Working It Out/Living It Out

Have you ever wondered about Philippians 2:12, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”? Have you ever asked yourself, what does that mean, what does that look like, what is the purpose and/or reason? I have. It can be a perplexing statement, but it is an instructive one. To understand the statement it is important to put it in its context.

In chapter one Paul begins to talk about his resolve to continue in life in order to continue ministering to the churches. His one request of the Philippians is that they conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel (1:27). He then gives them his reasons, the ultimate of which is that “...to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for his sake...” (1:29). He then begins to talk about all the benefits found in the Christian faith: encouragement, consolation or comfort, fellowship, affection and compassion. He then says, if you have these things in Christ, and you do, then live like it; be unified; look out for one another; be selfless. The sum of this would be that Christians, who have been granted the privilege of suffering with Christ will love one another even to the point of dying for one another.

Having said this, he gives them a perfect example and shows them how Christ subjected himself to humiliation in order to serve others. He faced and went through the miseries of this life, including a cruel death, in order to deal compassionately with us. As a result God exalted him. God lifted him up above all others in stature and worth and made him Lord over all with the power to subdue the nations and one day judge all people. This is our example. It has been granted to us to share in that humiliation. So it has also been granted to us to share in that exaltation. Christ faced his humiliation with tears and sweat drops of blood, but through it he was exalted. Through his selflessness he became the highest sovereign.

When Paul says that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling he is saying to us, abandon your perceived rights to comfort, privilege, and respect, and give yourself over to the humiliation of Christ, which comes inherently when you live for others to save them from hell. Live out the privilege of your salvation, the privilege of suffering with Christ. It will be no easy thing, and so you must do it with great fear and trembling, weeping through the sorrow that you must surely endure for the sake of Christ and others.

This is what it mean to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. You are not earning something, you are living something out and doing so is a fearsome thing. But, oh the reward, to share in his exaltation, his resurrection. This is a gift worth looking forward to, even through tears.