Shining as Stars
Philippians 2:12-15
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. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
There are mysteries in the Christian faith that, at first, we stubbornly resist. Then grow to reluctantly accept, and finally, to delight in. The apostle Paul is our inspired teacher, revealing to us the mystery of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, especially in this classic New Testament text on sanctification. Here is the paradigm:
“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (our part) for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his purpose (God’s part)."
The Bible does not explain everything for our intellectual satisfaction, but it explains everything necessary for our faithful obedience. A young woman asked the great preacher Charles Spurgeon if it was possible to reconcile God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. “Young woman, you don’t reconcile friends.” What would make them opponents and contradictory is the world’s definition of man’s freedom as autonomy. If you have ever read Francis Schaeffer, freedom’s definition is central in his writings. Autonomy means man can do whatever he wants without being judged by the personal, infinite God of the Bible. Scripture tells us that our freedom is limited by God’s freedom which is sovereign. J. Edwards defined man’s freedom this way: we choose what seems best to us. Think of how our sin limits what seems best.
In our passage we learn God works in us (inclines our heart), and we work out (express in thought-word-deed) the holiness to which God inclines our heart. It might seem that God is the author and we are the finishers of sanctification. However, if God left the finishing to us, it would never be finished! God is as sovereign in your sanctification as in your regeneration.1 Paul tells us this truth is necessary for us to shine as stars. The sovereign grace of God in the gospel changes us as the indwelling Spirit of Christ grows us in the obedience of faith. The context of shining as stars is the imitation of Christ’s humility and obedience (Phil 2:1-11).
When does a Christian resemble a shining star in the midst of a warped and crooked generation? Verse 14 tells us when he “does everything (not just some things) without complaining or arguing.”
The story is told of a man who joined a monastery to become a monk and took a vow of silence. Only at the end of each year was he allowed to say two words to the head monk. “Food cold,” he said at the end of year one. Then at the end of the second year he said, “Bed hard.” Finally, after three years of silence he said, “I quit!” Then the head monk looked at him and said, “Good, you’ve done nothing but complain since you got here!”
We live in a society that constantly bombards us with bad news. I heard a sermon one time that conjugated the various types of complainers. The whiner: “It’s not fair. She gets all the breaks!” The martyr: “No one appreciates me!” The cynic: “nothing ever changes. It’s no use. Why bother trying?” The perfectionist: “Is that all you can do?” In these mad times we are in, it is easy to complain and argue. However, our mission is to shine as stars in the darkness.
The answer is the cross. The cross shuts down all complaining. My pride wants to say, “I deserve better than this! What is wrong with you?” But the cross says, “No, look at your Savior on the cross. This is what you really deserve (Hell itself!) but because of Jesus Christ you and I have received far better than we could ever dream: union with Christ, the forgiveness of sins, the gift of eternal life. So, what would happen in your life if all the complaining (whining, martyrdom, cynicism, perfectionism) and arguing would stop right now? You would shine at home, shine at work, shine at Church and shine in all your relationships. Isaac Watts tells us how:
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
1 Dr. Gerstner