Work It

Denise and I were doing our “spiritual training” at the same time in the same room this morning, and she had a scripture come up that needed further study. So she shot it over to me, because I have the software on my laptop. I found a really interesting explanation and I thought I’d share it with you in case you’ve ever read this passage in Philippians 2 and wondered what in the world it was talking about.

¹² 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, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Your first thought is “wait a minute – I thought I didn’t work for my salvation.”

Let me give you the Bible Exposition Commentary on this, I think it’s really good.

“Work out your own salvation” (Phil. 2:12) does not suggest, “Work for your own salvation.” To begin with, Paul is writing to people who are already “saints” (Phil. 1:1), which means they have trusted Christ and have been set apart for Him. The verb “work out” carries the meaning of “work to full completion,” such as working out a problem in mathematics. In Paul’s day it was also used for “working a mine,” that is, getting out of the mine all the valuable ore possible; or “working a field” so as to get the greatest harvest possible. The purpose God wants us to achieve is Christlikeness, “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). There are problems in life, but God will help us to “work them out.” Our lives have tremendous potential, like a mine or a field, and He wants to help us fulfill that potential.

Dig out your salvation. That’s a great explanation. Because like I said in my last blog, I think that we spend a lot of our lives in the shallow water of complacency. But Paul is saying, you have so much more available to you. “Don’t you want to live out your salvation to its fullest?”

God didn’t save you so that you could bide your time and get by until you die. Work it out!

“With Fear and Trembling” – meaning that you have a greater respect for what God is doing inside of you. Are you afraid to get to heaven and realize that you had so much more you could have done in your life? Man, I am. It makes me wake up in the middle of the night.

¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

My impact is not limited by God or his purpose - it’s limited by me.

Dang.

Tim