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Author
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Topic: Work out our salvation?
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angel562
Community Member
Member # 4890
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posted
I understood what you are all saying
and it made perfect sense. This is
a question that as an addict has haunted
me for a long time-thanks!
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“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
Posts: 15 | From: Central California | Registered: Jul 2005
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JAVA
Advanced Member
Member # 4576
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posted
Rom 3;21-31 (nlt)
21But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. 22We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.
23For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. 25For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. 26And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.
27Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. 28So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29After all, God is not the God of the Jews only, is he? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30There is only one God, and there is only one way of being accepted by him. He makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Love you guys!
![[dance]](graemlins/dance1.gif)
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JAVA, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."
Posts: 147 | From: Columbia South Carolina | Registered: Apr 2005
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KnowHim
Admin
Member # 1
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posted
Below are notes that many help:
In these verses Paul returned to the exhortations which he began earlier in verses 2-4.
2:12-13. Therefore connects these verses with what immediately precedes them. Christ obeyed the Father and carried out His plan even to death on the cross (v. 8). The Philippian Christians needed to obey, to follow Paul’s instruction which was drawn from Christ’s example.
The exhortation was direct and pointed, but tempered with love, for he called the believers my dear friends. This tender expression doubtless reminded them of the experiences they shared with the apostle and Silas when they first came to Christ and established their church (Acts 16:19-40). When Paul was with them, they followed his instructions willingly and quickly. He reminded them of this before he asked them to do the same at the present time, even though he was far from them. He had earlier spoken of his absence (Phil. 1:27).
The special request he had for them, in view of their needs and in view of the example of Christ, is stated forcefully—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
It is commonly understood that this exhortation relates to the personal salvation of the saints at Philippi. They were told to “work out,” to put into practice in their daily living, what God had worked in them by His Spirit. They were not told to work for their salvation but to work out the salvation God had already given them. In view of the apparent problems of disunity and pride among those believers this interpretation seems correct. Some were not doing their work selflessly and with the interests of others ahead of their own (cf. 2:3-4).
Some writers understand Paul’s challenge to refer to the corporate life of the whole assembly in Philippi. Those who hold this view find support in the immediate context where Paul argued against their looking exclusively to their own needs (cf. v. 4). In this view “salvation” refers to the whole assembly’s deliverance from disunity, pride, and selfishness.
Perhaps it is best to see both the outworking of personal salvation and the corporate salvation or deliverance of the whole assembly from whatever held them back from experiencing God’s best.
This outworking was to be done “with fear and trembling,” with a complete trust in God and not in themselves.
The only way this could be realized was through God who would enable them to do it (v. 13). Paul told the Philippian saints that God worked in them so that they could do His good pleasure and accomplish His good purpose. Both divine enablement and human responsibility are involved in getting God’s work done. Believers are partners with God, laboring together with Him. The verb works (v. 13) means “energizes” or “provides enablement.” God makes His own both willing and desirous to do His work.
From: The Bible Knowledge Commentary
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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002
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Graced
New Member
Member # 4909
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posted
Hi Angel,
This verse is talking about our present-tense salvation, not our past-tense salvation. Our present-tense salvation refers to the maturing process. God wants us to allow Him to mature us and to be "fearful" of doing anything that would hinder our fellowship with Him. This is not talking about a fear of judgement, because if you have believed the initial gospel of salvation you are saved and are not subject to judgement. It is talking about how we as believers should desire the wonderful fellowship we can have with God in our position in Christ, and not want to do anything that would hinder that fellowship with him or hinder His maturing work in our lives. (Since we were already saved in the past when we initially believed the gospel, we have a secure relationship with God because we are now His child. However, when we sin, we can hinder our FELLOWSHIP with him).
This verse used to confuse me too because I thought it was talking about my past-tense salvation, and since our salvation is a free gift from God and we cannot "work" it out ourselves, this verse really bothered me. However, there are actually three tenses of salvation: our past-tense, present-tense and future-tense. Our past-tense is when we believed the initial gospel of salvation. As soon as we believed that gospel, we were saved and nothing will ever change that. Our present-tense salvation is pretty involved, but includes our position in Christ and His maturing process in our lives. Our future-tense salvation will become a reality at the Rapture, when our bodies and souls are saved and we are conformed to the image of our Savior (at the present only our spirits are saved).
There's a lot more to it than all of that, and the word meanings in the original Greek language are helpful. If you have a Greek interlinear and a concordance it might be helpful to do some research. I didn't know about the tenses of salvation until God led me to a true bible teaching church with a pastor that is fluent in Greek and Hebrew. Once I learned how to look at the original language, compare scripture with scripture, and look at context, it really helped me to understand some of those verses that had always confused me. And of course we couldn't understand any of God's Word without the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
Anyway, I've got to run, as my husband is waiting for me. I hope that helped some.
Your sister in Christ
Posts: 4 | Registered: Jul 2005
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angel562
Community Member
Member # 4890
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posted
There is a verse in the Bible which talks about "working out our salvation with fear and trembling." Aren't we saved regardless? I don't just go out and sin because I know I won't go to Hell, but there is something to be said for screwing up.
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“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
Posts: 15 | From: Central California | Registered: Jul 2005
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