Work Out Your Salvation.

     So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
     for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
                                  Philippians 2:12-13 NASB

     Many people become confused when they read the words of the Apostle Paul in this passage of scripture. They view salvation as something that cannot be earned or worked for, which is true. Paul states in Ephesians, that salvation is the gift of God and not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). He states in Romans that one who works earns his wage. It is not a favor, but what is due. However, the one who believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, is made righteous by faith (Romans 4:4-5). Salvation is the gift of God received by faith.
     To understand what it means to work out your salvation, it is helpful to have a good understanding of salvation; what it means and what it entails. Many of us understand the aspect of salvation that deals with the guilt of sin. We understand and believe that Christ has paid the penalty for our sin, and canceled the debt against us. We understand that we are justified in His sight, and freely forgiven, for Christ's sake.
     There is more to salvation however. The concept of salvation is that of deliverance. It includes deliverance from the guilt of sin, but goes beyond that to the deliverance from sin itself. Paul writes that Christ "Gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age" (Gal 1:4).  He also writes that we were dead in trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and the spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience. We indulged in the desires of the flesh and mind, and were by nature children of wrath. God who is rich in mercy, in love, has made us alive in Christ; raising us up, and seating us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ (Eph 2:1-7).  In Colossians He proclaims that we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness, to the kingdom of His Son (Col 1:13-14).  This is salvation; to be delivered from our sinful, rebellious lives. It is to be delivered from the lusts and desires that at one time controlled us, and to be set free to live for Christ. We were at one time slaves of sin, but we are now to present ourselves to God as slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13, 15-18). Our lives will be filled with works and deeds of some kind. Either we will live selfishly, fulfilling the lusts of our flesh and mind, or we will live soberly and righteously. We are controlled by our nature; the old man with his deeds, or the new man with his deeds (Eph 4:22-24). 
     The new birth is a change of nature. It is referred to as the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). The man who is born again is a new creation. The old is gone, and all things are made new (2 Cor 5:17). Again, this means that we no longer live the way we once did. We now have a new set of principles written upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This is the promise made under the new covenant (Hebrews 8:10). We are His workmanship, prepared to do good works (Eph 2:10). We read above that it is God who is at work in us to will and to do His good pleasure. This is what we must work out. We are to walk in this deliverance by faith. We are to follow Christ. We are to be led by the Spirit. This is what it means to work out our salvation. It is nothing less than living for the glory of God, surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
     We are admonished to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The idea of fear seems foreign to many of us. It is easy to focus on God's love and mercy, which is central to our salvation. If God did not love us, why would He show us mercy? We are also concerned that we do not slip into legalism; driven by a slavish fear of punishment. Many people live motivated by this kind of fear. They do things to earn God's favor; they avoid other things to escape His wrath. These individuals are only motivated by self preservation. They have no real regard for the will of God. This is not the fear of the Lord that we are called to by the scriptures.
     The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy one is understanding (Proverbs 9:10 NASB). To properly fear God, we must have a right understanding of Him. If we focus only on wrath and judgment, we will be driven by slavish fear. The opposite of this is to view God as love, while neglecting the fact that He is holy and just as well. The danger here is that we begin to presume upon grace, and fail to live in obedience to His word. "After all", we think, "God is love, and understands our weakness."
     We need to understand, deep within our hearts, that not only is God love, but He is also righteous and just in all His ways. As the Holy God, He cannot tolerate sin. We do not always like to hear this, but His wrath flows from His justice. It is misrepresenting the character of God to declare that a loving God would never send anyone to hell. His holiness, righteousness, and justice, are just as real as His grace and mercy.
     When we look at God, and ponder the fact that He has existed from eternity, that He is everywhere present, that He is all knowing, we should be overcome by a sense of awe. There is not a thought in our minds that God does not know. He sees all; nothing is done in secret, that He is not aware of. In fact, from eternity past, God all ready knows the end from the beginning. The thought of this should make us feel very small in comparison to God, the maker of heaven and earth. When you look at the creation, you cannot help but know that there is a God who made all of this. In fact the Bible records that His invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature, are clearly seen in His creation (Romans 1:20).
     To fear the Lord is to understand who we are in relation to Him. We are His creation, made for His purpose and pleasure. We are not our own, but owe our lives in allegiance to God. It is only right and fitting that we yield ourselves to Him for His use. The proper fear of the Lord requires that we would stand in a holy awe of Him, to be deeply struck by His majesty and splendor; to understand that while this God loves us, and desires our love in return, yet in His holiness, He cannot look upon our sin. It is the dark stain of sin that separates us from this majestic God, and places us under His just wrath.
     Knowing this, we should have a dread, even a hatred for sin itself. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth I hate (Proverbs 8:13 NASB). This hatred goes beyond the fear of punishment, to actually hate sin for what it is: rebellion against God. Sin grieves the heart of God, and breaks our fellowship with Him, and one who fears the Lord, will learn to hate sin, even dread it, lest they grieve the Savior who gave Himself for them. By the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil (Prov 16:6)!
     Working out our salvation is to walk in the ways of the Lord. Psalm 128:1 declares that those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways are blessed. We are to offer God an acceptable service with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:28-29).
     
