Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Philippians 2:5-18
Set – Philippians 2-3
Go! – Philippians 1-4
Philippians 2:5-18
5 In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember:
6 Though He was in the form of God,
He chose not to cling to equality with God;
7 But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new;
a servant in form
and a man indeed.
The very likeness of humanity,
8 He humbled Himself,
obedient to death—
a merciless death on the cross!
9 So God raised Him up to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all.
10 So when His name is called,
every knee will bow,
in heaven, on earth, and below.
11 And every tongue will confess
“Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”
to the glory of God our Father!
12 So now, my beloved, obey as you have always done, not only when I am with you, but even more so when I can’t be. Continue to work out your salvation, with great fear and trembling, 13 because God is energizing you so that you will desire and do what always pleases Him.
14 Do all things without complaining or bickering with each other, 15 so you will be found innocent and blameless; you are God’s children called to live without a single stain on your reputations among this perverted and crooked generation. Shine like stars across the land. 16 Cling to the word of life so that on the day of judgment when the Anointed One returns I may have reason to rejoice, because it will be plain that I didn’t turn from His mission nor did I work in vain. 17 Even if my lifeblood is to be poured out like wine as a sacrifice of your faith, I have great reason to celebrate with all of you. 18 And for the same reason, you can be glad and celebrate with me.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Paul inserted the words of a hymn the early Christians sang as they gathered together for worship. They wanted to remember who I am and why I came to live alongside you. It’s a good hymn. It tells the story of My departure from heaven to be with you. It tells of My death and resurrection and intercession for you at the right hand of the Father. But Paul doesn’t stop with the short hymn. He lets the Philippians and you know your responsibility because of the truth of they hymn those early Christians passed on to you.
Paul says, “Continue to work out your salvation, with great fear and trembling, because God is energizing you so that you will desire and do what always pleases Him.”
That doesn’t mean good works will get you to heaven, but James also reminds you that faith without a demonstration of your faith by good works is dead. Paul tells you often it is by faith you are saved so that none may boast. I told you that all who believe in Me will not perish but will have eternal life. So it’s faith that gets you to heaven, but your good works demonstrate the faith you have in Me. The demonstration comes not because of duty, but because of love. Love for Me and love for your brothers and sisters in My kingdom.
That’s also why in the next breath Paul says do everything for Me without complaining. If you do good works for Me out of duty, you’ll begin to complain. You can’t keep it up without grumbling. Just look at the history of the Israelites. They couldn’t help but grumble when they followed Me out of duty. It takes love to continuously do good works without grumbling. And until My love lives in you, you can’t please Me. You can’t live the life I want you to live. You can’t do the good works I have for you.
So work out your salvation. It requires faith first, but I created you to work. I didn’t create you to just sit around. I intend for you to do good works so that all may understand that I am a God of love and grace and mercy. You are the instrument of those attributes when you give yourself fully to Me. Never forget everything starts with faith. Without it you can’t begin to please Me, but then do what I ask of you, and I will ask you to good works for Me, because it pleases Me.
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