Work Out Your Own Salvation – Part 1
“Therefore, my beloved, as you 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 who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).
Philippians chapter two discusses God’s desire for Christians to be united. To do this, we must have the attitude of Christ. He left everything He had in heaven, humbled Himself, and came to the earth as a servant to obey God. He was obedient even to death. Paul uses Christ’s example to illustrate the lengths to which Christians ought to go to do God’s will especially as it pertains to unity.
In verse twelve Paul expresses confidence in their past obedience. He says that they had “always obeyed.” The expression “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” is an extension of that concept to the future. To paraphrase Paul, we might say, “You Philippian Christians have done a good job obeying God in the past. Now, don’t stop with that. Whether I’m around or not, you continue to be obedient to God just as Jesus was obedient to God unto death.”
Why did they need this lesson? There were two sisters who were not getting along. Philippians 4:2 says, “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” This threatened the unity of the body in Philippi. Paul wanted to help them understand how important it was to be united. Christ literally died for Christian unity! This, however, takes an effort on our part. We must endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Hence our need to “work out our own salvation.”
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley