace. We’re committed to bringing you Bible teaching that’s honest, straight-forward, and street-smart. Keep listening to hear truth that’ll make you free.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. Wasn’t that time yesterday with Matt Heard good? It was kind of a last minute decision to recognize Advent each Monday. And it was a wise decision. Frankly, it was not mine. That just confused me, but the programming people made that decision, and it turned out to be a good one. And Matt will be in next Monday, too, and also Christmas Eve, as we would deal with the themes having to do with the season. Now, if you’ve been following along, we’re looking at Philippians 2:12 through 13, as a part of our study in Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, the church he loved, the church where in ecclesiastical terms, if he had his letter, it would be here. Philippians 2:11 through 13, Paul writes.

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 own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Now, if you’ve been listening, you are aware that we did an etymological study, of that particular text. And I suggested that if it were me, I would have used the word sanctification, but God didn’t check with me and he uses the word salvation. And I suspect that he does that to make sure that we’re paying attention. You’re saved, but there’s a lot more to it than you’re just saved. Being saved is like being pregnant, either you are or you aren’t. And we want to say, well, that’s it. No, that’s not it. God begins a process in you that began before you were aware of it. And he is working in your life for his goodwill, the apostle Paul says. So, work out your own salvation. Now, if that doesn’t sound like work salvation, you’re not paying attention, but that’s not what Paul is talking about. And we spent a long time, as you know, talking about what he meant and why he was saying it. And then we took some time to examine the particular text, and we’re in the process of doing that now. We have noted the activity and the attitude of the believer, and I mentioned last week not only that, but the animation of the believer in the process of salvation, Philippians 2:12b through 13a.

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act.

God is doing stuff in your life right now to make you better than you were, to bring you closer to him than you’ve ever been, to make you a better Christian than you have ever been, to make you more loving and kind and merciful than you have ever been. And the problem is, you will think it was you. Now, I gave you the principle and I’m going to give it to you again, and I’ve done it often, because it’s so very important. You go ahead and take the first step, that’s what Paul means when he says, work out your own salvation. You take the first step. God will take the second step, and by the time you get to the third step, you will know that it was God who took the first step. You know, the problem is God is doing stuff in us and we think it’s us. And he lets us do that because he doesn’t want us to feel we’re useless. You’ve heard about the pastor and he was playing golf and he hit the ball and duffed it and a bird picked it up and took it to the green, and then a squirrel came up and pushed the ball with his nose into the hole. And the pastor looked up to heaven and said, please, God, Let me do it myself. Well, sometimes God wants us to know that we’re in a partnership with Him. And our actions and our thoughts, the things that we do, those are all a part of that partnership. And it feels like we’re doing it, but we’re not, Paul says.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act.

So, sometimes when you think you’ve done good, be still and remember it was God who did good. Sometimes when you think, how about that? I was faithful. Be still and remember that it was God who was faithful in you. Sometimes when you say, I handled that so well. Be still and remember that it was God who handled that so well. I grew up in a time when teachers were looked at with great respect and awe. And whatever the teacher said, it was right. And woe be unto me if I came home and criticized a teacher to my mother. But I want you to know, one time, I had the worst teacher you can possibly imagine. And she picked on me. I mean, she singled me out for derision. She said things that no teacher ought to say to a student. She called me stupid. And I told my mother, and my mother said, She’s your teacher. That was all. Never brought up again. But my mother, and I didn’t know this until years later, my mother, unbeknownst to me, went to visit the teacher. And my mother could be dangerous. She was in your face. And I don’t know what she told that teacher. She maybe threatened to kill her if she didn’t start treating me better. I doubt my mother would have done that, but it sounded like it. And behind my back, without me knowing it, my mother went to the teacher and they had a come to Jesus talk. And do you know what happened? I didn’t know why, but all of a sudden I became that teacher’s favorite student. I mean, she praised me, she never picked on me again, she never said I was stupid, she said I was brilliant, and I thought, good night, that’s so good! And then years later, I found out it wasn’t me who had changed or the teacher who had changed. It was my mother who intervened, and God’s doing that with you right now, Matthew 14, and I love the passage where Jesus sends his disciples by boat to the other side of the sea. And then Jesus comes walking on the water and Peter says, let me do it. And Jesus says, step out, come to me. And Peter does. And he’s looking at Jesus until he looks at the water and then he starts to sink. Now, that is an awakening because Peter, after he dried off and thought about that situation, said to himself, Jesus allowed me to walk on water, and I thought it was me. And when I thought it was me, I almost drowned. That’s a good lesson for all of us. Let me tell you something that is true, and you can hang your hat on it. We Christians spend so much time worrying about whether we’re doing it right, whether we’re doing enough, whether we’re giving enough, whether we’re witnessing enough, whether we’re merciful enough, whether we’re learning enough. And as a matter of fact, we are. Because as Paul says, God is working in us, and sometimes, and it’s okay to say I’ve done good, but don’t fixate on that. Remember that behind your doing good is a gracious and kind God who is working His will and His way in your life. Now, I don’t know about you, but once I realize it and the preacher preaches to himself more than anybody else. And so, as I’ve told you about this truth that is so important, I have applied it to myself. And frankly, I feel a lot better. I may not be good, but he’s there. I may not be wonderful, but he is. He’s working in even me in wonderful ways in my life. And he’s doing that for you, too. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thanks Steve. How great was that story about Steve and the teacher? Thank God for Mama’s. In case you didn’t know, we are journeying through the Book of Philippians and specifically examining Philippians 2:11 through 13 with a little side road into Matthew 14 at no extra charge. More to discover tomorrow. Do join us. Have you noticed Christmas changes everything? In his Incarnation, Jesus entered our time and space and nothing has been the same since. If you have questions about life, your purpose, even about God himself, there are real answers. All because of what happened there in Bethlehem so long ago. Steve wrote about all this in a powerful book called If Jesus Has Come. And for a donation of $15 or more to Key Life, that book is our gift to you. Just call us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to order that book. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can now give safely and securely through text. Just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.