Work Out Your Salvation

Philippians Recap

In our past 2 times together, we have looked at Phil 2:1-11, focusing on this mind of Christ that we who are in Christ are also called to have. Let’s re-read these verses and quickly sum it up.

Philippians 2:1–11 ESV

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:1–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If the Spirit of God is in us and at work in us, this mind-set is expected to exist in us. A mind-set to be pursuing a unity of the mind with others who are in Christ. Having the same mind, same love, and being in full accord together. A unity that labors for the interests of others, and not only our own interests. To put it concisely, we are to have a mindset that is set towards others.

Why? Because this is the mind of Christ! Christ humbled himself by leaving the glory of heaven to take on our frail, human flesh. He would live and die in that frail flesh as he laid down his life for us out of obedience to the Father. A death that would serve as an offering and give him the name above every name. A name given because he alone obeyed the Father to the point of death, unlike all of humanity.

Christ’s example is what is to stir us to this other mindedness.

Now, to be clear, Christ did not give up his divine nature in emptying himself. He emptied himself by leaving eternal glory and the adding of human flesh. Philippians 2:7 “7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

To have emptied himself of his divinity would have been to no longer have been the Divine Son.

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Shorter Catechism

Q. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever.

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Shorter Catechism

Q. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

A. Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

And so, that sets us up for the rest of the book of Philippians. Let’s now turn our attention to Phil 2:12-13.

Working out your salvation (Philippians 2:12-13)

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but 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 work for his good pleasure.

There is a lot here in these 2 verses. And we will stumble into false understandings if we are not careful here. Or even end up in unnecessary debates. Therefore it is really really important for us to put the skills we have been learning to practice tonight in going through this step by step: (1) observation, (2) interpretation, and then (3) application.

Philippians 2:12-13 Observations (The Interrogation of the Text)

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but 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 work for his good pleasure.

Paul is still talking to the beloved, the Philippian Christians here in Phil 2:12 just as he has through the whole of the letter.

Paul is mentioning that they have always obeyed.

He then mentions their need to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling not just in his presence, but his absence (while he is in prison).

This working out of their salvation seems to be tied to their obedience.

This call to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling is grounded with the word for saying that it is God who works in you, both to will and work for his good pleasure.

Anything else?

Philippians 2:12-13 Interpretation (What does this mean?)

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but 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 work for his good pleasure.

What does it mean that they have always obeyed?

What does it mean to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? Is this saying that we have a part in earning our salvation?

No so fast…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Look back to Phil 1:6

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

God will complete what he began

God begins the work of salvation and he alone completes it.

So if God begins and completes the work of salvation, why this call then to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling?

Because the very salvation that we have received is to be working out in us. It is to be leading us to live a life worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27).

The Spirit is to be stirring us to have this same mind of Christ (Phil 2:1)

What is this working out our salvaiton with fear and trembling to look like (Phil 2:12)?

Look with me at what follows in Phil 2:14-18

Philippians 2:14–18 ESV

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Therefore to work out our salvation with fear and trembling is to be as follows:

To do all without grumbling or disputing

To be blameless and innocent as the crooked and twisted generation is. In other words, stop being hypocrites, actors who say one thing and then do another.

To shine brightly into the darkness of the world. To be a distinct people.

To hold fast to the word of life, that is Christ himself.

To not run a race in vain, a race that is for nothing because we lack a salvation that is working out in us.

To have a life being poured out for the faith of others (Phil 2:17).

What does it mean there in Phil 2:13? That God is working in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure?

Is this not just what we have been talking about? That God is working to help us will and work out this great salvation. And this is what should cause us to fear and to tremble. Is this salvation that I boast in working out in me? Am I being transformed by the power of the gospel (Rom 1:16-17)? Am I being helped to have a mind empowered by the Spirit or continuing to hang on to a mind of the flesh?

Anything else we need to interpret or discuss before we move into applying these two verses for us?

Philippians 2:12-13 Application

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but 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 work for his good pleasure.

What is the application here for us today?

Salvation begins with God, is carried out by God, and brought to completion by God.

Brothers, you cannot and will not contribute anything to your salvation. It comes as God brings new life into us to understand and believe the truths of the gospel. Our growth is dependent on the outworking of the Spirit in us and through us. And we will only reach the end by God’s grace to us in the work of the Spirit.

This then should humble us and make us a dependent people. Beware of the day of prideful, arrogant men who think they add something to their salvation. That they have somehow earned God’s favor. This is either a man who has not yet come to an understanding of the gospel and not a Christian or a very immature believer who is still in the nursery of the church.

We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling by being dependent on the Spirit to work in us and bring about change and transformation.

Therefore us being men praying for the Spirit to work in our lives, in the lives of one another, in our wives, our children, our friends, our neighbors, and to the ends of the earth.

We are to be men who are pouring out our very lives as a sacrificial offering for the sake of others faith (Phil 2:17).

We are to be those who are working out our salvation with fear and trembling by living out our lives without grumbling and disputes, especially unnecessary disputes, foolish disputes.

We are to be those who are working out our salvation with fear and trembling by living a blameless life, by pursuing a life of innocence in the ways of Christ.

We are to be those who are working out our salvation with fear and trembling by shining as lights in the midst of the darkness of a crooked and twisted generation.

It’s not just now that we have this, it has always existed. We shouldn’t be surprised by this.

We are to be those who are working out our salvation with fear and trembling by holding fast to the word of life, to Christ himself!