Are We Judging Ourselves To See If We Are In The Faith?

Today, we find ourselves in Paul's letter to the Philippians. Brothers and sisters, as I have searched out the warnings in the New Testament I have come to understand something that is very important. The writer who is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, often greats the group he is writing to with very positive words. However, he then turns to more serious words which make it clear that not all who he is writing to are being obedient.

This is very troubling as so many who are walking at a distance and are lukewarm read the passages of kind words and assume they are for them. This is not necessarily the case. This is especially a problem in our day when ear tickling preachers abound and do not give the warnings to professing believers. Many believers themselves are caught up in the cares of the world which choke them out. Jesus himself told the the Laodiceans, which clearly defines much of the church today which are experiencing plenty :

• 15‘I know your actions, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, “I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don’t need anything.” Yet you don’t realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 
• 18Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so you may be rich, white clothes to wear so your shameful nakedness won’t show, and ointment to put on your eyes so you may see. 
• 19I correct and discipline those whom I love, so be serious and repent! 20Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eati with me. 
• 21To the one who conquers I will give a place to sit with me on my throne, just as I have conquered and have sat down with my Father on his throne.

Please be patient with what I am about to say as it will become more clear as we look past chapter 1 into chapter 2. We now look at Paul's letter to the Philippians. I grew up hearing "6I am convinced of this, that the one who began a good action amongi you will bring it to completion by the Day of the Messiahj Jesus."  But Paul then tells why he said that "7For it is only right for me to think this way about all of you, because you’re constantly on my mind." This is not totally reassuring! It is very sobering as Paul clearly does not teach here that we cannot depart from the faith. Many other passages do appear to teach we can. 

Philippians 1 ISV

1From:a Paul and Timothy, servants of the Messiahb Jesus.

To: All the holy onesc in Philippi, along with their overseersd and ministers,e who are in union with the Messiahf Jesus.

2May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,g be yours!

3I thank my God every time I remember you,h 4always praying joyfully in every one of my prayers for all of you 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 

• 6I am convinced of this, that the one who began a good action amongi you will bring it to completion by the Day of the Messiahj Jesus. 
• 7For it is only right for me to think this way about all of you, because you’re constantly on my mind.k 

Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you are partners with me in this privilege.l 8For God is my witness how much I long for all of you with the compassion that the Messiahm Jesus provides.

9And this is my prayer, that your love will keep on growing more and more with full knowledge and insight, 10so that you may be able to choose what is best and be pure and blameless until the day when the Messiahn returns, 11having been filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Messiaho so that God will be glorified and praised.

Paul says in verse 27"The only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of the Messiah."  In chapter 2 Paul tells this same group, after he makes it sound as if they are secure no matter what:

•   12And so, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I am absent, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 
• 13For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.
•  14Do everything without complaining or arguing 
• 15so that you may be blameless and innocent, God’s children without any faults among a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world 
• 16as you hold firmly to the word of life. 
• Then I will be proud when the Messiahi returnsj that I did not run in vain or work hard in vain.

Paul closes the letter in chapter 4 with "21Greet every saint who is in union with the Messiahi Jesus." I do not trust any human to explain away the verses in the new testament which appear to teach there is a race to finish and that we are not to continue in sin. 

We do not earn our salvation, yet the scriptures warn us about continuing in sin. The New Testament lists certain sins which are continued in as keeping us out of the kingdom of God and sent to the lake of fire. Thus, Paul tells us above that we are to continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.