A Living Sacrifice: Poured Out for God

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 5 - Tuesday 

A Living Sacrifice 

Scripture: Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6; Romans 12:1, 2; and 1 Corinthians 11:1.

Across these passages, Paul uses the imagery of sacrifice and imitation to describe what faithful Christian living looks like—both for himself and for believers.

In Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6, Paul portrays his own life as a drink offering being poured out. He understands his ministry, suffering, and even impending death as an act of worship offered to God for the sake of others. His focus is not loss, but joy and faithfulness—he has given himself fully to God’s service.

Just as a drink offering in the Old Testament was poured out entirely on the altar as an act of worship, Paul sees his life—his work, his struggles, and even his suffering—as fully given to God for the benefit of others. His joy is not in comfort or safety, but in knowing that his efforts advance the gospel and bless the believers he serves. This imagery shows that true Christian service often involves risk, hardship, and personal cost, yet it is offered willingly as an act of worship, reflecting a heart wholly committed to God.

In Romans 12:1–2, Paul turns this same sacrificial idea toward all believers. He urges them to present their entire lives as living sacrifices—holy, pleasing to God—by resisting conformity to the world and allowing God to transform their minds. Worship, for Paul, is not confined to ritual; it is embodied in daily, obedient living.

Finally, in 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul calls believers to imitate him as he imitates Christ. His sacrificial life is not self-exalting but exemplary—meant to point others to Jesus’ self-giving love.

Taken together, Paul is saying this: the Christian life is a life poured out for God and others, shaped by Christ’s example, transformed in mind and character, and offered continually as an act of worship.

Reflection: God calls us not just to believe in Him, but to live for Him completely. Being a “living sacrifice” means giving every part of ourselves—our time, our choices, our dreams, even our struggles—into His hands. Unlike an offering that is consumed once, this is an ongoing act of devotion, renewed daily.

When we truly live this way, our minds begin to be transformed. We stop conforming to the world’s ways—its selfishness, its values, its distractions—and start seeing life through God’s perspective. Our actions reflect His love, our words bring encouragement, and even our hardships can become worship when offered to Him.

The more we live as sacrifices, the more our commitment to Jesus becomes visible in everything we do. It’s a faith that moves from our lips to our lifestyle—a life poured out in gratitude and obedience.

Reflection Question: What part of your life is hardest to surrender to God? How would letting Him take it change the way you live today?

Prayer:
Lord, help me to live as a sacrifice pleasing to You. Transform my heart and mind, and guide my actions so that everything I do reflects Your love. Teach me to give You not just my words, but my whole life. Amen.

Light in a Dark World: Shining Where It’s Darkest

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 5 - Monday 

Light in a Dark World

Philippians 2:15–16

Paul’s words in Philippians 2:15–16 paint a vivid picture of the Christian calling. He describes the children of God as living in the midst of a “crooked and perverse generation,” yet not shaped by it. Instead of blending in, believers are to stand out through the quiet integrity of their lives. To be blameless is not to be sinless, but to live in such a way that no legitimate accusation can be made against one’s character. To be harmless is to be pure and unmixed, free from the corrupting influences that dominate the world around us.

In this dark setting, Paul says that God’s children are to “shine as lights in the world.” Light does not argue with darkness; it simply reveals what is true by being present. In the same way, the believer’s life—shaped by humility, obedience, and love—becomes a testimony to the transforming power of God. This shining is not self-generated. Earlier in the chapter Paul reminds us that it is God who works in us “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Our role is to live out, day by day, what God is already working within us.

Paul also explains how we shine: by “holding fast the word of life.” The Word of God anchors the believer in truth and fuels the light that others see. In a culture confused about meaning, morality, and hope, faithfulness to God’s Word gives clarity and direction. As believers cling to the gospel—not only believing it, but living it—they become visible signs of life in a world marked by spiritual death.

This passage calls every child of God to examine not how loudly they speak, but how faithfully they live. A life shaped by God’s Word, marked by integrity, and sustained by humble obedience becomes a beacon that points others to Christ. In such lives, the light of heaven breaks into the darkness of the world.

