Wednesday, April 19
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
Work OUT not Work FOR
Philippians 2:12-13 commands us to work out our salvation, as it is God who works IN and THROUGH us.
This idea of “working out” means that our salvation (our right relationship with God) is played out or manifested practically in our lives. We do not work for salvation, we work out our salvation. As you look at your life today, would you say that you are working for salvation or working out your salvation? Do you feel a need to impress God or are you imaging God to the world? Salvation is a gift given, not a bargain struck. It is something that we work out, not something that we work for!
Further, verse 12 tells us that we are to do this working out with fear and trembling. Fear and trembling is a condition of steep reverence, which points us to the truth that our life is to be lived before God and in complete dependence on God.
Paul explains further in verse 13, for it is God who works in you…for his good pleasure. Make no mistake, our Christian life is secured by grace, through faith, in Christ. The process of us working out our salvation is also by grace, through faith, in Christ. At no point in our spiritual journey do we graduate from this process of renewal and restoration by grace, through faith, in Christ.
All of this culminates in the good pleasure of God. God is pleased when we work out our salvation as it means that we are participating in his purposes for the world!
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