Faith When No One is Watching, Philippians 2:12-18; Part 7.

Demonstrating faith when no one’s watching does not come naturally. Mark suggests that this might be a test of whether our faith is genuine.

Christian Parents and the Allure of The World

Welcome to Part 7 of our series exploring Paul’s epistle to the church in Philippi. This episode is titled Faith When No One’s Watching. I’ll begin by reading Philippians 2:12–18 from the New Living Translation.

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

A Christian parent’s hope is that their influence outweighs the allure of the world, that their children, even when out of sight, will live with the integrity they’ve been taught. No God-fearing parent wants the saying, “when the cat’s away, the mice will play,” to define their home. In other words, the desire is that children won’t abandon biblical values in their parents’ absence but instead live out the principles they’ve embraced as their own.

Paul’s Spiritual Children

Paul hoped the same for his spiritual children in Philippi, that their identity in Christ was their own and not only when he was present. Every believer in Christ needs to examine their own character and think, “if I find myself only walking the walk and talking the talk at church or switch to a higher standard only when I’m around my godly peers, then I really need to ask myself, “is my faith real?””

John 17:3 Jesus said that genuine salvation is

“knowing God, the only true God and Jesus Christ.”

This means having a relationship with the Lord, walking with Him through your day, recognizing that He is ever present. This is faith that is genuine and consistent.

Paul emphasizes the importance of our conduct; that our mannerisms and obedience to the Lord is to be woven into our character – that we may be, as Paul put it,

“shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

Good Works

I get the impression that evangelical Christian teachings, steer away from using the term ‘good works.’ Are we fearful that it might be misinterpreted as “works based salvation?”

The concern is legitimate as there are many groups that claim Christianity and believe that there is ‘something’ that needs to be done to earn God’s favor. It’s so important that we must often teach a clear message of the Good News of God’s salvation, by grace, through faith, that it is not earned by any merit of our own.

At the same time, we cannot shy away from the truth that followers of Christ are called to live a life that reflects the salvation we have so undeservedly received, and that involves doing good works, it’s evidence of our faith.

The Importance of Good Works

Here are three verses that highlight the importance of good works in the daily lives of those who follow Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. James 2:26

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16

Although Paul encourages believers to have a heart for doing good in works, attitude and conduct, he also points out in verse 13 that the true backbone to any good we do is sourced from the Lord and not from ourselves;

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Salvation is a Gift of Grace

If we believe that our salvation is only possible by His gift of grace, why should we think that any good we could ever do that is pleasing to Him, can be generated from our own efforts?

Is the good we do as believers truly our own—or is it the Lord working through us? Could it be that some of what we offer to God, while well-intentioned, isn’t actually aligned with His purpose for us? At times, we may find ourselves pouring energy into ministry that bears little fruit, wondering if we’re spinning our wheels in a direction He never called us to.

A vital part of spiritual growth is learning to align our hearts with His will, to make His desires our own. The Christian Walk wasn’t meant to be a series of crossroads where we constantly choose our own way, but rather a set of train tracks: our will and God’s running side-by-side, step-by-step, moving in the same direction with unity and purpose.

Paul’s Model

Paul modeled a life fully surrendered to the Lord, one of sacrifice and submission, with God firmly in the captain’s seat, steering according to His will and pleasure. If the time had come for Paul to depart this world through suffering for Christ’s sake, he viewed himself as a drink offering, poured out in service and devotion, much like the Old Testament sacrifices offered to God. He also regarded the faithful service of the believers in Philippi as a pleasing offering to the Lord; lives willingly given over to fulfill His purpose.

For some, spiritual maturity becomes evident as serving the Lord shifts from being a burden to becoming a joy. This transformation often unfolds gradually, as we learn to yield more fully to the Spirit of God and lay aside our self-will.

Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. Philippians 3:15

Honest Self-Examination

If we find ourselves feeling out of step, it may be time to pause for honest self-examination. When our walk doesn’t align with those who are mature in the faith, we would do well to echo Paul’s prayer:

“Lord, make it plain.”

Paul longed to see the believers in Philippi united, sharing the joy that comes from living out a sincere and steadfast faith. A faith marked by integrity, whether we stand alone or among many.

So, let me ask: Is your faith truly your own?

Do you walk in faith? Who is your model? We would to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.