Working Out Your Own Salvation

Paul wrote in Philippians about practical things; especially how to live as a Christian in a non-Christian society. What he wrote is timeless. It applies to us living as Christians in an increasingly degenerate society today. Perhaps some of Paul’s best writing is found in Philippians, chapter two.  Verses 12-16 are a powerful summary of the Christian life.

In Philippians 2:12, Paul wrote: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

The word, “wherefore” in that verse, means that the statement links to what has gone before. Paul was exhorting the Philippians, beginning at the end of the first chapter, to live a Christian life. In Philippians 1:27, he was saying to let your manner of life be becoming to Christ. Or, let your life be lived in a manner that brings praise to the Lord. Stand fast, and strive for the faith of the gospel. Is there anything else that is a greater test of faith than to be asked to live our lives according to the Scriptures?

The gospel is “good news.” It proclaims the thrilling message of salvation. The gospel offers so much; but it also calls on Christians to live a certain way. The Word of God gives us much – peace, hope, comfort, wisdom, and more; but that same Word demands something from us. It directs us to live the way our Lord wants us to live. Philippians 2:3 forbids all strife or vainglory. Christian disciples are to be living without bickering, arguing, or seeking our own glory. The next verses tell us to look to Christ as our example.

Then Paul comes to verses 12-13. He did not want them to live right because of his presence. We live right for the Lord, and not for a pastor. Some people who were in this assembly years ago lived right for Lloyd Goodwin; but they did not continue to obey the gospel in his absence. They went worldly, and decided for themselves how they were going to live. We cannot do that. The Gospel tells us how to live. We aren’t really deciding for ourselves how to live; we are deciding whether to obey God or not.

As you work out your salvation with fear and trembling, remember it was not Paul, you Philippians; it was not Lloyd Goodwin, or Glenn Goodwin, ye Des Moines­ians; or insert your pastor’s name and your assembly; it is God who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is sad to see Christian witnesses collapse when the teacher is gone. I guess it is probably worse to see the Christian witness collapse when there is a teacher still there.

Preachers and teachers are helps, but living a consistent Christian life is something that you are to decide to do. You can do it through the grace of God. They preach the Gospel; but you are to live that Gospel. Remember, you are responsible. Paul says it is “your own salvation” that you are working out with fear and trembling.

Notice that Paul is not saying to produce your own salvation, or to attain it; he says to work out the salvation you already possess. He did not mean that if you work hard, you will be rewarded with salvation. God forbid! Salvation is by grace alone, not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9. This is where many people misunderstand this verse. You cannot work hard enough to earn your salvation. But you are to work hard in the salvation you have been freely given.

Paul had already told the Philippians, in the first chapter, that salvation was a gift. See Philippians 1:6. His theological position is not that they will someday be saved; but rather that they are saved, already. They were not going to be a Christian someday; they were Christians now. Because of that, they were to live like a Christian. That is, they were to “work out” – like exercise is a workout – the Christian virtues of life. The apostle was saying, “Because you have started as a Christian; now continue to live like one.”

Salvation in the New Testament encompasses justification, sanctification and ultimate glorification. What Paul was saying here is that because you have been justified by the blood of Jesus, now you should be working out your sanctification. You should be becoming more Christ-like. You should be overcoming sin.  We are to work this out. That is, we are active participants in this process.

The seed of full salvation has been planted in us. Now, we are to encourage this to grow and develop into full maturity and perfection. To work out our salvation means to bring to conclusion something which has already been commenced. The Lord has done so much for us, we should desire to please Him and walk worthy of Him in all things.

The New Testament repeatedly admonishes the disciples of Jesus, the redeemed of the Lord, to live like a child of God should live. Ephesians 4:1 says to walk worthy of the vocation to which you are called. We have been called to be a Christian; it is our vocation, our profession. Don’t be sloppy and amateurish; be a professional Christian. Colossians 1:10 encourages us to walk worthy of the Lord. Paul in I Thessalonians 2:12 said to walk worthy of God.

This is how we respond to the grace of God. When God gives us grace, we are to walk worthy – or try to balance the scale – by working out the sanctification process in our lives. There is work involved. Becoming like Christ in our thoughts and appearance and entire life is not done in a one-time experience at the altar, or when we first receive the Holy Ghost. We are to go on to perfection. Hebrews 6:1. But this involves working out.

