“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be
blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a
crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world”
(Philippians 2:14-15).
Introduction
Within two brief verses the apostle Paul offers us
a wealth of words of encouragement to goad us on in the Christian life. These
are important truths, but if they are not visible in the believer’s life, then
how can he or she claim to be a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? These
truths are requirements rather than options.
Murmurings
and disputings
The word for “murmurings” literally mean
‘complaining’ or ‘grumbling’ against each other as a result of
selfishness. These two seeds produce the weeds of disunity and division within
the church. Where they exist the climate for spiritual growth in radically
diminished. Sad to say, there are churches where the members are constantly
brawling and quarrelling, and usually over insignificant worldly things. They
are at each others throats yet do not see that it is sheer pride and hypocrisy,
the very opposite of a humble mind. The remedy for such division is peace and
forgiveness. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and
evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake
hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).
“Disputings” can be described as antagonistic
questioning that come from a quarrelsome spirit. Not only is it spiritually and
morally ugly, but also a sign of the heart’s rebellion against God.
Unfortunately some Christians habitually involve themselves in arguments that
have no spiritual or eternal value. “Him that is weak in the faith receive
ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all
things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him
that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God
hath received him” (Romans 14:1-3) … “For I fear, lest, when I
come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you
such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes,
backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults” (2 Corinthians 12:20). Let
us not forget that it was this sin that brought divine wrath upon the Jews in
the wilderness. “And the people spake against God, and against Moses,
Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there
is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and
much people of Israel died” (Numbers 21:5-6). “Disputings” also refers
to pointless arguments and discussions. This kind of ‘debating society’ was
prevalent amongst the Aristotelian philosophers of Macedonia.
How can we effectively be used of God if we are
disunited and full of strife? Arguments and conflict will keep us from
experiencing the grace and power of God in our lives, ministries, and
fellowship. The local church cannot function correctly as the Body of Christ
where disharmony exists.
Blameless
and harmless
We have to be careful not to take any of these
verses out of their context, for Paul’s thesis here is that we must have the
mind of Christ and walk in humility. God is working into us the very fuel that
will enable us to shine brightly for Him in this sin-darkened world. If we fight
and quarrel, then we are no different from the world and have no message to
offer it.
“Blameless”. No one ought to be
given the opportunity of labelling a Christian as a hypocrite. There must never
be a just cause for pointing the finger of blame at a child of God. “But
let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a
busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him
not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:15-16).
This strongly infers that we are to walk in purity and not engage ourselves in
the same sinful activities as the world. The word “blameless” means to be
‘faultless’ and ‘above reproach’.
“Harmless”. This word is married to
“blameless” for obvious reasons, for it states the need for personal purity
in our daily lives. It can be translated as ‘unadulterated’ and
‘unmixed’. Once again we see that a believer must be sincere, honest, pure
and above reproach. We must not pollute ourselves by living according the
world’s standards of morality. ”For your obedience is come abroad unto
all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto
that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19) … “Now
unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude :24).
Without
rebuke
We know what the word “rebuke” means, but in
this case it has the added meaning of being without ‘blemish’. This means
that no one should be able to find the slightest blemish [sin] in us and have
cause to reject our testimony. Even the world speaks of an ‘unblemished
reputation’, so the church ought to have a higher standard than even this. The
word is derived from the Old Testament command about not offering blemished
animals for sacrifice to God. “Your lamb shall be without blemish” (Exodus
12:5). Just as the priest under the Old Covenant could only offer unblemished
sacrifices, so Christ, our Great High Priest of the New Covenant, will only
bring the unblemished with Him into Heaven. “That he might present it to
himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). The Bible
emphasises the fact that the world we live in is “faithless and perverse”
(Matthew 17:17, Acts 2:40). Its people hold wrong views on almost
everything, have corrupt values, follow immoral ways, and reject the word of
God. Therefore, though we live in a fallen world, we do not have to mimic it,
but separate ourselves, be blameless and live above reproach in order to be true
witnesses of Christ. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
Shine
as lights
Paul makes it abundantly clear that the world is
both “crooked” and “perverse”. These words basically mean the same
thing, for the world is distorted, twisted, and morally and spiritual bankrupt.
The world has completely turned away from the ways of God and has sold itself to
Satan.
It is in this darkness we have be called to shine
for the Lord! “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on
a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16) … “For ye were
sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of
light” (Ephesians 5:8) … “Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us
not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep
sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let
us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love;
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8). How can
we truly shine the light of God’s grace into other people’s darkness if we
are illuminated by the trashy light of the world rather than of Christ? “If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
(Matthew 6:23).
Conclusion
The opposite of what Paul writes here can hardly
be called Christian. Where there is maliciousness and hatred the church shows
itself to be reprobate and useless to God. Christ puts His mind, love and peace
in our hearts and so equips us to be His faithful witnesses. “Behold, I
send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Philippian society, as
corrupt and ungodly as it was, was the place God had His lights of living
testimony. It is no different for us today, for we too must blaze the gospel far
and wide in our cities, nation and world.
