How can we do all things without grumbling or disputing (Philippians 2:14)?

In the epistle to the Philippians the apostle gives another exhortation to the saints, that they may approve themselves as the children of God. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons" (children, really) "of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (not nation), "among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life," etc. (Phil. 2:14-16.) The manner of the introduction of this exhortation is worthy of all attention. It is, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings" (or reasonings): "that ye may be," etc. The Father knew, and our foolish hearts too in measure know, how prone we are to these murmurings and disputings. We murmur at a thousand things in our lot, just as the Israelites did in the wilderness, and thereby question the care, the love, and the wisdom of Him who orders all our path, and lose the blessed sense of His presence with us. As a consequence, we become an easy prey to the suggestions and temptations of the enemy. Hence disputings or reasonings are also mentioned; for the moment unbelief prevails, so that we walk by sight, reasoning takes the place of faith. There is nothing so destructive of confidence in God as a questioning mind. A child of God should abhor reasoning, remembering that word of the psalmist, "I hate thoughts." The thoughts of God are our portion, and with these we should be content, and to be satisfied with these is in fact the sign of a lively faith.

Ah, these murmurings and disputings are verily the little foxes that spoil the vines! And not only so, for the connection here is most grave. These things are to be avoided, that we may be blameless and harmless, which we never are when we fall into murmurings and disputings. Nay, it is not too much to say that nothing more dishonours the name of Christ, nothing more belies our character as God's children. And yet they are so common that little is thought about it. But how could I murmur, if I have any sense of the Father's care and love? How could I be disputing, if I know my place as a child with the Father? No; both the one and the other are falsifications of the grace of God.

What can more quickly produce disunity amongst the saints than murmuring? Working out this salvation depends upon unity being maintained; murmuring would bring in a spirit of disunity at once. The other thing we are warned against is disputings, a word which means to reason or argue. We are not asked to reason things out, but in faith to obey. We are not to rebel against the will of God, nor to reason about it, but rather to accept it and in faith obey it.

Then we are to be blameless and harmless, or simple. This does not suggest that we are subnormal, but rather unmixed as the word means; having the simple desire to go on with the things we know to be right according to the will of God. "Harmless" involves that we take care not to be blameworthy for wrongdoing; and as both of these features are seen in us we shall come out in the true character of children of God. The word is "children", not sons, and it conveys our character rather than our standing. This involves that we are not only children of God as the fruit of divine work in our souls, but we come out in this world as manifestly such.

Thus the saints are to "work out" in result "their own salvation." But it must be well remembered that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." The internal work is certainly by far the more important, but we are responsible to respond to this in a spirit of thorough obedience. God is sovereign, and we therefore are responsible to be subject.

"Do all things without murmurings and reasonings." Murmuring is utterly foreign to a servant's true character: he ought to accept with prompt willingness his Master's will. And once that will has been expressed, then reasonings as to the advantages or disadvantages of obedience can only indicate treachery against the Master. The Master, not the servant, is the judge of what is suitable.

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the children of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." Our effect upon others is no light matter, and nothing becomes more harmful than "murmurings and reasonings." They may appear in a very specious light, and for this reason are more dangerous. "Blameless and harmless" is put in contrast to "murmurings and reasonings." Galatians 4:4-7 shows that all believers are sons of God in actual fact, by faith in Christ Jesus: the passage now before us exhorts us to be this in actual practice - "sons of God without rebuke." We are to rightly represent the character of Him Whose sons we are. This is the more important in view of the contrary character of "a crooked and perverted generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." A light is intended to be in sharpest contrast to the surrounding darkness.

