It is God Who Works in You

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but 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 work for his good pleasure.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” (Philippians 2:12-18 ESV)

It is true that we can do nothing in ourselves to earn or to deserve our own salvation. The good works of our flesh will never be good enough to secure for us salvation from sin and eternal life with God. It is only by the grace of God, through God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, that any of us are saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life with God. But faith in Jesus, which comes from God, and is gifted to us by God, and is persuaded of God, demands that we die with Christ to sin and obey our Lord’s commands.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 1:12-13; Jn 6:44; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 15:58; 2 Co 5:9; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Gal 6:8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 5:10; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:9-14; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Thes 4:1; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:4,21; Tit 2:11-14; Tit 3:8; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 11:6; Heb 12:1-2; Heb 13:6; Jas 2:17; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 Jn 3:22]  

So, what is grace? It is God’s kindness, his favor to us, as Jesus Christ freely gave himself away for us to die on a cross for our sins so that we will be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to righteousness. And God’s grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await his return. For he gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (See Titus 2:11-14)

So, working out our own salvation is not us trying, in our flesh, to earn our salvation, which cannot be done in the flesh. It is us walking by the grace of God in the salvation already provided according to the commands of our Lord under the New Covenant. It is us walking in obedience to our Lord in faithful surrender to him and to his will for our lives so that, by his grace, we are saved at the end, and we have eternal life with God. And it is us walking in holiness and in righteousness and no longer in sin, by his power.

And we should not be those who grumble and complain to God about our circumstances and about having to obey him and to repent of our sins. We should want to obey the Lord because we love him. And because we love him we should want to walk in his ways and in his truth and not in sin. For as his followers we are to be blameless, not absolutely perfect, but we are to be those who are walking in righteousness and holiness and in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin, in practice.

And we are to be those who are shining the light of the truth of the gospel in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, both in the words that we speak (or write), and in our actions and attitudes. For we are not to blend in with the world. We are not to immerse ourselves in our culture. We are not to be those who are becoming more like the world to win the people of the world to our businesses, called “church.” But we are to be living and teaching the gospel that Jesus and his NT apostles taught, in full biblical context.

But this will cost us. It will cost us friends and supporters and people who will not want to be with us and who may discard and abandon us, and who may even speak evil against us and fight against us and who will falsely accuse us of what we did not do just because they disagree with us. For the Scriptures teach that if we are true followers of Christ that we will be hated and persecuted like he was. And so there may be times when we have to stand alone with the majority against us, and it will be hard.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

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