The Bible calls believers to put away worldly desires by fixing their hearts on Christ rather than on temporary pleasures (Col. 3:1–2; 1 John 2:15–17). Through daily surrender, the renewing of the mind by God’s Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit, sinful desires are weakened and replaced with a love for what honors God. True freedom comes not from indulging the world, but from being transformed into Christ’s likeness.

Prayer:
Lord, You have called us to be Your children in the midst of a broken and dark world. Shape our character so that we may be blameless and pure, not conformed to the ways around us but transformed by Your truth. Help us to hold fast to Your Word and to shine as lights that reflect Your grace, love, and holiness. May our lives point others to You and bring glory to Your name. Amen.

We Work Out What God Works In: The Struggle with Fallen Nature

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 5 - Sunday 

We Work Out What God Works In
Philippians 2:12–13

Philippians 2:12–13 stands as one of the clearest and most balanced statements in Scripture about the Christian life: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” At first glance, Paul’s words may sound as if he is placing salvation back into human hands. Yet when read carefully—and in harmony with the rest of Scripture—his meaning is not only reassuring but deeply practical.

“Work Out Your Own Salvation”

Paul does not say work for your salvation, but work out your salvation. The language assumes that salvation has already been given. The Philippians are believers—people who have already received the grace of God in Christ. To “work out” means to bring to full expression what is already present, much like exercising a muscle that has already been given strength.

The phrase “with fear and trembling” does not describe terror or uncertainty about God’s acceptance. Rather, it reflects a reverent seriousness—a humble awareness that the Christian life is lived in the presence of a holy God. Salvation is not a casual matter; it involves the transformation of the entire life.

Paul immediately guards against misunderstanding by adding verse 13: “For it is God who works in you.” Any effort on the believer’s part is always a response to God’s prior action. God supplies both the desire (“to will”) and the power (“to do”) according to His good pleasure. Human obedience is never independent; it is cooperative.

Faith and Works: Their True Relationship

The relationship between faith and works is not competition, but cause and effect. Faith is the root; works are the fruit. Faith receives salvation; works reveal it.

Romans 3:23–24 reminds us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Salvation begins with a universal problem—sin—and a divine solution—grace. Romans 5:8 deepens this truth by showing that salvation is entirely God’s initiative: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Nothing in us moved God to save us except His love.

Ephesians 2:8–10 brings these truths together beautifully. We are saved “by grace…through faith…not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Yet Paul immediately adds that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Works do not earn salvation, but they are the purpose of salvation. Grace does not eliminate obedience; it produces it.

Christ Working in You

This raises an important personal question: In what ways have you experienced Christ working in you?
Perhaps it has been a growing conviction of sin, a softened heart toward others, a new desire for prayer or Scripture, or strength to resist habits that once controlled you. Often God’s work is quiet and progressive rather than dramatic. Yet over time, the believer can look back and see evidence of transformation that could not have come from mere human effort.

God works in us not only by changing our actions, but by reshaping our desires. He trains the will, enlightens the mind, and renews the heart. What once felt unnatural—loving enemies, forgiving freely, trusting God in trials—slowly becomes the new direction of life.

The Struggle with Fallen Nature

Still, this inward work of God meets resistance. The fallen nature does not surrender easily. Scripture consistently teaches that even redeemed believers experience an inner conflict. Old habits, selfish impulses, pride, fear, and unbelief push back against what God is forming within us.

This resistance often shows itself in subtle ways: rationalizing sin, delaying obedience, relying on self rather than prayer, or growing spiritually passive. The flesh resists dependence on God because dependence feels like weakness.

How, then, can we resist that pull? Not by sheer willpower, but by daily surrender. Resistance begins with honesty—acknowledging the struggle rather than denying it. It continues through intentional habits: prayer that admits our need, Scripture that reshapes our thinking, and obedience even when feelings lag behind. We “work out” our salvation by choosing, again and again, to align our actions with what God is already doing within us.

