So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
B.This message means to us that each Christian is to spend his or her life as a tool in the hands of God, working in reverence with a view to the eternal salvation that will come on the day of Christ.
II.CONTEXT
A.The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians while imprisoned in Rome around 62 A.D.
1.Paul had originally been arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-23:11) and then imprisoned in Caesarea for two years (Acts 24:27).
2.After he appealed to Caesar for a trial (Acts 25:11), he was taken by an arduous journey to Rome (Acts 27-28:15), where he was imprisoned (house arrest) for an additional two years (Acts 28:30).
B.This letter was a word of encouragement for the Philippian Christians to press on and finish what they had started when they first committed themselves to God through Christ.
1.Paul had first come to Philippi around 51 A.D. (Acts 16:12-40) when he taught Lydia and the jailer.He came again around 57 A.D. (Acts 20:1-6).Therefore, when he wrote this letter, it had been around five years since the Philippians had seen him.
2.In spite of his absence, Paul encouraged the Philippians to continue their service to God.
a.Paul’s absence and imprisonment could have been a cause of discouragement for the Philippians.Instead, Paul showed how they should be encouraged because his imprisonment had actually promoted the cause of Christ (Phil. 1:12-18).
b.Paul presented himself as an example to encourage the Philippians to press on.He did not consider his work to be complete nor did he consider that his reward was secure (Phil. 3:12-16).Therefore, he pressed on toward his goal and commanded the Philippians to follow his example (Phil. 3:17).
c.Paul showed that neither his absence nor presence was relevant to how the Philippians should have served Christ.Notice 1:27 (“whether I come and see you or remain absent”) and 2:12 (“not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence”).Whether he was with them or not, the Philippians could still practice the things they had learned and received and heard and seen in Paul (Phil. 4:9).
III.WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION
A.Understanding the context in which the letter to the church at Philippi was written helps us to easily understand the meaning of Philippians 2:12-13.
1.In truth, the passage means exactly what it says, and no explanation is really required.
2.However, Calvinists, who advocate a doctrine of salvation by faith only, are provoked to explain this passage in light of their doctrine.The passage conflicts with Calvinism because it connects salvation with work and obedience.
B.First, notice that Paul was drawing an application for the Philippians based on the example of Christ presented in Philippians 2:5-11.
1.Paul wrote that Christ “humbled Himself by becoming obedient” (v. 8).He did this in the interest of others rather than for Himself.God then blessed Christ as a result of His obedience – “Therefore also God highly exalted Him…” (v. 9).
2.Paul used the example of Christ to demonstrate to the Philippians that if they imitated the obedience of Christ in humbling themselves and serving one another, they could expect God to likewise bless them.
C.Notice that Paul was not commanding the Philippians to do something different or new, but rather he urged them to continue what they had done from the beginning.
1.This is a beautiful commendation for the Philippians, for Paul says that they had “always obeyed.”
2.This is a great example for us.How great it would be if every church would always obey!
D.The passage explains itself in that it shows exactly what it is to “work out your salvation.”
1.If we overlook for a moment what Paul said about his absence or presence in verse 12, then the verse says, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed…work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”Therefore, we can understand that work in this passage is the same as obedience to God.
2.The obedience to God to which Paul refers ultimately leads to the salvation of the soul, hence the phrase “work out your salvation.”
a.Calvinists deny this by saying that salvation in this verse refers to the salvation of lives, meaning that Christians’ once worthless lives are salvaged to serve a good purpose.
b.However, verses 14-16 show it must be the soul’s salvation that is considered.Notice that Paul admonished the Philippians to continue their obedience (“holding fast the word of life” – v. 16) so that his toil with them would not have been in vain “in the day of Christ.” Certainly, Paul was looking to the Judgment Day when the souls of Christians will ultimately be saved for eternity.Paul’s toil with the Philippians would only be vain (worthless) in the day of Christ if they fell short of salvation.
c.Obedience to the gospel of Christ is a condition by which men may receive salvation.Consider Hebrews 5:9 – “And having been made perfect, He (Christ) became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”Compliance with the condition does not earn salvation (Christ is the source or author), but failure to comply certainly forfeits salvation (2Thess. 1:6-10).
3.Therefore, to “work out your salvation” is to continue (work out to the end) in obedience to God with a goal of salvation in the day of Christ.
E.Paul gave encouragement to the Philippians to continue their work (obedience) by pointing out that it was God who was at work in them (Phil. 2:13).
1.It was important for them to realize that God was with them even if Paul was not.It was God whom they served and not Paul.
2.This is why they were told to work out their salvation “with fear and trembling.”Their reverence for God should have far outweighed any respect they had for Paul.
3.Notice that Paul wrote that God worked in them “both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
a.Calvinists abuse this verse according to their doctrine, crediting this as a work of the Holy Spirit directly upon a person to make him desire to do what is good (the Calvinist doctrine of saving grace).
b.Actually, this describes the influence that God has upon a Christian through His word to arouse the Christian’s desire to obey His will.Through His word, God provides the motivation and the directions (will and work) for Christians to please Him.When a Christian acts upon the word of God, it is God working in him.(Compare the working of God in a Christian in Philippians 2:13 to the working of the word of God in a Christian in 1Thessalonians 2:13.This working is the same.)
c.This is why Paul wrote these words to them by inspiration – to give them motivation and direction through the word of God.If the desire to do what is good came by a direct act of the Holy Spirit, then the words written by Paul would have been unnecessary.
4.This verse echoes the words of Philippians 1:6.
a.Paul wrote, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
b.This reveals the same things we have noticed above – that God is at work in those who obey Him, and that this work will be perfected (completed) in the day of Christ (at the Judgment).
IV.CONCLUSION
A.The letter to the Philippians is wonderfully optimistic and forward-looking.We should be as well.
1.If Paul could see the good in his imprisonment and use it to encourage others, surely we can find the good in our own situations as well.
2.The words of Paul are constantly casting our minds forward to the “day of Christ,” that is, the occasion when we may meet our Lord and receive His reward.See 1:6; 2:12, 16; 3:12-14, 20-21.This is where our minds and hearts should always be (see 4:8).
B.With this spirit of optimism, let us work out our lives with a goal of salvation, not attempting to merit salvation, but seeking to please God by obeying His will in all things.Let God work in you by doing His word.Have confidence that He will perfect His work in you and the church.“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
