“…work out your own salvation…” Philippians 2:12 In seventh grade, my math teacher, one of the great things about him was that he gave us the complete freedom to do our math problems as fast or as slow as we needed to. He did have one requirement though, and that was for us to show all of our work in how we came up with our answers. See, in the back of our math books were the answers to all of our problems and he knew that if we didn’t have to show our work, we would just go to the back of the book and get all of the answers. In the long run, if we did not know how to work out mathematical problems, we would not know how to solve them later in life. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, he told them something very similar, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (v.12-13)The Apostle Paul is not saying that salvation comes through works because salvation comes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather Paul is saying that we have a responsibility to actively take part in the process of being set apart for God’s great purposes. Part of the sanctification process is facing difficult situations. This is where we are refined and where our faith is strengthened. The Bible tells us over and over again that we will face hard times in this life, and if we do not know how to mentally work out our faith in Jesus Christ in those trials, we will fail to endure and possibly abandon our walk with the Lord. But it’s not just hard times that are used for our sanctification; it’s also those times when God calls us to do something for His great purpose. If we do not know how to mentally work out our faith in Jesus Christ in those callings, we are going to just walk around the desert for 40 years. Now, when I say work out our faith, I am referring to an actual mathematical process that takes place in our mind. Here is the formula: A+B=C. A=God’s word, B=His character, and C=the answer in our situation. The answer, most often, is not “to” our situation, but rather is “in” our situation, to strengthen us in it and through it. But in order to get this answer, we need to know how to show our work meaning that we need to know what God’s word says, and we need to know who God is through a personal relationship with Him. Remember, the only expectation we should have of God is that He will do what He has said He will do, and that He is who He says He is. It is only by having these two things will we be able to work out our faith properly and effectively. “Father, when we find ourselves in these times, help us to work out our faith and consider all that You have said, and all that You are.” Be blessed for He is God!
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:14:06 +0000