Most importantly, we resist the fallen nature by keeping our eyes on Christ. The same grace that saved us is the grace that sustains us. When we stumble, we return to Him—not in despair, but in trust.

Conclusion

Philippians 2:12–13 teaches a profound truth: the Christian life is neither passive nor self-powered. God works in us, and because He does, we are called to work it out. Obedience is not an attempt to earn God’s favor; it is the evidence that His favor has already been given. Faith receives salvation, and works display its transforming power.

Prayer

Gracious Father,
We thank You that our salvation rests not on our strength, but on Your grace. Thank You for working in us—changing our hearts, shaping our desires, and empowering our obedience. Teach us to take seriously the calling to work out what You have already worked in. When our fallen nature resists Your will, give us humility to depend on You and courage to obey. Keep our eyes fixed on Christ, who began this good work and will be faithful to complete it. We offer ourselves to You anew today, for Your good pleasure and Your glory.
Amen.

Lesson 5: Shining as Lights in the Night

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians

Lesson 5

Shining as Lights in the Night 

 

You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson.

“In the Likeness of Men” — The Depth of Christ’s Humiliation

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 4 - Friday Further Thought

“In the Likeness of Men” — The Depth of Christ’s Humiliation

Philippians 2:7 tells us that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men.” This short phrase—“in the likeness of men”—carries profound theological and devotional meaning. It does not suggest that Christ merely appeared human, nor does it imply that His humanity was somehow artificial. Rather, it affirms that the eternal Son of God fully entered the human condition while remaining sinless and fully divine.

Paul’s language guards two truths at once. Jesus truly became human, sharing our nature, limitations, and weaknesses, yet He did so without ceasing to be God. He was not pretending to be human; He embraced humanity in its fullness—hunger, fatigue, sorrow, temptation, pain—while remaining morally perfect.

Romans 8:3 sheds further light on this mystery: “God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Here Paul adds an important qualifier. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, not in sinful flesh itself. He assumed our fallen human nature with all its vulnerabilities, yet without participating in sin. He entered the battlefield of human existence under the same conditions we face, but He never surrendered to sin’s power.

Taken together, Philippians 2:7 and Romans 8:3 teach that Christ’s incarnation was both real and redemptive. He did not save humanity from a distance. He stepped into our broken world, clothed Himself with our frailty, and confronted sin on its own ground. Where Adam failed in perfect surroundings, Jesus triumphed in a fallen world.

Other Scriptures reinforce this truth. Hebrews 2:14 declares, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same.” Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin.” John 1:14 boldly proclaims, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” And 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us that though He “knew no sin,” He was made to be sin for us, so that we might become righteous in Him.

This has enormous meaning for us. First, it means we have a Savior who truly understands us. Jesus knows weakness from the inside. He understands temptation not as an observer, but as one who endured it faithfully. Our struggles do not repel Him; they draw His compassion.

Second, Christ’s incarnation reveals the character of God. God is not distant, harsh, or detached. He is willing to humble Himself, to suffer, and to serve. The cross is not an accident—it is the natural outcome of a God who loves enough to come near.

Finally, this truth shapes how we live. Philippians 2 does not present Christ’s humility merely as doctrine but as a model. If Jesus was willing to empty Himself, to serve, and to obey even unto death, then His followers are called to the same spirit. His incarnation invites us to humility, self-sacrifice, and obedient trust in God.

Because Jesus came in the likeness of men, we are not left alone in our weakness. Because He conquered sin in human flesh, we have hope of victory. And because He humbled Himself, God now invites us to share in His life, His righteousness, and His future glory.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the wonder of the incarnation—that Your Son did not remain distant, but came near. Thank You that Jesus took on our humanity, bore our weakness, and faced our temptations, yet remained without sin. Help us to trust Him more deeply, knowing He understands our struggles. Teach us to walk in humility, obedience, and love, following the example of Christ. May His life in us reflect His self-giving grace to the world around us. We praise You for a Savior who came in the likeness of men so that we might be restored to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.