PRESS TOWARDS THE MARK

 

                    

                                         Work out your salvation

Gordon MacDonald, in his book “Ordering Your Private World”, wrote of an experience in his own life that illustrates that sanctification becomes progressively hard as one move from big obvious sins to tiny hidden ones. He wrote "Some years ago, when Gail and I bought the old abandoned New Hampshire farm, we found the site where we wished to build our country home strewn with rocks and boulders. It was going to take a lot of hard work to clear it all out.

The first phase of the clearing process was easy. The big boulders went fast. And when they were gone, we began to see that there were a lot of smaller rocks that had to go too. But when we had cleared the site of the boulders and the rocks, we noticed all of the stones and pebbles we had not seen before. This was much harder, more tedious work. But we stuck to it and there came the day when the soil was ready for planting grass."

In the letter to the Philippians, Paul has been encouraging the Christians in the church at Philippi to be unified in love and vision and purpose. He has instructed them to be others-centered instead of self-centered; to be like Jesus, who left his place of prominence and power to become a servant of others. Paul has let them know that someday, every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth will bow before the Lord Jesus.

In Philippians 2:12 Paul now tells them “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”. The word “Therefore” indicates that Paul is referring back to what he has previously written. It connects the obedience Jesus showed (2:8) and the obedience Paul expected of them as followers of Jesus (2:12). They are to follow Jesus’ footsteps.

Paul addresses the Philippians as “my beloved.” He wants them to know that whatever he is about to tell them is motivated by love. If you want to impact people, they need to know how much you love and care for them. This will capture their attention and they will listen to you. There is a saying “that nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care”. The bond of love permeates the entire letter to the Philippians.

The Philippians have a history of obedience “you have always obeyed”. Paul urges them to persist in obedience.”The word translated “obey” has the ideas of hearing and submitting to what is heard. The Philippians are encouraged to translate into action, in their everyday lives, the word of God as they receive. Their joyful and trustful obedience has been adorning and advancing the gospel.

Paul instructs them to “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. He does not mean “work so as to earn your salvation.” The Bible is clear that we can never work to earn or merit salvation (Eph 2:8-9). Paul is not writing to unbelievers, these words are addressed to those who are already saved. God has begun the good work of salvation in them (1:6). Salvation is a free gift but that does not mean we simply sit back and do nothing. We must work out our salvation.

The original word translated “work out” literally means "continually work to bring something to completion”. The Philippians are saved, God has begun the good work of salvation in them, but they must take it all the way to completion.  When one accepts Christ it’s not the end but the beginning of a life-long process called sanctification (becoming more like Christ). The ultimate end of salvation is to be Christ-like in every area of life. Sanctification does not just happen, a believer must do some work.

You must deliberately “put off” the old-self and “put on” the new-self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:20-24). You must make every effort to add to your faith (which is where salvation begins) goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, love. And, if you possess these qualities in an increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive (2 Peter 1:5-8).

You should be filled with the knowledge of Gods will  through all the wisdom and understanding that the spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God  (Col 1:9-10). Fruit of the spirit love joy peace forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal 5:22-23) will make those around you know you are new creation.

In Deuteronomy 30:19- 20, Moses told the Israelites “I have set before you life and death... choose life that you...may live, that you may love the Lord your God, obey his voice and cling to him for he is your life and the length of your days.” How God manifested himself through Israel was up to them, so Moses pled “choose life”! To love God meant to obey his voice and to cling to him. Christians have the choice to obey or not to obey God in every area of life.

In the Bible obedience is the flip-side of love; it’s the expression of love. 1 John 5 says “this is the love of God that we obey his commands”. In several places Jesus says “if you love me you will obey what I command you”. He instructed His disciples to teach believers to “obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:20). James 1:22-25 says “do not merely listen to the word and deceive yourself, do what it says”.

In Matthews 7:24-27 Jesus said that whoever hears his words and does not do them is like a foolish builder whose house is founded on shifting sand. In John 14:21 he said “he who has my commandments and keeps them is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him”. To “have” his commandment means to integrate them in life.

God commanded Israel “All these words that I command you today shall be in your heart (Deut 6:6).  Fix them in your heart and minds, tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and gates (Deut. 11:18-20). In short make them an integral part of their life.

In Proverbs God says “receive the words and treasure up my commandments. Incline your heart to understanding, call out for insight, seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure (2:1-5). Keep my commandments; write them on the tablet of your heart (7:3). Working out our salvation entails knowing God’s word, meditating on it, understanding it and storing it in our heart. The stored word informs our attitudes and actions in daily life.

The psalmist said “I have hidden (stored) your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (psalm 119:11). The Bible is the Christian’s instruction manual in life. Make it a habit to meditate on God’s word day and night; be careful to do everything written in it ( Ps 1:2, Joshua 1:7-8) . As you meditate on God’s word continually, treasuring, storing and hiding it in your heart; it will literally transform how you think and behave (Rom 12:2).

Working out your salvation means constant use of the word of God, training yourselves daily to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:12-14). This is a life-long process; Paul confessed that “I want to know Christ...not that I have...  already arrived at my goal but I press on...towards the goal” (Phil. 3:10-13). Working out your salvation requires cleansing yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1). The goal is to become holy, useful to the master and prepared to do any good work (2 Tim 2:21).