examples How Are You Working Out Your Salvation?

[Michael37]

Php 2:12-18
(12)  Therefore, my beloved, as you 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;
(13)  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
(14)  Do all things without complaining and disputing,
(15)  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
(16)  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
(17)  Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
(18)  For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

I'm asking the question, "How Are You Working Out Your Salvation?", because this Scripture has turned up in my meditation about work in general. In our country we have had some major civil construction companies go under recently leaving contractors and subcontractors unpaid for work done. This situation of working for nothing, or sustaining losses after much hard work is familiar to me in my Property Maintenance and Landscaping business also. The problem we grapple with is two-fold. Firstly, there is the cost of engaging in production so that capital costs and operating costs are passed on to consumers. But here's the second part of the problem, if the cost to consumers is too high sales of goods and services are not forthcoming. In my business some years are better than others, and a year of low overheads with high sales turnover keeps everybody happy. But this year has not been one of those years. My sales are down but my overheads are high thanks in part to my thirty year old Nissan Atlas truck needing an expensive rebuild of its diesel fuel injector pump, and also due to my paying employees above the award (legal minimum wage) to retain their services and enable them to meet their living costs.

I have felt some fear and trembling while working out the salvation of both the vehicle and the business, struggling with the prospect of all my efforts being useless and pointless, but thankfully in my case there have been sufficient good years to cover the bad years, and all debts are paid. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, after we are given the example of Christ and His obedience even to death on the cross (Php 2:8), we are next exhorted to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and then advised and instructed as to just how we are to do this, and why, as follows: (I like lists)

1. Have faith that God works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
3. Hold fast the word of life, so that all you have been taught of God will not be in vain.

Now back to the question of how you are working out your salvation, is it with fear and trembling, is it by faith in God working in you, is it without complaining and disputing as a light in the world, and is it through holding fast the word of life?

Keep working...I know I need to. 

Your fellowlabourer in Christ,

Michael37.

[Behold]

Working out your salvation, does not mean you are working on the Blood Atonement, as this IS your salvation.

Salvation, is when God responds to your faith, and gives you His righteousness because the shed blood of Jesus being applied to you, redeems you, and recreates you as born again and acceptable to God.

All of this...

So, you don't work that out.  All you do is receive this as a free gift.

Which means..

"working out your salvation", does not mean you are working on your redemption, it simply expresses the idea that because you are now a part of God, Christ, and for all eternity, YET< you are still walking around in your earth suit, living your life,....

Then HOW are you living it, = so that what you have become, reflects WHO you are now, "In Christ", and are you living the Holy life, and walking the walk, and doing this each and every day, purposing in your heart to live your life in all respects in a way that reflects and respects and honors and dignifies the Grace of God and the Love of God that has been given to you  and also pinpoints you as an obvious vessel of God and shining light of Christ. ??

"Working out your salvation" is another way to explain/define : "Christian Discipleship".

Edited April 2, 2019 by Behold

[Willa]

Working out my salvation is daily  communing with God, worshipping Him, applying God's word to my life, exercising the gifts He has given me and reaching out to others with God's compassion.  Doing these things keeps my own faith alive and healthy.  Hopefully it also encourages others and opens their eyes to the lovingkindness of their Creator.

 His love needs to flow through me.  He doesn't give it to me to be hoarded but to be shared with others.  Sometimes it is to tell others of His redeeming love.  Sometimes it it is to share a testimony.  Sometimes it is to help with physical needs.  Sometimes it is to intercede.  Always it should glorify God.

[Michael37]

2 hours ago, Behold said:

Working out your salvation, does not mean you are working on the Blood Atonement, as this IS your salvation.

Thanks for your input, Behold.

Yes, there is no suggestion Paul is advocating the Philippians toil for their salvation, but simply that they be engaged in work resulting from it. (See Greek root word below).

Strongs G2041
ἔργον
ergon
er'-gon
From ἔργω ergō (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.
Total KJV occurrences: 176

[Michael37]

6 minutes ago, Willa said:

Working out my salvation is daily  communing with God, worshipping Him, applying God's word to my life, exercising the gifts He has given me and reaching out to others with God's compassion.  Doing these things keeps my own faith alive and healthy.  Hopefully it also encourages others and opens their eyes to the lovingkindness of their Creator.

 His love needs to flow through me.  He doesn't give it to me to be hoarded but to be shared with others.  Sometimes it is to tell others of His redeeming love.  Sometimes it it is to share a testimony.  Sometimes it is to help with physical needs.  Sometimes it is to intercede.  Always it should glorify God.

