“Working Out Your Salvation”
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—-continue to WORK OUT your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His Good Purpose. Philippians 2:12-13
These verses may be some of the MOST POWERFUL in the New Testament. And they are often quoted yet they are misunderstood. The Apostle Paul was intent on the believers’ SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, and GROWTH. So, he told them to WORK OUT their own SALVATION.
Notice that little three letter word: OUT, it’s NOT the little three letter word FOR. Paul is NOT telling them to WORK FOR their SALVATION, but to WORK OUT, their SALVATION. That’s because SALVATION can NOT be OBTAINED by OUR OWN WORKS. SALVATION is by GRACE through FAITH in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. What PAUL was getting at was that they were to PUT their SALVATION to WORK by using their ACTIONS and MINDSET.
They were to WORK OUT THEIR SALVATION with FEAR and TREMBLING. To FEAR God is to take Him SERIOUSLY. We SHOULD ALSO HONOR God in our decision making, at any cost, so He will be GLORIFIED. And He brings situations into our lives that requires us to “WORK-OUT our SALVATION, so that we may GAIN a HIGH REVERENCE for Him, and to put HIS WILL over our own.
Both the DEVINE ENABLEMENT and HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY working together will get God’s Work done. The TRUE BELIEVERS and GOD partner together, and this gets GOD’S WORK done.
Are you a TRUE BELIEVER? Do you WORK OUT your SALVATION? DO YOU PARTNER with God to ACCOMPLISH HIS GOOD WORK and HIS GOOD PURPOSE? So, the LORD JESUS can look at you and say “WELL DONE, My GOOD and FAITHFUL SERVANT!!
If you have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to God, through His ONLY SON, Jesus Christ, who SHED His OWN BLOOD and DIED, in order for YOU to escape HELL and to GAIN an ETERNITY in HEAVEN. And He finished that plan with His RESURRECTION from DEATH and the GRAVE. So, you REALLY NEED to ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR. You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God. You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS. You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and get BUSY WORKING OUT, NOT FOR your SALVATION!! Do this NOW, while you STILL can. He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!