Work Out Your Salvation
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Work Out Your Own Salvation
Php 2:12 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.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Verse 12 tells us to "work out" our own salvation and Verse 13 gives the reason why we are responsible to work out our own salvation. The reason given is that God is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He is "Fathering" good choices in us and He enables His "Children" to make decisions for new life. Also, the power to bring our choices to completion is from God. He partners with us by working in us the power to bring our good choices to completion!
God is saying, I am empowering you to complete what I have determined for you. However, because I work through your decisions, you must set your mind to make decisions. In fact, I am working in you to make good decisions, so when you choose to do good it is actually me working in you to complete what I have chosen for you. I will be working in your decisions so I want you to be bold, but also careful, and make choices to live out your salvation. Also, when you choose to live out your salvation then I will supply the power to bring your choices to completion. Through your decisions I will be working in you and for you.
The definition of "work out" our salvation is to work fully, to accomplish, or to finish. We work out our salvation by choosing to be the person God has chosen us to be and then living the life God has chosen that we live. God has given us the gift of Salvation and He tells us to accomplish it, to put it into practice, or live it out. Ephesians 4:24 tells us to put on the new man which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24 uses different words but the principle is the same as Philippians 2:12. Ephesians is saying to "put on" the new man, Philippians is saying to "work out" our salvation. The "putting on" of Ephesians is the same as the "working out" of Philippians. They both tell us that God gives us new life and that we are to make ongoing choices that put into practice our new life. God, working through our decisions, completes on Earth what He predestined in Heaven. He has chosen us to be holy and without blame before Him in love so we are careful to make choices that bring us into agreement with what He has already chosen.
Choosing what God has chosen allows us to walk with God. How can two walk together except they be in agreement? Choosing what God has already chosen is coming into agreement with Him and is the essence of our faith. There is no relationship with God apart from coming into agreement with Him - through our choices. Choosing what God has already chosen demonstrates that He is our God and that we believe Him; choosing what God has already chosen shows that we are born of Him and that we love what He loves.
Choosing what God has chosen means we can choose our way to victory. Since God chooses victory, and not bondage, we can choose our way to victory. Too many are burdened by hopelessness, fear, anxiety, depression, discouragement, etc., because they cannot find a way to victory. God is giving the keys to victory by telling us that His power works through our choices; we are to choose victory. Victory is not far away but close, even in your heart and in your mouth. Choose victory by choosing to walk out the redemptive victories of Christ over the world, over the flesh, and over the devil.
God has chosen spiritual/emotional wholeness for His people. We know this to be true because God gives His people love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. These are known as fruits of the Spirit and God has chosen that we possess and practice these virtues. Choosing to possess what God gives results in wholeness, it is putting on the new man. When we choose to possess what God gives we are working out our salvation.
If we are in agreement with God then we cannot be bound. Agreement with God opens the door to heaven and brings the Armies of God to our defense. Agreement with God puts Him on our side and He fights for us. We were never meant to stand alone but always, and in every way, we were created to stand with our Father - through agreement with Him. The importance of this truth cannot be overstated!
Spiritual/emotional bondage comes through disagreement with God. Bondage comes when we quit working out our salvation, when we quit standing with Him; when we quit living by faith; when we start listening to men and quit listening to God. Bondage comes when we go our own way. Freedom comes when we choose to live in agreement with God. Freedom comes when the priority of our life is making decisions to live out what God has chosen for us.
There is medicine in choosing to agree with God and poison in disagreement with Him. God has chosen us to be holy and we find healing for our soul when we choose to be holy. If you want wholeness then choose life; if you want strength of character then choose to live in victory over sin, choose victory over fear, choose righteousness, choose faith, choose humility, choose to defeat anxiety, choose courage, choose patience, and choose to win. God has not chosen sin, fear, anxiety, worry, anger, or depression to rule over His people. If we come into agreement with these things then we bring ourselves under the rule of our Old Man, and the Prince of Darkness, who together, work to break our faith.
Choose Christ. God, before Creation, predestined His people to be conformed to His Son Jesus Christ. This is what life is about, this is where God is taking us. He has chosen His people to stand before Him holy and without blame, and He has chosen that His people love Him. Every follower of Christ has only one purpose and only one priority and that priority is to be conformed to the Person of Jesus Christ; He is our life. Working out our salvation means that wherever we find ourselves, no matter the circumstances, and whatever the cost, we come into agreement with the eternal purposes of God by choosing Christ.
God bless you,
Jim
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