October 18, 2000
Reading
“Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling” (12).
This scripture has often presented problems to some Christians because we have heard so frequently and dogmatically that our salvation is not based on “works” but “faith”. How true this is, salvation is not earned neither is it a reward for things we have done but is solely based on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and our acceptance of Him as our Savior.
My wife enjoys running and occasionally gets severe cramp in her calf. I have heard her say that she had to “work it out”. She either stretches the cramping muscle, massages it or walks around until the cramp has gone. The other day an incident occurred in my life when God spoke to me through this particular scripture. I had been rather severely “attacked” by someone who had taken offense to a statement I made in one our Bible Studies. It is not worth repeating here but suffice it to say that his comments troubled me for several days because there was no intent of malice or conflict in my mind when these words were spoken.
I asked the Lord for guidance because my spirit was deeply troubled. I began reading In Philippians until I reached our text, “continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure.” In other words, there are times when God will permit certain trials to enter our life in order that we might grow in the Christian life. Call them “growing pains”! I looked at this ‘trial’ as a spiritual cramp. It hurt and I had to work it out. I had to recognize that this experience was God working in me “according to His good pleasure.”
I read on: “Do everything without complaining or arguing”, vs 14. Now that’s not fair! I wanted to murmur, I wanted to grumble to others about the way I had been treated! I wanted to go back to that brother and argue my point for, in my opinion, he had missed it altogether! It happens to be a subject that has been such a blessing to me and I wanted to defend my position. If only I had quit reading at verse 12!
Let me tell you, working out my salvation was not easy! I suppose that is why it is called “work”. Over the following days I had to constantly remind myself of these verses. Then I read on, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine as stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life,” vss 14-16.
The KJV reads, “Holding forth the word of life.” The message from God was so clear. “You have a problem, it is a test. Work it out remembering that God works in you to accomplish His good pleasure. Do it without complaining or arguing and continue to teach the Word of Life.”
This is a great lesson for us all to learn. A problem comes your way, don’t just lay back and hope everything works out for the best but go to work! Work it out! The concept that we have received a free (free to us but very costly to our Savior) salvation does not mean everything is a bowl of cherries from here on out. The salvation we have received requires that we work the spiritual cramps when they come along. The good news is however that it is God who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. When we work at these things two things happen, we grow in Christ and God is pleased.