But even the response to grace – is grace. We could not work out our sanctification if it were not for God, which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. This is grace, for grace. John 1:16 states that we have all received of the fullness of Jesus Christ; and also received grace for grace. This is first grace that you are saved; and then it is the grace of God that you are striving to overcome sin. In I Corinthians 15:10, Paul said that it was by grace that he was saved, and it was also the grace of God that he was able to labor more than others.

There is no contradiction between verses 12 and 13 of Philippians 2. Work out your own salvation, but it is God who enables you to do that. You cannot earn your salvation; it is the grace of God that you are saved. You cannot go on to per-fection in yourself; that, too, is the result of grace. It is grace for grace, or grace in addition to grace.

The statement Paul made to the Philippians is that it is God who is working IN you. It is not something external; it is an on-going work on the inside. God is actually working to transform you – to change your thought patterns, your desires, your tastes, your mindset. Romans 12:2 speaks of a transformation through a new mind.

This is an astounding and important principle: God is actually working deep inside you, through His Holy Ghost, to change your nature. Now you want to serve God; because He put that “want to” in your heart.  If the “want to” isn’t there, you had better pray that He gives it to you. He is the One who puts the want to in you.

You were saved by grace, and now you are receiving more grace to desire to serve God. God is giving you the grace to respond worthily to the grace that saved you. The Lord motivates your very desires. The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:4 that God will put the right desires in our hearts. And yet you and I are told to work out our salvation. This is not a contradiction. God does not force our will. He does something more wonderful, and more gracious: He plants the desires in our hearts that our will responds to.

The book of Philippians assures us that God does this of his own good pleasure. That means that He has done this in spite of our sins and innate unworthiness. Even though we were sinners, deserving the punishment of death, God’s grace began the work in our lives, and is continuing that work. There is no spark of good in us. We have nothing to boast about. If we are ultimately glorified, we will have to give God all the glory.

And God is doing this – both to will and to do. This means that not only is God inspiring our will, He is also giving us the power and ability to overcome sin. The Lord is giving us the to do. You may say you are weak; that is alright. It is not your power that matters. God is not weak. God will give you the desire and the power to walk with Him in the path of holiness. God gives us both the “want to” and the to do.
Do you feel Him working in you? The chorus says, “There’s something within me, that’s holding the reins. . .” Is there? This is one of the ways we know the Lord loves us, and has saved us. He is the One who graciously caused us to feel the condemnation of sin, to seek Him. And, beyond initial salvation experiences, He plants a desire in us to change, to be true disciples, to become more like our Lord.

Paul also used the phrase: with fear and trembling when he said to work out your own salvation. Our Christian walk is not in brashness and arrogance, but in true humility. Fear, in Philippians 2:12, does not mean to be cowering and frightened. Hebrews 4:1 warns God’s people to fear that we might somehow come short of what is promised to us. This fear is a healthy fear. Many times, the Bible uses the word “fear” in a different way than modern language. In Isaiah 66:2, the word does not mean to be shaking in paralyzing fear, but to be trembling in respect and honor.

Philippians 2:14 tells Christians to do all things without murmurings and disputings.  Paul not only stated the positive – work out your own salvation with fear and trembling – he also helped out by pointing out things not to do. Do not murmur and dispute. That is, we are not to sit in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1. We are walking with the Lord on a journey to a wonderful kingdom, just as the children of Israel were walking through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But they murmured. See I Corinthians 10:10.

God is giving you the will and the “do” in your salvation process. What are you complaining about? The Lord has designed the experiences you are to go through. Grumbling and griping are rebellion. Arguing with God, with His Word, with His ministry, with His plan; all of these are scornful statements and foolish statements for a Christian to make.

Philippians 2:15-16: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.”  We are to be blameless (not necessarily sinless) in our personal conduct. And, that conduct is to do no harm to others. Remember, we are God’s sons. Like Father; like son. Our society is crooked and perverse. But we are to be lights.

We are not just to hold fast the word of life; we are to hold forth that Word. We are to be living examples of righteousness, shining out among the darkness of our society like the moon and stars shine out in the darkness of the nighttime sky. This is the working out of our salvation.