JULY 24

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES:

NAMES FOR GOD:

EL SIMCHATH GILI—GOD OF MY EXCEEDING JOY

ELOHIM TSBAOTH—GOD OF HOSTS (ARMIES)

ELOHE TISHUATHI—GOD OF MY SALVATION

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This month we will read the book, “Whatever Happens – How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the World is Falling Apart.”  By a contemporary author of many best-selling Christian books, Robert J. Morgan.  He took care of his wife when she had MS, until she went home to her Savior.  “He knows of which he speaks.”  I pray that this book blesses you.

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Philippians 2:12-13

“Therefore, my beloved, as you 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;  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

WHATEVER HAPPENS …….WORK OUT WHAT GOD WORKS IN

This year I replaced old carpet in my house.  When the installers came, they pulled me aside and showed me a wet spot on the floor.  “You must have a leak,” they said.  “It’s coming from the heating and air -conditioning unit.”

I called the heating people, who came out and inspected the problem.  “it’s not us,” they said.  “It’s from the pipes from the bathroom.   You’ll have to call a plumber.”   I called the plumbing company and the young man came out and said, “Yes, I can fix the problem.  But you’d better sit down while I give you the estimate.”

It wasn’t a cheap repair, and it wasn’t in a noticeable spot, in a utility closet behind a bunch of pipes and ductwork.  But there, in the corner of a dark closet, was a serious problem that needed fixing.

We need interior maintenance too.,

On the outside things may seem glamorous and glorious, but inside us, a leak in a closet or a short circuit in the wiring awaits repair.  I can recommend a divine plumber, a flawless electrician, an unseen handyman who delights in working in the interior of our lives.  Paul addressed this in Philippians 2:12-13 (Our verse for today).

If we have the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit electrifying us, then we should be more concerned for other people than we are for ourselves.

Take Jesus Christ as an example.  Though He was in his every essence God, He didn’t cling to His position when it came to meeting our needs.  We should follow his example in humility and work out in real life what He is working into us day by day.

This doesn’t mean we can work FOR our salvation, but we can work OUT our salvation.  We can WORK OUT what God is working into us.  Let’s look at the two sides of this.

GOD IS WORKING INSIDE YOU

If you’re a follower of Christ, God is working inside you.  The Greek here is “energeo,” from which we get our word “energy.”  God is working within you with His divine energy.  I want to talk about six New Testament passages that tell how the Lord operates in the interior of our lives: 

Philippians 1:6

Colossians 1:29

2 Thessalonians 2:13

1 Thessalonians 2:13

Hebrews 13:20-21

Ephesians 3:20-21

First, GOD WORKS INSIDE US FROM THE DAY WE RESPOND TO THE GOSPEL.  For the Philippians, that went back to the day Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy arrived in northeastern Greece and began preaching the gospel.  Remember Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Lydia became Paul’s first known convert in Europe and the first person to receive Christ in Philippi.  The Bible says, “the Lord opened her heart to respond” to the message (Acts 1:14).  The Lord began doing a good work in that city, and He began doing a good work in her life.

The moment the Lord opens your heart, He begins doing something good, something positive, in your life.  He begins to change you from the inside out.

Second, GOD WORKS INSIDE US WITH ALL THE ENERGY OF CHRIST.

In Colossians 1:29, Paul said, “I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”  We can too!

God’s power isn’t a triple-A battery.  It’s a billion kilowatts.  He works powerfully with all the infinite energy of Christ.  John Piper said, “God is always doing ten thousand things in your life and you may be aware of only three of them.”

This is another way of talking about enthusiasm, which is a word from the Greek.  The root word is “en” (within) plus “theos” (God).  It means God  within us –His energy working powerfully within us.  Let me show you some more verses about serving God enthusiastically:

Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically (Romans 12:11)

Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people (Ephesians 6:7)

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

This enthusiasm isn’t something we work up.  We’re not talking about human zeal, but about the energy of God within us.  It’s what gives us strength, joy,  perseverance, and effectiveness.  How does He do this?

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