Working Out to Finish Strong

Do you know anyone who is in good physical shape? They don’t simply stay that way…there is no cruise control; there is maintenance and they work at it. As we continue studying the book of Philippians, JP teaches us how our faith is similar. We are saved by grace in faith through Jesus, and through that grace we are told to exercise our salvation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated. -D.A. Carson

- Work out your salvation trusting that God is at work in you.

- If you go to the gym and do the exact same work out every single time you will not grow. Your faith is no different. You need to work out your salvation past the point of your comfort.

- Jesus did the heavy lifting of your salvation and He will do the heavy lifting of your sanctification.

- What would it look like for you to stretch your faith so that it grows?

- Do you have a “Do I have to?” faith or a “Do I get to?” faith? “Do I get to” is a better way of life.

- Work on serving the word of life, not words of death.

- The Spirit of God inside of you is bigger than your reputation…He can change anyone!

- The complainer is not healthy. There’s almost always something else going on.

- Don’t put a lid on your faith.

- Pour out your life in service with joy to the finish.

- An important aspect of growth as a Christian is service.

- Christianity is a team sport. We are not made or meant to do life alone.

- 2020 has been a difficult year so far, but as Christians, we are going to heaven! And we can represent that reality today as we live out our faith here and now.

MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

- Suggested Scripture study: Philippians 2:12-18; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; Colossians 1:29

- Sermon: The Humility of Jesus

- Sermon: Unified in Opposition