Working out Our Salvation?

Philippians 2:12-30

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. ¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. ²⁰ For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. ²¹ For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. ²³ I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, ²⁴ and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. ²⁵ I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, ²⁶ for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. ²⁹ So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, ³⁰ for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

When I was raising my daughters I was more than willing to let them have the last word. If they wanted to complain and gripe about what I asked them to do, so be it as long as they complied with my instruction. I was looking for correct actions; attitude was rarely a concern. Paul’s admonitions to the Philippians is just the opposite of my parenting style. He is looking for a right heart in the lives of the Philippians. We find a similar message throughout his writings.

The most confusing verse in this passage is work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. These words seem to fly in the face of everything we teach about the faith. We do not “work out our own salvation”. We let that work be found in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

But if the apostle is not saying that salvation is something human beings can earn, what is he saying here? Paul uses the word “salvation” here in a broad sense. He refers not only to believers’ coming to faith and receiving the gift of eternal life but also to their continuing in faith until they enter into eternal life. Generally, believers must continue to live in this sinful world while they await the completed salvation of eternity. It is to such waiting believers, who are still coping with all the challenges and temptations of life in the world, that Paul directs the encouragement, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Before they are brought to faith, human beings are totally incapable of any positive spiritual work. “As for you,” Paul tells the Ephesian believers, “you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). But then he goes on, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ” (verses 4, 5). When God saves sinners by bringing them to faith in Jesus through the gospel, he makes them spiritually alive in Christ. Believers are now capable of spiritual work and the spiritual effort Paul calls for in our text. This is not a work that earns or tries to earn salvation. It is a working by which believers, who know that they have been saved by the blood of Christ, make the best use of the spiritual gifts and powers with which the Holy Spirit has supplied them to grow in faith, bring forth the fruits of faith, and remain steadfast in faith unto eternal life.

Kuschel, H. J. (1986). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (pp. 54–55). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

Those who believe (have been justified) find themselves on the sanctification side of the faith. Our justification before the Father takes place in the blood of Jesus alone. Now we are living inside of His kingdom and that means we get to work! But in that working, God is still looking for a willing heart. If we choose to grumble about that to which the Father calls us, it is no service at all. Instead we are serve Him out of a grateful heart and a deep desire to see others come to know Him as well. This is what it means to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Paul then commends two men to the Philippians; Timothy and Epaphroditus. Timothy was Paul’s mentee and acted almost as an adopted son. As he matured he went on to become a strong leader in the newly born Christian faith. Epaphroditus was a native of Philippi and had been sent by the church there to serve Paul. While with Paul he had become gravely ill and Paul feared for his life, as did the people of Philippi. Paul sends him back to Philippi after his recovery to allay the fears of the people.

I love this personal touch that Paul puts into most of his letters. He was a man who walked in real relationship with regular people. He loved God’s people dearly and it shows in his writing lest we think he was larger than life. He was a real guy who loved his people, just like you and me. God’s kingdom is like that – huge and personal.