Working out

[pointer]

'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' Phil 2:12

When did you last tremble, and why?

[Leonard]

To be honest it was last night. I woke up chilling, and went and got a blanket.

I have never trembled in prayer, although it is a phenomenon which I have seen before.

[Bob Dole]

Hmm, last time I trembled I was climbing up a 300' rock face (I have a terrible fear of heights) does that count?

[jamie]

Hmmm, I always took 'trembling' in that verse to mean ...in fear of the Lord.

[shepherdsgrace]

As a minister of the Word I have at times trembled within and my hands shook as I spoke the Word. And this was not any type of "stage fright". I am one of the blessed ones who do not have that problem. But rather the reality of God and his presence in the Word caused me to be weak and to tremble. I have also trembled before him in prayer as I considered His overwhelming Goodness and our complete reliance upon Him. I have stood up to pray before and had to hold onto something because His presence would so overwhelm my body. Absolutely He is a God that overwhelms my human nature at timesand causes me to tremble.

[st. Worm]

'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' Phil 2:12

When did you last tremble, and why?

Whenever God's Law is preached to us at full strength, the truth about how far we are from keeping it should make us tremble for sure. That should consequently drive us back to Christ and the gospel.

sw

[pointer]

I have also trembled before him in prayer as I considered His overwhelming Goodness

So is God too good, too powerful?

I have stood up to pray before and had to hold onto something because His presence would so overwhelm my body. Absolutely He is a God that overwhelms my human nature at timesand causes me to tremble.

Do you fear death, and meeting Him?

[shepherdsgrace]

I have also trembled before him in prayer as I considered His overwhelming Goodness

So is God too good, too powerful?

I have stood up to pray before and had to hold onto something because His presence would so overwhelm my body. Absolutely He is a God that overwhelms my human nature at timesand causes me to tremble.

Do you fear death, and meeting Him?

God is who He is. He is totally perfect. So He is not too good or too powerful. I think the answer lays in the fact that He is the creator and we are created. He is completely awesome. However He is close and reveals himself and is totally available for fellowship. That is amazing! and totally wonderful.

No. I do not fear death and I do not fear meeting Him. Jesus Christ and his blood shed for me has taken those fears away. But we stand in his presence only because of the blood of the Lamb.

God is Great and Almighty and All knowing etc. The trembling comes simply from an overwhelming sense of his presence. Daniel fell out like a dead man in the presence of an angel. Its presence completely overwhelmed him. In the presence of God we will tremble and shake if He bestows enough of himself to cause us to do so. The created can only bear so much of the revealed presence of the Creator. This body is of the earth. It cannot handle too much spiritual revelation. In heaven we will have perfect bodies and in that body we will be able to accept his revealed presence.

I hope this reply has helped to clarify.

[shepherdsgrace]

'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' Phil 2:12

When did you last tremble, and why?

Whenever God's Law is preached to us at full strength, the truth about how far we are from keeping it should make us tremble for sure. That should consequently drive us back to Christ and the gospel.

sw

I do so agree with St. Worm. The more the Holy Spirit shows us our deep need of the blood of Jesus and obedience to the One Who Loves Us the more we respond with the fear of God. The fear of God is a very positive thing. It is eternal. And the Word of God is filled with promises for those who fear the Lord. Those who fear the Lord simply realize that He is God. He is in control. He set up the earth and its principles and He is running the show no matter how satan might like to rip roar about. Those of us who rebell against him and refuse to follow his ways will suffer consequences of a lasting sort. This understanding should help us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Acts 9:31 tells us: 31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

The fear of God is a very New Testament thing.

[pointer]

I have also trembled before him in prayer as I considered His overwhelming Goodness

So is God too good, too powerful?

I have stood up to pray before and had to hold onto something because His presence would so overwhelm my body. Absolutely He is a God that overwhelms my human nature at timesand causes me to tremble.

Do you fear death, and meeting Him?

He is not too good or too powerful.

Then the phrase 'overwhelming Goodness' remains puzzling and unexplained.

I do not fear death and I do not fear meeting Him. Jesus Christ and his blood shed for me has taken those fears away.

But trembling is your experience nonetheless.

But we stand in his presence only because of the blood of the Lamb.

'We have boldness to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.' Heb 10:19

Daniel fell out like a dead man in the presence of an angel.

The disciples did not even fall down when they were with Jesus.

Its presence completely overwhelmed him.

Its?

In the presence of God we will tremble and shake if He bestows enough of himself to cause us to do so.

This does not seem to have much to do with 'work out your faith'.