Philippians 2:12-16 (NIV)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Paul is not worried about his legacy here. He is concerned about the Philippians’ security. Our model as Christians is and always has been Jesus, his self-sacrificing love for us that He demonstrated from the moment He became flesh to the moment He ascended into heaven. It is not an unattainable standard, but it is one that can only be attained with diligence and with God’s help.
The part the Philippians had to play in this was to imitate the willing obedience of Jesus to God’s every command. Jesus had to do many things that were hard, and many things that were unpopular, and that put him directly at odds with the power structures of his day, both religious and civic. And He had to do many things that were physically and emotionally taxing. But in every case, He did them without grumbling and arguing. He knew what God wanted him to do, and He did it, as simple as that. Paul is urging that same level of submission an obedience on the Philippians.
That kind of obedience and holiness would cause the lives of the Philippian believers to stand out strongly in the sinful pagan world in which they were living, a contrast that Paul draws as brilliant stars shining in the midst of a pitch black night sky, visible to everyone . (Matthew 5:14-16)
Their light would draw others to Jesus through them and it would also reassure Paul that their faith really was real, deep, and that it would be lasting. As Jesus pointed out, only a good tree will produce truly good fruit! (Matthew 7:16-20)
Father, how easy it is to forget that the quality of our lives as professed Christians will either confirm our identification or show that it is untrue. A life full of grumbling and complaining, of grudging obedience and often willful disobedience, so unlike Jesus, shows that we are not in relationship with him regardless of what we profess. But a life of diligent obedience, immediate compliance with Your will, and glad alignment with Your purposes really does stand out in our own sinful pagan world, glorifying You and shining a powerful light onto the way to Jesus. Lord, help us to live that kind of life every moment, every day from now on. Amen.