My Part!

My Part!

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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.
Philippians 2:12 KJV

Paul speaks here, charging those he had spent time with to remember the things he had taught and shown them. There was a testimony by Paul about their sincere obedience, and not the hypocrisy we see so often these days. We act in a certain way when people are watching us, and then we act in another way when nobody seems to be around, forgetting that God sees the heart and understands the WHY behind the WHAT that I do.

Let it be clearly stated that what i need to work out isn't the initial salvation bit, where the blood of Jesus offers the only way out of sin. There is nothing I could do to deserve or earn it; it is a free gift offered to all men everywhere, and I enjoy the benefits of it when I have surrendered control to Christ. Then comes the working out, my own part. It is not a celebration of human effort or achievement, because what I do must take its source and nourishment from the finished work of Christ.

So, I work daily, keeping at the back of my mind who I am working for and why I am working. It is 'my own salvation' because even though I am called into fellowship with Christ with other people, it is still an individual walk and work. Others could be a blessing, holding my hand for a reason or a season as I walk through life, but ultimately, it is an individual thing. And why should I do all these with fear and trembling? Could it be it is because there is no such thing as eternal security?

The 'once saved, forever saved' message must be carefully considered in the light of what God intends. God does not intend that there will be multiple salvation experiences for me, but I could make mistakes and return to Him, and He will pardon. The caution is that I do not presume on this grace and live as I please, as I do not know my day of visitation. I keep that fear of and for God at the back of my mind as I work an walk, so that at the end of it all, I can be truly and eternally saved and safe. His time of favour is here.