Yes, when we hold fast to the word of life we always have something to "pour out like a drink offering" in the way you describe, Willa, even if it is a few drops here and there sometimes. Good work. Thanks for your comment.

[Your closest friendnt]

4 hours ago, Behold said:

Working out your salvation, does not mean you are working on the Blood Atonement, as this IS your salvation.

Salvation, is when God responds to your faith, and gives you His righteousness because the shed blood of Jesus being applied to you, redeems you, and recreates you as born again and acceptable to God.

All of this...

So, you don't work that out.  All you do is receive this as a free gift.

Which means..

"working out your salvation", does not mean you are working on your redemption, it simply expresses the idea that because you are now a part of God, Christ, and for all eternity, YET< you are still walking around in your earth suit, living your life,....

Then HOW are you living it, = so that what you have become, reflects WHO you are now, "In Christ", and are you living the Holy life, and walking the walk, and doing this each and every day, purposing in your heart to live your life in all respects in a way that reflects and respects and honors and dignifies the Grace of God and the Love of God that has been given to you  and also pinpoints you as an obvious vessel of God and shining light of Christ. ??

"Working out your salvation" is another way to explain/define : "Christian Discipleship".

Paul in Romans 5:9-11, 

Paul in this part of Romans, supports your input, that the instruction "to work out  our salvation is given to those who have been justified by the blood of the Lamb, having the righteousness of the blood of the Lamb.

If someone can describe Jesus at the time of his death, as a man with the life of God in him, who was in full obedience to the Father in Heaven, and without sin....When we say with the life of God , we include that this is possible because he did not have an earthly father (a father from the people and nation of God). 

This describes the state of the blood of the Lamb of God....

We know how the Lamb of the attonment was described in the Mosaic Law; Jesus met all these requirements, plus he had the life in him, and was raised from the dead and he was made Lord. 

When we as believers look in our selfs we must look as if we are having the quilities of the Lamb's blood of Attonment by faith alone as a gifr, so we have peace that Jesus Christ will not send us to Hell, as long as we believe in him....   

Now we also can see our real state of beeing.  

In the example of Paul to Romans believers from a Gentiled coulture, Paul explaines to them that Jesus invited you to believe as you were, in your sins.

He put you under the blood of his Attonment, as he is so you are, he is our peace with God. 

He accepted your faith in him as you were in your sins, so do not be afraid when you see yourselfs continue in some of your sins, weaknesses or aflictions or coultural situations engrained in you from your life as Gentiles...

You are not going to Hell, but Pauls insdtructs do not blame Jesus, or accuse the devil...accept to be responsible for your doings and if you seek your way out, you need to resist and fight off your weaknesses...find a way not to give into them, and Jesus is alive and will guide , remind, provide gifts and brothers to help. 

So you can work out your way of those things Jesus wants you to fight of your life, and he knows why. 

This is what Paul is saying "by working out your salvation" from your state of beeing when Jesus found you and called you to faith in him and Justified you. 

After beeing justified you still find your selfs with the some of your weaknesses and aflictions you had before you believe....and maybe you got some knew ones...some called it the redemtion of our selfs...Remember we are Justified as we were , without the redemtion of our ways of our ways, so we live without the fear of death. 

It had to be that way, if not who could be saved..

Some take advantage of, and some are too deep and they need more time.

Jesus knows how to deal with everyone fairly...

Even if they are in their outer darkness as his own, Jesus knows how to find them and comfort them ....the one who is not happy with this situation is the devil, because he cannot have them when they die in that situation, with faith in  Jesus Christ, but with practising the workscof darkness. 

But then it's the equalizer that Jesus cannot have those who do the works of the light, but they refused to believe in him, and may even say "God is good", and he likes good people, we do not need Jesus Christ, we are cloth with our goodness. 

I will say nothing about the older brother who lives a very righteous life...and stays away from unrighteousness, and those who are in unrighteousness as believers...

But I know something their righteous living does not send to Hell, those believers, caught in unrighteousness...

To refuse to believe is not beeing under the Attoning blood of Jesus Christ...

And if someone say " the devil believes ", but he cannot be under the Attoning blood of Jesus Christ and be Justified...

They need to ask themselfs, if Jesus died and shed his Attoning blood for the devil or just for mankind...

Jesus came to Judge the devil and saved mankind from the devil....

Man you was not created in Heaven, found his way to Heaven in Jesus Christ. 

