Pure and Blameless for the day of Christ
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
”so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” (Philippians 1:10, ESV)
Last week we seen that the prayer Paul prays with “joy” (v 4, 9) is a prayer that our love will abound more and more - but this love is not some gushy feeling it is “love with knowledge and all discernment.” In other words, Paul prays that they will not receive any corrupted doctrine under the pretense of love. (1)
How can they “approve what is excellent” without “love that is guided by knowledge and all discernment.” The answer is they can’t. Love, knowledge and discernment is required for every believer in Christ. The world wants you to have no discernment or knowledge they want you to have love without “strings” and this is not Christian love - instead it is some kind of hippie love.
The Greek word for approve here is Dokimazo - which means (1) as making an examination, put to the test, examine, prove (by testing) (Luke 14.19); as testing or proving the will of God prove (Rom 12.2); as testing oneself by self-examination test, examine (2 Cor 13.5); as being aware of the progress of history test (the times) (Luke 12.56); (2) as accepting the result of an examination of a person regard as approved, consider qualified, approve (1 Cor 16.3); as accepting the result of examination of a thing think of as valuable or worthwhile (Rom 1.28). (2)
“So that you may approve what is excellent” - This is a man who “puts to the test” the things that are excellent. Because he has the Spirit of God living in him, he not only has the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, godly and ungodly, but also actually chooses the things that are of God. He distinguishes and then he chooses, he has knowledge and discernment as his love abounds more and more and he does this with a view to being “pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
To “be pure and blameless” gives us the image of precious metal from which the dross has been removed, unmixed and without alloy. Only fire produces these kind of results and therefore and as we have seen before, the Lord allows trials and tests [Greek word peirasmois - God’s examination of man (4)] to come into His childrens lives (putting them into the fire) for the purpose of purifying their faith:
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4, ESV)
We are to count all of our trials with joy and we should not be surprised when they come as though some strange thing was happening to us.
” Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12, ESV)
As a believer in Christ we are either growing in grace and truth or we are under the discipline of the Lord.
“In other words be made pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” The picture is that of arriving at one’s destination uninjured by any obstacles in the road, not worthy of blame, blameless (the word is also used in Acts 24:16 and 1 Cor. 10:32). (3)
“So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” (Acts 24:16, ESV)
“Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:32, ESV)
The prayer, then, is that the Philippians, their faculties having been trained to prefer the good to the evil, and the essential to the trivial (cf. Heb. 5:14), may be pure and blameless with a view to the day of Christ. (3)
“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14, ESV)
For the expression “the day of Christ” refer to the sermon on verse 6. Their whole life must be a preparation for that great day, for it is then that the true character of every man’s life will be revealed (1 Cor. 3:10–15), and everyone will be judged according to his work (Dan. 7:10; Mal. 3:16; Matt. 25:31–46; Luke 12:3; I Cor. 4:5; Rev. 20:12). (3)
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, ESV)
“A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:10, ESV)
” Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.” (Malachi 3:16, ESV)
” “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”” (Matthew 25:31-46, ESV)
“Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:3, ESV)
“Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5, ESV)
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” (Revelation 20:12, ESV)
All Sermons in the Series “Life of Joy in Christ - A Study of Philippians”
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1. Chrysostom*: “He prays that they will not receive any corrupted doctrine under the pretense of love.” Homily on Philippians 3.1.8-11. ?17? [Edwards, M. J.: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 1999 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 8), S. 221]
*John Chrysostom (344/354-407; fl. 386-407). Bishop of Constantinople who was noted for his orthodoxy, his eloquence and his attacks on Christian laxity in high places. [ACCS Introduction and Bibliographic Information. Downers Grove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 2005 (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture)]
2. Friberg, Timothy ; Friberg, Barbara ; Miller, Neva F.: Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Books, 2000 (Baker’s Greek New Testament Library 4), S. 119
3. Hendriksen, William ; Kistemaker, Simon J.: New Testament Commentary : Exposition of Philippians. Grand Rapids : Baker Book House, 1953-2001 (New Testament Commentary 5), S. 60
4. Friberg, Timothy ; Friberg, Barbara ; Miller, Neva F.: Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Books, 2000 (Baker’s Greek New Testament Library 4), S. 305
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