We are to "do all things without murmurings and reasonings" (N. Tr.). The Lord, indeed, groaned over the sorrows of men, but no murmur ever escaped His lips. It has been truly said, "God permits a groan, but never a grumble." Again, we are to beware of "reasonings", which might call in question God's way with us. However painful the Lord's path, no "reasoning" as to God's ways arose in His mind, or fell from His lips. On the contrary, when all His ministry of grace had failed to touch the hearts of men, and He was charged with doing His works by the power of the devil, He could say, "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Matt. 11:26). Good for us, when faced with any little insult or trial, to follow in His steps, and without reasoning submit to what God allows, in the spirit of the Lord's lowly mind. Acting in this spirit we shall be "blameless" before God, and "harmless" before men. This again expresses something of the perfection of Christ, for He was "harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heb. 7:26). Following in His steps, we should be "irreproachable children of God" (N. Tr.). The Lord could say, "For Thy sake I have borne reproach" (Ps. 69:7); but no reproach could be brought against Him for any evil way. On the contrary, men had to say, "He has done all things well" (Mark 7:37). We, too, are privileged to suffer reproach for His Name, but let us beware of anything in our ways and words unbecoming to the children of God, and that would thus give occasion for reproach. By a right walk that cannot be rebuked we should manifest that we are the children of God in the midst of a generation whose crooked and perverted ways clearly show that they are not in relationship with God. Moses, in his day, could say that God is "a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He"; but immediately he has to add that he finds himself in the midst of a people who "have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of His children: they are a perverse and crooked generation" (Deut. 32:4-5). In spite of the light of Christianity, the world has not changed. It is still a world in which men "rejoice to do evil, … whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course" (Prov. 2:15 N.Tr.). In such a world we are left to "shine as lights", and to be found "holding forth the word of life", and thus again follow in the steps of the Lord, Who was "the Light of the world", and Who could say, "The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life." The light presents what a person is, rather than what he says. Holding forth the word of life speaks of testimony rendered by proclaiming the truth of the word of God. Our lives must reflect something of the perfection of Christ if our words are to tell forth the way of life.

We are vessels of God's power against Satan. Here am I standing in Christ's name in Satan's world! God works in me; but this makes it only the more serious still: I should not fail. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings." Before God we never murmur, never dispute. If God were seen, there would not be one murmur, one disputation; and faith realises His presence. It is remarkable as to the exhortation which follows, that if you take it to pieces you see Christ in everything. "That ye may be blameless and harmless"; He was that. He was the Son of God, "without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation." He was "the light of the world," while He was in it holding forth the word of life - this is just what He did.

Verse 14. 'Do all things without murmurings and disputings,' etc. Believers are themselves distinctively 'of God,' and if led of the Spirit their works will be wrought in Him, and after His own manner. But God neither murmurs nor disputes. His longsuffering is salvation, and His words are peace to such as His goodness is now leading to repentance; while His judgment will need no argument to prove itself to be according to truth, in the day when He confounds His adversaries. If men, therefore, do such things, it is because of their natural ignorance and forgetfulness of God. A grudging spirit will be far from one who remembers how freely he has himself received; while 'reasonings'6 or 'debatings' belong rather to them that walk on in darkness, through their willing ignorance of God, than to children of the light and of the day.7

In Him I learn man’s true place as set in intelligent relationship with God. Humility of mind, and unqualified obedience to God, regardless of where the path, marked out by God for my feet to tread, may lead to. The will of God is to be done irrespective of the consequences. There must be no murmuring, no complaining. We are not to reason why we are led in certain directions, nor why we have been plunged into circumstances that are both difficult and painful. All we require to be assured of is, that these things are God’s will for us. The issues are entirely His concern. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

In Him I learn man's true place as set in intelligent relationship with God. Humility of mind, and unqualified obedience to God, regardless of where the path, marked out by God for my feet to tread, may lead to. The will of God is to be done irrespective of the consequences. There must be no murmuring, no complaining. We are not to reason why we are led in certain directions, nor why we have been plunged into circumstances that are both difficult and painful. All we require to be assured of is, that these things are God's will for us. The issues are entirely His concern. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

In these seven exhortations of the Apostle, do we not see a lovely picture of a life lived according to the perfect pattern set forth in Christ? — a life in which there is no murmur as to our lot; no reasoning as to why God allows this, or that, trial by the way; no blame for anything we say or do; no harm to others by our words or ways; with nothing in our lives that would call for rebuke as being inconsistent with a child of God; shining as a light in a world of darkness; and holding forth the word of life in a world of death. So living we should be for the pleasure of God, the glory of Christ, the help of saints, the blessing of the world, and have our reward in the day of Jesus Christ. If all the saints, with their eyes on Christ, were living this beautiful life, there would be no strife in the Christian circle. We should be one flock following one Shepherd.

If we thus work out our own salvation, with Christ ever before us as our pattern, following after Him in the same path, we shall do all things without murmurings and reasonings. These are the fruits of the old self. But following Him as our pattern there will be no more strife and vainglory; we shall esteem the other better than ourselves and consequently there will be no murmurings. Furthermore, like our Lord was "harmless and sincere," we shall be harmless and sincere, irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, without any self-assertion whatever. And as He was the light down here, so are believers now to shine as lights. As He on earth was the Word of life, holding it forth is what the apostle writes believers should also do, "holding forth the Word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain." (See 1 Thess. 2:20.)