Bible Passage: “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:1-30
I’ll never forget working for my old boss, Matt.
I was working at a homeless shelter in town. Nearly 400 men came each night, and I was a young, naive, and idealistic 22-year-old.
I was searching for drugs that I’d never even seen and enforcing rules with people three times my age.
I wasn’t that good at my job, but Matt was.
I remember marveling at how he could joke with our clients one moment and be a stern disciplinarian the next (breaking up fights, identifying and removing people who were intoxicated or high from our “dry” shelter).
Almost everyone liked him, and everyone did respect him. It was a privilege to work on his team and be a small part of the good work he led us in. I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d been in charge.
This week has been about becoming righteous men. We’ve considered the beauty of righteousness, the astonishing Gospel of Christ’s righteousness becoming ours, and the tensions we must navigate on the journey toward righteousness.
The only fitting place to end is the Gospel.
Men, we are saved by grace alone.
We do have a role to play, not in our salvation, but in our sanctification—we must “throw off everything that hinders,” “make every effort,” and live like “a wise man who built his house upon the rock,” as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Hebrews 12:1; 2 Peter 1:5; Matthew 7:24; Philippians 2:12).
We have a role to play, just as I had a role to play at that homeless shelter.
However, we have more than a good boss. We have a great Savior, the Perfect Physician, and the Contractor of soul and cosmos alike.
Paul goes on to say that it is God who works in us (Philippians 2:13 NIV). More simply, he writes, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Earthly experiences so often unlock the meaning of eternal truths. My boss, Matt, made that shelter run and caught me up in good works, despite my limited skills and experience. I loved being part of his team.
We get to join God’s work to make us righteous men. He is good at being God. Work with Him, but don’t confuse your work with His. Do your part, and let Him do His.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to rest in Your sovereignty and sufficiency. I don’t know how things will change in me or in Your people around the world, but I know You’re up to the task. Take that truth deeper into my life. Give me joy in working with You. Forgive my foolish attempts to take over Your job. Amen
Reflection: Read Philippians 2, and consider what it says about Christ (the perfect man) and about His work to make the Philippians (and us) like Christ. Do you feel fired up to become a more righteous man and take your place in a community of righteous men? Why or why not?
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