The Sunday Sermon

Realizing God's Plan In Life (Part Three)

by Archibald T. Robertson

Edited by R.P. Woitowitz Sr.

12 Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed me, not as in my presence only, but nowmuch more in mine absence,so make an end of your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both the will and the deed, even of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmuring and reasonings,

15 That ye may be blameless, and pure, and the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughty and crooked nation, among whom ye shine as blights 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 have labored in vain.

17 Yea, and though I be offered up upon the sacrifice, and service of your faith, I am glad, and rejoice with you all.

18 For the same cause also be ye glad, and rejoice with me.

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians

Chapter 2 Verses 12-18

Perfection in the Midst of Imperfection (verses 15-16)

Paul here expresses his purpose about the Philippians. It is a double purpose, their own highest development and the greatest service to others. The first is a prerequisite to the other, though they can- not be wholly separated. They are to become "blameless and harmless." They are not so in the state of nature and do not easily become so in a state of grace. Certainly none are absolutely free from blame in the eye of God and men can usually find some fault with most of us. But, at any rate, we can give men as little ground as possible to pick flaws in our character. Whimsical critics cannot be satisfied, but we do have to regard the sober judgment of God's people in ethical matters. takes "harmless" to refer to the intrinsic character as in Matthew 10:16 "harmless as doves." The word means literally "unmixed" or "unadulterated" like pure milk or pure wine or unalloyed metal.

In Romans 16:19 Paul says; "I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil," a noble motto for young and old. It is a great mistake to feel that one must know evil by experience in order to appreciate good. An unsullied character a man wants in his wife and the wife equally so in her husband. It is this sheer simplicity of character that is so delightful in children and, par excellence in the "children of God" in the full spiritual import of this term. The children of Israel, when they murmured, were not acting like children of God. Paul here quotes Deuteronomy 32:5 and applies it to the Philippians. The children of Israel were full of blemish, while the Philippians are to be "without blemish" (Ephesians5:27) like the freewill offering (Leviticus. 22:21). The Israelites had themselves become " a crooked and perverse generation." (Matthew 17:17) But the Philippians must not fall to that low level, as they will if they give way to inward discontent. They must exhibit marks of perfection "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." It is an indocile or froward and

so "crooked" (Acts 2:40; I Peter 2:18) generation. The word was used of crooked paths (Luke 3:5) and so of crooked steps and crooked ways. The word "perverse"' means twisted or distorted and is a bolder word like the Scotch '"thrawn" with a twist in the inner nature of mankind. Surely our own generation is not without its moral twist and means many straight men when so many are crooked ("crooks"), twisted out of shape.

Paul changes his figure, but goes on with the same idea, "among whom ye are seen as lights in the world." These are the very people, the twisted and blinded by the darkness of sin, ( John 12:40; Romans 11:7; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:11)who need the light. Jesus is the real light of the world (John 8:12), but the followers of Christ also pass on the torch and so bear light to others (Matthew 5 : 14). Here the Philippians are pictured as " luminaries " ^ rather than as lights in the world of darkness. As the moon and the stars "appear" in the night, so the Christians come out to give light in the darkness. In the dark night of sin the church of Philippi is a lighthouse in the breakers ( Luke 8:16), "holding forth the word of life." The gospel has the principle of life in it John's Gospel unites light and life as descriptive of the Logos (John 1:4) and Christ offers to men "the light of life " (John 8:12). Paul naturally blends the two figures here. One may rightly call it "hypercritical" to change the figure in "holding forth. It is common to personify a luminary as a light-bearer." The figure can be either holding on to the word of life or presenting the word of life. In this latter sense one naturally thinks of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, holding forth the torch of freedom. Every church is a lighthouse in a dark place. The darker the place the more the light is needed. It is sad to see so many churches deserting the downtown districts where they are so much needed. Rescue work must be carried on where sin has done its worst. It is like fighting the plague. Thank God for the men and women who do take the light into the dark corners of our cities.