Philippians 2:9-16 KJV, “(9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10)That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven, and things in earth,and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed , not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings: (15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (16)Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,neither laboured in vain.”
There is a song that says, “Jesus, the most beautiful name that I know. You’re the exalted One. Jesus, You have the power alone. You lift the lonely one, Jesus.” This is the song that came to my mind when I read verses 9-11. Jesus is the name above all names. It is a name that is all powerful. And, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all. And when I think of all these things that He is and so much more, it excites me. Because that is the God the I serve! He is WELL able to provide for ALL my needs. And He IS faithful to complete the work or plans He has started in my life. What an AWESOME God I serve!
Verse 12 the MSG translations says, “What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God.” Now matter where we are, or what we are doing, we must be obedient to God and His Word. Do what you need to do to get the results of deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation in your life. And when you do it, do it with a reverence for God and Hid Word and do it to the BEST of your abilities. Like our Pastor recently preached, when you have done all you can, keep at it and keep ding your best.
Why should we do our best? Verse 13 says basically, for that reason God will put forth His power and operate with a purpose in mind and work His perfect, complete will in your life. He has plan! And, His plan with bring spiritual benefits into your life that are beyond your comprehension. And, His plan will give you hope and a future that His bright and full of His glory.
Verse 14 is probably a verse that we all have needed to hear at one time or another. Do ALL things without murmurings and disputings. We need to quit our grumbling and complain, whether secretly or openly. Quit deliberating, questioning about what is true and what God’s purpose and design is for your life. Sometimes things come our way and we begin to complain and grumble…then we begin to question whether or not God knows what He is doing. The question we may ask ourselves is “WHY?” One thing that I know is that God has a reason for EVERYTHING that we face! He DOES NOT make mistakes. Complaining, grumbling and questioning is not going to make the situations go away…it will not make them magically get better…it only cause more frustration and stress. Which can create a domino effect to cause health problems. So, it not worth it to complain, grumble and question what God is doing in your life. He know what is best…trust Him and everything will work out for good.
Another reason that we don’t complain, grumble and question is like it says in verse 15, That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Or, as the MSG translation says, “ Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.” We need to be a light to those around us. We can’t be that light is we are corrupted attitudes of complain, grumbling and questioning.
Don’t stop obey God and His Word…Apply godly biblical principles to your life, daily…give attention to every little detail of your life and situations that you don’t complain, grumble and question God…and as it says in verse 16, hold forth the Word that brings absolute fullness of life. I found it interesting that the Merriam Webster define hold or hold forth as follows, 1) to have possession or ownership of or have at one's disposal; 2) to have as a mark of distinction; 3) to have or maintain in the grasp; 4) to speak at length about a subject. We need to get into the habit of hiding the Word of God in our hearts. So we can possession and have ownership of it’s promises…let it make the mark of distinction on our lives…and grasp the understanding of who God is, what He can do, and what He has planned for us. And, so that we can speak the Word of to those around us and edify, encourage and build them up. The things of this life will pass away and they will fail us. But as it says in Isaiah 40:8 KJV, “The grass withereth , the flower fadeth : but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Hold onto it and cherish it…for within the pages…within the words that are God-breathed…is life. It brings vibrancy, vitality, soundness, power and passion into our lives.
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