WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION

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.

The scripture here is a favorite one for folks who would impose their ideas of Salvation upon anyone who will listen to them. The methods of "working it out" are as varied as the folks who are quoting the scriptures to us. Every group feels like they have a corner on the "Truth", and that their method is the ONLY one that will work, and anyone who will not obey what they prescribe is doomed. Such delusions are caused by trying to interpret the Word of God with our natural minds rather than seeking for the Spiritual interpretation which the Lord wants us to put on them.

God is Spirit, and the Word was dictated by Him. Therefore it is vital that we find, and apply, the Spiritual interpretation to what He has said in the Word which He has given to us.

If you have followed our writings closely, you have discovered by now that we strongly advocate that our Salvation is dependent entirely upon our trusting Jesus for the welfare of our soul, both now, and in the life hereafter. When we write about Salvation, that is what we are meaning-- trusting Jesus for the welfare of our soul in Eternity. THAT IS ENOUGH TO GET A PERSON INTO HEAVEN.

But, that is certainly not all there is to following Jesus. There are millions of folks who are save, but do not follow Jesus in the admonitions He has afforded us through His Word for the development of a life which is pleasing in His eyes. There will be little or no REWARD for the lifestyle they have lived, because there was little or no progression in a life that is God-pleasing.

Watch this! Most of the New Testament was NOT written to people WANTING TO BE SAVED-- instructing them how to live to obtain Salvation. Rather, it was written to people who were ALREADY SAVED-- teaching them how to live a life which was pleasing in the sight of God, and to prepare them for the KINGDOM OF GOD.

This is where the WORK comes in. This is where the warfare begins and often-times rages. Some of the battles with our flesh, to bring it into subjection to the Will of God, are long and fierce, and very taxing to our emotions. Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

It is, many times, so much easier to neglect our DEVELOPMENT in God than it is to WORK things out of our lives in an endeavor to qualify for the Kingdom. It is not for the faint-hearted. The Bible calls it "OVERCOMING"-- overcoming the flesh, that is. OUR flesh. And, it has nothing to do with whether or not we are saved by the blood of Jesus.

We are "Striving for the Masteries". We are "running a race". We are "fighting a fight."

Paul, who had such a marvelous experience of being saved from hell by the blood of Jesus, said of himself, I Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Paul also wrote: Philippians 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the (out)resurrection of (standing out from) the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

My understanding is, that we do not strive in doing these things to OBTAIN Salvation. Rather we strive to do them BECAUSE WE ARE SAVED ALREADY by the Blood of Jesus.

We are working for a place in the KINGDOM OF GOD.