Speaker Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text   MS Word Bobby Stafford Work Out Your Own Salvation Philippians 2:12-13

Work Out Your Own Salvation

Introduction:  Many in the religious world do not believe that works and salvation should be mentioned in the same sentence. Yet the apostle Paul does that very thing in our text - Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”  So what does God want us to learn from this passage?

Body:

1.  God’s Work In The Past

·  “Therefore” - the basis for Paul's exhortation is the fact that God has already begun a good work in them. Philippians 1:3-6, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  This good work started when they obeyed the gospel of Christ and became a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

·  This united them with Christ. Because of this union, the following happened:

             i.  Buried with Christ - Romans 6: 2-6.

            ii.  Been made free Romans 8: 1-2

            iii.  In the spirit Romans 8: 9.

            iv.  Crucified with Christ - Galatians 2: 20.

            v.  Put on Christ - Galatians 3: 27

            vi.  Seated with Christ - Ephesians 2: 5-6.

            vii.  Raised with Christ - Colossians 2: 11-12, 3: 1-4.

            viii.  Put off the old self - Colossians 3:9.

2.  The Believer’s Work In The Future

·  Believers must work out their salvation with great seriousness – “Fear and Trembling”. Since ones salvation can be lost, diligence is essential, 2 Peter 1: 10-11, 3: 17-18.

·  Paul uses a variety of words to describe this effect:

             i.  Pursuit - Romans 14: 19

            ii.  Pressing on - Philippians 3: 12

            iii.  Fight - 1 Corinthians 9: 2

            iv.  Race - 1 Corinthians 9: 24- 26

·  So even though God united us with Christ when we were baptized, we still must “work out our own salvation.”  In Romans 6, Paul asserts that believers have died to sin and been set free from sin (vs7), yet in verse 12 he says there is still work for us to do.  Another example is seen in Colossians 3 where Paul states this in verse 3.  But a few verses later he adds this – vs5.  Even though they have died with Christ, they still need to put to death the sin in their lives.

3.  Conclusion:  The command to work out one salvation can only be achieved due to God's prior work in the life of the believer. Let us remember it is God who supplies us with both the strength and ability to work out our salvation.  1 Peter 4:11. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  This is how Paul puts it: 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 

Prepared by Bobby Stafford

The church of Christ at Granby, MO

Located at
516 East Pine St.
P.O. Box 664
Granby, Mo. 64844
(417) 472-7109

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