    

Strangers and Exiles.

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
                                                               Hebrews 11:13-14 NASB


    

     There are two kingdoms. The kingdom of this world, and the kingdom of God. These two stand in stark opposition to one another. The one is built upon selfish principles, the other humility and love.
     Jesus tells us that unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5). The thing that keeps us out is our pride. As selfish individuals we live for self, at the expense of others. This pride ultimately refuses to submit to God, shutting us out of His kingdom. Only through the new birth, the washing of regeneration, and the renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), can this selfish principle be eradicated from our lives, making us fit for the kingdom of God.
     Those who have entered Christ's kingdom, through the new birth, are now at odds with the kingdom of this world. It is true, that by our physical birth, we are citizens of this world; we live in the various nations that make up this world, but now we reside in this world as strangers and exiles. We are like pilgrims passing through a strange land. This world is not our home.
     As followers of Jesus, we now live for a different purpose, and have different motives for our actions. This is clearly spelled out for us in the teachings of Jesus, in particular, the "Sermon on the Mount" found in Matthew 5-7. Jesus shows us that the things esteemed by the world, are worthless by the standards of His kingdom. As a result, those who would live by the principles Christ set forth, will find themselves at odds with this world. In fact, they will be rejected. The world in all of its pride, has no room for the meek and humble, no room for those who love their enemies, and who willingly forgive those who wrong them, and despises those who value purity over the pleasures that it has to offer.
     The Apostle Peter addresses the recipients of his first epistle as aliens (1 Peter 1:1). They were not only strangers on this earth, but were also driven from their country as well, because of their faith. Jesus warned us that we would be persecuted for his sake. Just as the world rejected Him, it will also reject His followers (Matt 5:10; John 15:18-20). As the Apostle Paul says, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).
     In our "American Christianity" we are suddenly becoming aware of a great dividing line. As we see the blurring of truth, and the mass acceptance of sin in our culture, and even among those in the "professing" church, we are forced to either blindly conform to this evil world, or go against the current. It is becoming painfully evident that those who choose to stand alone on the side of righteousness, are in the minority. It is unpopular to stand for Jesus according to biblical principles, and those who choose to do so are finding out that the world does not understand them. In fact we see true Christians being slandered and maligned, in the things they say and do (1 Peter 3:16).
     Peter tells us that as aliens and strangers, we are to abstain from the fleshly lusts that war against our souls. We are to keep our behavior excellent among the inhabitants of this world, so that although they may slander us as evildoers, our good behavior will cause them to glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:11-12).
     We are called to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. This verse tells us that we stand out as lights in this world (Philippians 2:15). Jesus has called us to be light in a dark world. We are to let our light shine before men, so that they may see our good works, and glorify God (Matt 5:14-16). Paul tells us to expose the deeds of darkness (Eph 5:11-14). We have a purpose in this world, to point the way to Christ by our witness, and by our lives. This is why we must not compromise, not give way, and not shrink in fear. Even though we are strangers here, we are ambassadors for Christ, God working through us, to reconcile the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19-20).