Notice in
Philippians 2:12 that Paul said to "work out" your salvation and NOT "work for" your salvation. When we "work out" at the gym, we exercise to develop our body that we already have and not to get a body. Farmers "work out" the land, not in order to get the land, but to develop the land they already have. The Greek verb rendered "work out" means "to continually work to bring something to completion or fruition." We do this by actively pursuing the process of ongoing sanctification, which is the result of being set apart for God's work and involves the process of being conformed to the image of Christ.
This conforming to Christ involves the work of the person, but it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified by faith. In verse 13, Paul goes on to say, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Ongoing sanctification has no bearing on justification. That is, even if we don't live a sinless, without fault or defect, flawless, absolute perfect life 100% of the time (which we won't) we are still justified by faith in Christ. (
Romans 5:1) Where justification is a legal declaration that is instantaneous, ongoing sanctification is a process.
In regard to "fear and trembling," it pertains to a healthy fear of offending God through disobedience and a righteous awe and respect or reverence for Him. (
Proverbs 1:7;
Psalm 2:11;
Psalm 34:9;
Isaiah 66:2) Not fear of God as if He is an unloving tyrant. Paul uses the same phrase "fear and trembling" in
2 Corinthians 7:15 in which he refers to Titus as being encouraged by the reception of him by the Corinthians "with fear and trembling," that is, with humility and respect for his position as a minister of Jesus Christ. In
1 Corinthians 2:3, we see that Paul himself came to the Corinthian church in "weakness and fear, and with much trembling" in regard to the huge responsibility and critical importance of the work in which he was engaged.
“This
conforming to Christ involves the work of the person,
but it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified by faith. “
do they need to do thier part ? For instance
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Acts 2:37-41 KJV
did they need to repent and get baptized in response to what the apostle just told them they needed to do when they asked after hearing his summary of the gospel ?
air should they have said “ we don’t need to do anything baptism is a work it has nothing to do with remission of sins in his name we’re saved because we’re chosen and don’t need to do what Gods apostle says to do ? “
Or is thier part to
hear what’s being said and believe and act upon those things they are told to do because they believe what was said ?
Some folks think “ because I believe Jesus died and rose now I don’t need to do anything he said I need to do that’s “ works “ and trying to “ save myself “ if I think I should hear what he said to do and actually do it
because I Believe him .
But that’s actually what faith is . To hear Gods word bekieve and then act upon what he said to you because you believe the promise that’s always attached to what he says
noah heard Gods word to him about the flood then he acted upon what was said about the ark because he believed Gods word was true and doing what God said to do would save him he believed and acted and was saved by grace and through faith but
Noah obeyed the lord when God told him what to do to be saved
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
Hebrews 11:7 KJV
faith is
always about 1 hearing Gods word and 2 believing it so we will 3 act upon it and be saved
“Wherefore
lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:21-22 KJV
just hearing and thinking it’s true can deceive us but faith believes and will always act upon the true belief like Noah just believing Gods word about the flood coming wouldn’t have saved him but believing also what God told him to do that would save him and his family and acting upon that belief this was saving faith just simply listening to what God said would save him and his family and accepting that it was true ….. so of course a father is going to obey Gods instructions and save his family he believes if he built the ark God would save them as he promised him .
imagine how Noah’s story would be if he said “ I believe in you lord I don’t actually need to do what you are telling me will save me I have faith instead praise you I’m saved lord but I’m not actually going to build the ark that’s a work of my own and , I would be saving myself if I obey you so I’ll just believe in you that you exist and and be saved my way “
I wonder if the story would be the same if Noah heard but never acted and obeyed Gods word ? Would that faith have saved him or would he drown because he disobeyed a word meant to save him from death ?
Paul’s actually talking about obedience to the gospel in that section He literally is telling them “ you’ve always been obedient in my presence and out of it but now even moreso work out your own salvation with fear and with trembling before God “
The goal is for us to be obedient to the word of Christ Jesus the goal of everything they are preaching Paul states this
“For
I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
Romans 15:18-19 KJV
Ultimately it’s in all of his epistles The warnings of
what we are actually doing our actions before God and not simply whether we say” I believe “ he had in the same letter taught them this
“
God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To
those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
Romans 2:6-8 NIV
That’s why it’s important for them to become obedient to the gospel ( not Moses law but Jesus teachings in the gospel ) because we all have to be judged for all we have done and said and so all of his judgements in the gospel will never change they are eternal will outlast heaven and earth
when we learn what he’s teaching it comes down to how we actually treat other people in life that we interact with . It of course has many aspects like our minds and how we think and see other people but ultimately that’s why we are meant to hear the gospel and believe he changes how we look at other people and how to treat them correctly in Gods love and in Jesus name.
We’re all imperfect and we’re lost but Jesus has made a way for sinners to be redeemed from condemnation and eventual death through his sacrifice and his word and of course his living and eternal spirit who comes to be with our spirit and lead us home in all truth .
some sinners will hear Jesus believe and follow after him imperfectly of course but true of heart and ever hanging on and others will reject that path because it’s actually one of sacrifice , and instead live for the world and thier own pleasures and own judgements between good and evil rather than Gods.
the thing is to go actually hear what it was that Jesus the lord said when he walked among mankind in the gospel he said a lot but mature Christian’s should know everything he taught repetetively and believe that way of thought about salvation
The gospel both makes a new believer confident jesus loves them and is going to save them and never forsake them …and also makes a maturing believer move forward into action and doesn’t allow them to remain dormant and sleeping but calls them forth to life and action before it’s too late
The command is ~not~ to "work up" or "work at" or "work for" our salvation, which, of course, is not possible (as we cannot save ourselves .. e.g. Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4-5, 8-10; Hebrews 9:22).
