Working out your salvation

Philippians 2:12 & 13:  12Therefore, 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, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

While doing my reading this morning and for the first time in 20+ years sometime jumped out at me. "continue to work out your salvation". I have read this verse I don't know how many times, but never has it really hit me what this means. I have always focused on the fear and trembling part and missed the rest of it. But this time some things struck me about it.

The words 'continue' and 'work out' imply activity. It is not up to God to walk my Christian walk. It is up to me. In verse 13, God states that He will give me the power to continue working out my salvation. The word 'continue' means 'to go on with or to persist in'. Again, this is an action! I can't sit back and expect God to make me perfect, or even better, if I don't actively participate in the process! The term 'work out' literally means 'to bring about by work, effort, or action; to evolve; elaborate; to prove effective or successful; to practice, exercise, or train, especially in order to become proficient'. There are a lot of active words there: bring, effort, action, evolve, elaborate, prove, practice, exercise, train - none of those words are passive.

YES, I need God's hand and power in order to "will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." However, I am the one that needs to persist in practicing, exercising, training, proving my salvation. Without God, this is not possible. Without my effort, this is not possible. God has so graciously allowed my salvation to be a team effort. Not the initial salvation part - that is a gift that I could never earn - but to continue my walk in such a way that is pleasing to God - it must be done WITH the power of the Holy Spirit working in me, but it must also be done with my active participation. It reminds me of the parable of the talents - the one that passively buried his portion ended up losing it, but the ones that actively participated in 'becoming proficient' were given an even greater reward!

Strive to be part of the team that God has designed. Persist in becoming more proficient (well-advanced, competent, an expert) in my fulfilling the purpose that God has laid out for me.