'WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION' {PHILIPPIANS 2 VS 12} - EXPLAINED

'Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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.' - Philippians 2 vs 12

Greetings to you dearly beloved of God in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

You must be careful to note that the Apostle didn't say 'work for your own salvation', but he said "work out"! There's a difference between to work for, and to work out! - Selah

SALVATION IS THE SOLE WORK OF CHRIST, NOT US

'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:' - Ephesians 2 vs 8 {KJV}

• By grace are ye saved
• it is not of yourself
• it is the gift of God

'For it was only through this wonderful grace that we believed in him. Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the gracious gift from God that brought us to Christ!' - Ephesians 2 vs 8 {TPT}

• Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation

'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.' - 1 Corinthians 1 vs 30 - 31 {KING JAMES VERSION}

• Of God are you in Christ Jesus

'For it is not from man that we draw our life but from God as we are being joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. And now he is our God-given wisdom, our virtue, our holiness, and our redemption. 

And this fulfills what is written: If anyone boasts, let him only boast in all that the Lord has done!' - 1 Corinthians 1 vs 30 - 31 {THE PASSION TRANSLATION}

• Christ is our God-given redemption
• If anyone boasts, let him only boast in all that the Lord has done

All these are showing to us that Salvation is the sole work of Jesus; you don't work for Salvation, rather you receive it, by believing!

'For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)' - Romans 5 vs 17 {KJV}

• they which receive the gift of righteousness 

(Showing you that Salvation is received, not worked for!)

So you see, we have established that salvation is not worked for, rather salvation is received, because salvation is the work of Christ, not the work of man! So now, let's look at what working out Salvation means;

'As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him...' - Colossians 2 vs 6 {KJV}

Take note of the words "so walk ye in Him".

'If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.' - Galatians 2 vs 25 {KJV}

• let us also walk in the Spirit

To work out your own salvation means to live out your realities in Christ. So therefore, our opening Bible passage is an admonishing to the brethren to live out the realities of who they are in Christ. In other words, let the things you have received at Salvation show in your conducts; let who you have become in Christ reflect in how you live your life. That's the message of our opening Bible verse.

'Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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.' - Philippians 2 vs 12 {KJV}

He told them "work out your own salvation". Meaning, show forth your Salvation in your conducts; that Salvation you have received in Christ, walk in it. You see, it's simple. And this brings to mind the teaching of the Apostle Peter;

'But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light...' - 1 Peter 2 vs 9 {KJV}

• that ye should shew forth the praises of God

That word 'the praises of Him' depicts the virtues or characteristics of God. So Believers are to live out the God life which they received at Salvation. That's the teaching of the Apostle Paul in our opening Bible verse {Philippians 2 vs 12}; he wasn't asking them to work to be saved; but rather, now that you are saved, live out your Salvation.

Right now I want us to examine Colossians 2 vs 6 which we earlier read;

'As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him...' - Colossians 2 vs 6 {KJV}

• As ye have received Christ

The above phrase speaks of 'the manner at which Christ was received'. So if we are to rephrase that Bible verse with this understanding, it reads

'In the manner at which ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.'

• so walk ye in Him

The above statement is an admonishing which means that the Believer is to live his life in the same manner at which he received Christ. Uhmmm. So question, How did we receive Christ?

'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' - John 3 vs 16 {KJV}

• whosoever believeth

'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God...' - Ephesians 2 vs 8 {KJV}

• through faith (which is, by believing)

So we see that we received Christ by believing in Him - believing in His death burial and resurrection. So we received Christ by trusting the facts of His death burial and resurrection. Hence the Apostle Paul says, just as you received Christ by trusting Him, also, live out your Salvation by trusting Him. How do you live out your salvation by trusting Christ? Trusting Christ is trusting what He has made you by His sacrifice. So to live out your Salvation by trusting Christ, is to live from the knowledge and consciousness of who you are in Christ. This is the definition of 'to live by faith'.

'...but the just shall live by his faith.' - Habakkuk 2 vs 4 {KJV}

'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.' - Romans 1 vs 17 {KJV}

'...For we walk by faith, not by sight...' - 2 Corinthians 5 vs 7 {KJV}

We live by faith - meaning, we live our lives from the consciousness of who we are in Christ. This is the admonishing of the Apostle Paul as we have seen in our opening Bible passage {Philippians 2 vs 12}. He wasn't asking them to work to be saved; but rather, now that you are saved, live out your Salvation. That is what it means to work out your Salvation. And he admonished that it should be done in reverence and honour of the Lord. "Fear & trembling" as used in the verse means "Reverence & Honour". That means, when the Believer lives out his realities in Christ, he honours the Lord. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

- Jenning U. Angel