But the devil who was created in Heaven will never find his way back to where he came from.

The same way for man, he will never find his way where he came from "THE GARDEN OF EDEN", instant God gave Heaven to Man, and the underworld to the Devil. 

[Heybro]

Hey Michael, haven't seen you for a while, welcome back. Behold and Willa particularly have been spot on (not saying others haven't), but in my thinking, "working out your salvation" isn't necessarily being "work oriented" as such, but as has been said to working it out in your life, decisions being made, attitudes, (especially when you hit your finger), how do you react, do you (spit the dummy), or do you say, "praise The Lord." Making right choices in everything, people are always watching us, looking for us to slip up, so that they can point the finger and accuse us of being just like them, "they want to justify their sin," so they can say, "see, you're no better than us. I don't know whether your workers are christians, but guaranteed, they're looking at you to set the example, it's called, "BEING CONSISTENT." As always, I hope this helps, God bless.

[Your closest friendnt]

57 minutes ago, SelahSong said:

Philippians 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.

Paul is urging the Philippians to continue in obedience, and not just when he (Paul) is there, but always.....

But we must always know this:  No one can save themselves by works. There is only one Savior, and that is Christ. I believe that working out our salvation comes when we study God's Word with much prayer for the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

 

 

57 minutes ago, SelahSong said:

.

. I can only imagine how fear may certainly bring trembling and cause a person to repent to God.

 

This statement made me understand that Jesus is showing to his own children where they are and with what darkness they are keeping company, as believers and as the justified in him. 

But on their own doing they are in a place keeping company with dark powers, or at the same time the dark powers surounded them and they seek to control them, or they are oppressing them, and the likes....

When Jesus allows one of his own to see them selfs in their darkness, the result will be that the person will seek the Lord to delivered him, from his situation of fear and torment, as Jesus discribe it....there is snashing of teeth, and darkness all around...

Discribing the constant fear, and torment the person is living with...

Knowing that Jesus is the answer, and he is the only one who can deliver him from his torment of the powers of the darkness, he turns to Jesus with repentance this time and asks him to help him..... 

Paul said about the samething to Corinthians, when he said about an unrepented brother, who he was happy in his sins, thinking and missreading the patience of Jesus to give him more time to realize his sin and repent...

Him the sinner whould not accept to repent with kind instructions, and Paul said that if he finds himself in the company of the dark powers who had decieved him, and feel their torment, and fear to the degree that the teeth are snaching...

Then perhaps he will seek Jesus to delivered him from those dark powers and repent....

Paul said "delivered him to the devil", for self realisation....and to lead him to repentance....

We see that the outer darkness and snashing of teeth and torment and fear is a state of happening to an unrepented beliver, to show him that he is saved from Hell because of his faith in Jesus Christ, but because of his lifestyle choices he is in that situation, and what is he going to do....

Is he going to repent and seek Jesus in his life, or chooce relief through some other path....

I have friends and i meet others who are believers, many or some seek the Lord, repent for a season, relapse and so on and on....

I ephasize one thing to them "NO MATTER WHAT KEEP ON BELIEVING", so even thought the devil has you doing his will, or are too deep in your aflictions, or something else, KEEP YOU FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, so the devil cannot have you for eternity, or "take you to Hell", .

This saying is not correct that the Devil can take you to Hell because of unrepentance, or because of SINS....

Jesus decides whom the Devil can take and keep in Hell, Jesus is the Judge of all...

Jesus gives to the Devil those he cannot take in Heaven, because they have denied to believe in him, or while they believe in God, they do not see the need to believe in Jesus Christ they have refused to believe in Jesus to. Be Saved...if and only at their last breath are still found in denial of faith in Jesus  Christ.     

The right thing to say is "if at the time of your last breath are found by Jesus to have faith in him, that he died for the forgivness of your sins, you are under the blood of Jesus Christ, you can only go to heaven, where Jesus is....

 

[shortangel]

I think working out your salvation means praying & seeking God & finding out his will for our lives & praiseing him   we cannot earn our Salvation

[Michael37]

5 hours ago, shortangel said:

I think working out your salvation means praying & seeking God & finding out his will for our lives & praiseing him   we cannot earn our Salvation

Working out our salvation does mean praying and seeking God's Will and praising Him, shortangel,...and also means a lot of hard work if we are obedient to God as a result of being saved by grace through faith in Him. These verses below speak to this truth:

Heb 6:9-12
(9)  But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.
(10)  For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
(11)  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
(12)  that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.