February 7, 2017 WORK IT OUT
Philippians 2:12-13: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
This verse is in direct opposition to much of what we hear in Christian circles today regarding salvation and the responsibility of the believer. For certain it is by God’s grace, and not by our works, that one comes to know Him as Savior. It is true that our salvation guarantees eternity in heaven, but our salvation is much broader than a ticket to heaven. At the moment of salvation, God places a new spirit within us, He gives us new minds and new hearts. At salvation, God does not ‘clean us up,’ or simply improve us, but makes us new vessels in which He begins His work of transforming us into His image. God has a purpose in and for us, and He is busy about fulfilling His purpose in us. However, it is possible for us to hinder, or slow down His work in us if we resist what He is doing. Not only should we not resist His work, we should work with Him as He works in us. One way in which we work out our salvation is to spend time reading and learning what God has spoken in His word. The scriptures reveal to us the nature and character of God and they also reveal to us our new identity that we have as His children. The scriptures also serve as a guide by which we live. Another vital step in working out our salvation is to obey what we read in the scriptures; keeping the commands of Jesus is a sure sign of being a disciple. We obey the commands not in order to gain His approval, but because He is our Father and He loves us, and His commands lead to life. It is key to understand that the commands that Jesus gave are clues to our new nature; example, the command to love our neighbor is something the new nature does naturally. Another part of working out our salvation is to begin to adjust our life in such a way that we reflect the nature of God to those around us. Also, another part of working out our salvation is being a part of a local body of believers where enjoy fellowship and engage in body life. Let us be reminded that God Himself is at work in us, and that fact alone should cause us to “fear and tremble” at the possibility that we could actually resist His purposes in us. Finally, let us know that what God is doing in us is “for His good pleasure.” There is every good reason to gladly take our part in working out our salvation, and there is no better time to start than right now.
1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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