LAW

I grew up in a religious community that spoke of grace but relied on works.  I was taught that no one could ever earn their salvation but then was warned to "work out your salvattion with fear and trembling," quoting Philippians 2:12.  How could I argue with that?  More importantly, how could I understand or reconcile that with our teaching about grace and Paul's clear message of "you are saved by grace through faith - this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8)?

Just how itt it that I am to work out my salvation with fear and trembling on the one hand and to confidently rest in the assurance that my salvation is a gift from God that does not rest on me?  It would help to actually study the passages in context instead of just using individual verses as proof texts to support a particular point of view.

For instance, Paul didn't write Philippians 2:12 on a 3x5 postage card, it was part of a larger letter, part of which is in the very next verse (13), which reads, "For it is God who works in out to will and act in order to fulfill his good purpose."  Work out your salvation how?  Our salvation is worked out when we do not resist the Spirit of God working within us to mold and change us according to his will rather than our own.

We are not saved by our ability to work out the details of our salvation, we are saved so that the details of our salvation can be worked out.  As a born again child of God, I am being made new by the work of God within.  Unless, of course, I resist his Spirit and do not allow that change to be effected in my life.  Stephen warned the people of his day, "You stiff-necked people!  Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised!  You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
 (Acts 7:51).

We are not saved by following law.  Being saved, we embrace law - the law of Christ, allowing it to be worked out in our lives.  And that "entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one commandment:'Love your neighbor as yourself" (Gal 5:14).  We are to care for and "Carry our brother's burdens and in this way fulfill the law of Christ" (6:2).

Let me share with you an acronym I have taken from Micah 6:8 where the prophet tells us what God wants of us.  It is not resting on a law to save us, it is to allow the will or law of God to change us from the inside out.  The prophet said we are to Love mercy, Act justly, Walk humbly before our God.  This L.A.W. is the change that comes when the Spirit of Christ rules in our hearts.  Jus' Say'n.