In Philippians 1 and 2 we see a constant salvation that is, on the one hand, for a particular person in a particular situation and, on the other hand, for all believers in the common situations of daily life. Under God’s sovereignty, we may become a person in a particular situation. Paul became such a person when he was imprisoned in Rome. Imprisonment caused him to be a person in a particularly difficult situation. But being a person in that kind of situation afforded him an excellent opportunity to experience and enjoy constant salvation. We may also find ourselves in particular situations. For example, a brother may suddenly find himself without a job. This brother needs the salvation in 1:19.
Most of the time our situation is rather common, ordinary. As we have pointed out, the daily situation of fallen man includes murmurings, reasonings, and many other negative things. In our married life we need a constant salvation in order to be rescued from murmurings and reasonings. We also need a constant salvation in order to be rescued from crookedness and perverseness. For example, a brother may not be honest or straightforward in dealing with his wife. Thus, he needs a present, constant salvation. If he does not experience this salvation, there will be no way for him to hold forth the word of life.
Day by day we need a constant salvation to save us from anything that is not Christ. This salvation brings us into a condition where spontaneously we live Christ. Then in our living we shall present the word of life to others. This word of life held forth by us also is Christ. For this reason, to hold forth the word of life is to live Christ.
How much we need the Lord’s constant salvation in our married life! Suppose a brother is working around the house and his wife calls him to dinner. However, because he is occupied with what he is doing, he does not respond. After calling him again and again, the wife may begin to murmur, to complain. The husband may react by reasoning to vindicate himself. Then their dealings with each other in this situation become crooked and perverse. Both need a constant salvation.
I thank the Lord that in His recovery He has gained a good number of saints who love Him and seek Him. Although we pursue the Lord, we must admit that, at least to a certain extent, we are still crooked in dealing with others, especially with those in our household. Parents and children may not be straightforward in their relationship with one another. This exposes our need for a daily salvation to rescue us from our fallen condition.
Paul knew the situation of fallen man. In Philippians 1 he presents his own case as an illustration of God’s constant salvation. Then in chapter two he shows that this salvation is for all believers in the common situations of daily life. Although the salvation in 1:19 may not always apply to you specifically in your circumstances, you cannot deny your need for the salvation in 2:12. You may not be a particular person with a particular case, but you certainly are an ordinary person in a common situation. In ordinary daily life we all are bothered by murmurings, reasonings, crookedness, and even perverseness. Thus, we need a constant salvation day by day.
We need this salvation not only to bring us out of negative things, but also to bring us into a glorious condition of presenting the word of life to those around us. The salvation in 1:19 brings us into a state where Christ is magnified in us, and the salvation in 2:12 brings us into a condition where we hold forth the living Christ as the word of life to others. To have this salvation, which we need daily and hourly, is to live Christ in a practical way.
Do you know what it means to live Christ? To live Christ means that no matter what our circumstances may be, Christ is magnified in us and we are not put to shame in anything. Hence, the salvation in 1:19 is equal to living Christ. To enjoy and experience this salvation is to live Christ. Furthermore, to live Christ also means that in our daily life we are saved from murmurings, reasonings, crookedness, and perverseness and that we present our living Lord as the word of life to those whom we meet day by day. What a tremendous salvation! We all need this daily, constant salvation, a salvation which is nothing other than Christ Himself.