Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Ph 2:12-13, NIV
With the presence of Christ in you, working out your salvation - growing in your understanding of faith and understanding of who God really is - is completed by Christ and His power. It is not completed by you or your power or efforts.
Thank Goodness!
Working out our salvation, understanding who God is can be daunting. Until that moment we realize God is the one who is doing the actual work. It is His effort in us ; His working in us so His purpose is fulfilled.
Not only His Purpose.
His. Good. Purpose.
When we try to work out our salvation on our own, we realize there is no way we can be successful on our own. Christ is the one who fills the gap between the call and completion. His presence in our life and in us, spills out and fills us. He completes our abilities. In those moments,when we know our call, we can choose fear or faith. Will we allow God to work through us to complete his good and perfect will?
“Work” is an active verb. To “work” out my salvation, I have to be a part of the process. God will not transform me in between dreams at night. He may plant seeds and thoughts and desires, but the working out, the cultivating, the maturing part requires my participation.
There is a danger for Christians who think because we are saved we are sanctified. God is always working out our faith in us. If we are breathing air, we have more to comprehend. The answer is to become uncomfortable with our faith walk, seek a deeper relationship, let God find the gaps in our salvation and fill them.
There is always more life in Christ.
Welcome it.