Paul continues to address the issue of disharmony and disunity among the believers in Philippi. One of the ways in which the disharmony was manifesting itself was through the 'grumbling' and 'disputing' he mentions (v14).
In verse 12, he is speaking to them about the necessity of obedience in 'working out' their salvation 'with fear and trembling.' But, obedience can be complied with in one of two very different ways: 1) Voluntarily; or, 2) Begrudgingly. The truth is, grumbling obedience from a resistant, disputing heart is not the kind of obedience God has in mind.
If God wanted simple obedience, regardless of the condition of our hearts, He'd owe the Pharisees something. No, God wants our obedience to come from a willing heart (cf Ro. 6:17).
The Bible tells us that we are to '...fervently love one another from the heart' (1 Pe. 1:22). That means, that our love for others should be more than compulsory.
In other words, our love for others should not be soiled by a heart that has been soured by grumbling discontentment, opposition, defiance or selfish disputation. For in constant dissatisfaction and complaint flowing from a discontented heart, we are, in reality, arguing with God and registering our complaint with Him -- and that could be dangerous! |
