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Working Out Your Salvation

 

We don't have to work for salvation; rather, we rely on the Holy Spirit to change us from within.

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12 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; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

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In today’s passage, what does it mean to “work out your salvation”? Many people mistakenly think Paul was telling us to work for our salvation. But the apostle was saying something completely different—that your salvation experience isn’t the end of your spiritual journey. It’s the beginning.

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Once you have trusted Jesus as Savior, you can start living out what He’s given you—His abundant life. If you’ve given your heart to Him, the Holy Spirit now indwells you forever. It is God’s Spirit working in and through you that provides the power to lean into the fullness of your salvation.

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As your faith and relationship with the Lord develop, you’ll begin to notice Him moving in your life. Then, when you share your faith and blessings with others, it will become evident that God is working through you in new ways. Keep following Him, and the seeds He has planted within you will start to flourish (Isaiah 55:10-11). So “work out your salvation” means reverently acting on the basis of what God has already given you—and allowing the life of Christ within you to come into full flower.

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Your salvation should become an expression of Jesus’ life wherever you are. As you work it out, God’s Spirit will energize you to make a difference and impact others in countless ways.

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By Charles Stanley

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