“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,” Philippians 2:12 ESV
Reflection: how can we “work out your own salvation”?
In the last couple of houses my wife and built, we were pretty adamant about designing a room in the house to be used for exercise, a home gym, including dimensions, floor materials, and so on. We bought nice exercise equipment, and got the rooms ready for use. And, it felt good to know that we didn’t even need to leave the house to exercise, to work out. And, as with anything you want to change in your life, including getting in better shape, it doesn’t help just owning the tools or the facilities, you actually have to use them. We can own the best home gym, but if we spend our days eating unhealthy foods and watching TV, the gym will not mean anything. Will not be of any use to us.
Peter wrote of false teachers and those who follow them “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”” 2 Peter 2:19-22 ESV
We read in today’s focus verses something that on the surface seems to contradict other writings in the Bible. Paul states “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”. At first glance, this looks like salvation through works, right? Because Paul also stated “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV. But there is no contradiction here. Because, as we read on, we see Paul’s explanation, saying “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 ESV. He is basically saying that if you have decided to follow Christ, you have a new mission, a new direction, created to do “good works”.
Paul continues to the Philippians “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:13-16 ESV. Did you notice there is a “work” component here? “to will and to work for his good pleasure.” And later “you shine as lights in the world”.
Let’s be clear that there is nothing we can do to “atone for our sins”, so that we can have a relationship with God. Jesus made that very clear by declaring “It is finished”. That is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ. But, freeing us from our debt to sin, he has also shown us the way to get through this world, this “crooked and twisted generation”, by following him and his commands. And this part, following him through life in this world, takes “work”by us. We can so easily go astray, get lost, even follow the wrong teaching or leader. So we need to work at this, by studying the word of God, by knowing Jesus Christ, and by discerning and testing the spirits. John wrote “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 ESV.
Are you daily in the gym, spiritually speaking, “working out” your salvation with diligence, fear and trembling? We cannot afford to just blindly trust and follow anyone in this world, even the pastors and churches we attend. There is just too much at stake for each of us.