2009 Nov 15 - Working out your own salvation (Phil. 5:12)

“Working out” our salvation is very much like “working on” any relationship.We only advanced one verse (Philippians 5:12) this week, but the discussion was VERY helpful for at least some of us.

We began with a review of the first part of Philippians 2. David added this thought to previous discussions: Perhaps a good paraphrase is “Don’t be preoccupied with your own interests.” In light of last week’s discussion, this seemed a good addition.

If we are to help others with their problems, then it is important that each of us be willing to ask others for help when we need it.

Since Philippians 2:5-11 is the basis for the “therefore” in Philippians 5:12, David asked us to describe Jesus’ attitude. We identified servanthood, humility, and obedience.

Paul uses the phrase, “work out your salvation.” This seemed to fly in the face of the rest of scripture. We are reminded by Jesus and Paul that this new life is a gift, not earned at all. David used the term “synergistic” to describe how people and God work together.

“Working out” our salvation means accepting God’s free gift and making it operable, or getting it into “working order” in our lives.

“Working out” our salvation is very much like “working on” any relationship.

We discussed “prevenient grace.” Even before any of us responded to God’s gift, we recognize that He was already working in our lives to prepare us for what He is offering.

This gift of God involves three things: He makes us right with Him (called “justifying” us); He gives us a brand new life, letting us start all over (“regeneration”); and He makes us His children (“adoption”).

“Working out” our salvation is NOT following another set of rules. Sometimes new Christians are given guidelines based on a “collective Christian conscience,” because some things are just plain helpful and others harmful to the Christian walk. But the goal is to have mature Christians who listen to the Spirit of God directly.

This reminded class members of other images: Rules are essential for children, but we expect our children to grow beyond following rules and to become responsible citizens. God’s new life is compared (2 Corinthians 3:3) to having rules written on our hearts instead of on stone tablets. And the “Thinking Man” becomes a picture of our own Christian lives: We are not to follow a rulebook, but to think through how God wants us to live.

As God matures each of us, we need to understand that we are all treated differently. We must allow Him to work in others’ lives without us judging them. He knows their needs, their circumstances, far better than we can, and we can trust Him to guide them just as He guides us.