Working Out Salvation

Growing up in the church and throughout my early years in ministry training, one of the things I heard little about was grace.  Oh, it was mentioned from time to time but always with a "but."  For instance, "We are saved by grace, but we have to..." and then fill in the blank with an explanation of how we are really saved by what we do instead of what we do instead of what He did.

I remember hearing over and over again "work out your salvation in fear and trembling," which is in the Bible, however is not the complete statement but rather what I would call a "proof text," a bit of Scripture used to support an already tightly held belief rather than actually engage in biblical inquiry.

Let's take a look at the entire statement and see the difference: "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" (Phl 2:12-13). 

Do you see it?  The "working out salvation" is not earning or achieving salvation by your efforts, that is done by God alone ("it is the free gift of God, not by works" Eph 2:8-9).  As we look at the entire thought, we are to work out in our lives what God has willed and worked into our lives.  He saves us and out of that salvation a new life is to be lived, a life that reflects the saving power of God within.  It is "new-creature living" (see 2 Cor 5:17) not working to become a new creature.  Jus' Sayn.