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.
13)
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14)
Do all things without
murmurings and disputings:
15)
That ye may be blameless
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16)
Holding forth the word of
life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither laboured in vain.
|
O |
ften,
we listen to and repeat scriptural phrases and songs out of habit, yet miss
their real meaning. When Paul admonishes us to “work out (our) own salvation,”
he did not mean we were to work, study, read, pray or fast to receive it.
Salvation was given to us as a gift.
To
“work out” our salvation means to recognize it first as a gift from God, and
that it is something of great value and irreplaceable. Things we value or treasure are maintained because they bring joy and
contentment. Because Jesus brings joy—and with contentment, He brings to us
great gain—how does such joy translate into murmuring and complaints against
God? How does He become the object of our murmuring, disgust and blame for our
spiritual failure?
We
place our faults and failures on Him and on others because we neglect to accept
our responsibility as saints of God. The scriptures emphasize that we are our
brother’s keeper, that we keep our minds stayed on
Christ Jesus, that we resist the devil, that we submit ourselves to God, and
that we hold our peace and continue to know the Lord. These personal
implications are repeated throughout the scriptures and must be accepted; for
when they are applied, the results will far exceed any oral ministry we take
upon ourselves.
It
is a fact that words normally do not convince anyone to accept salvation
because what it said is not generally what is remembered. Most people focus on
why people say what they say and how it applies to them. Of course, what is
said is never considered applicable to the person to whom it is said. For
example, people believe that working for the
Our
lives are examples—whether they be good or bad. In
that one does not naturally do things he does not want to do, the only way
we can “work out” our salvation is by desiring to reach others through the
testimony of our life. That testimony is shown by our reverence and praise
to God as we go from faith experience to faith experience, and by our desire
to maintain or make full proof of our salvation. Therefore, beloved, work
out your own salvation!