Therefore, 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,
Philippians 2:12 NIV
Paul writes to the church in Philippi, calling them friends. He has been led by God into missionary work there, and now there were brothers and sisters who had come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. That is what Christ does: in and by him, men who would ordinarily not qualify for mercy have become the objects and subjects of mercy. We are brought into a new standing in God, and enjoy the benefits and blessings of this new stand. No matter how different we may look on the outside, the common faith in Jesus has now made us connected to one another. We are bound together by a common bond and headed in the same direction. If that was all there is, life will be good, but there is more to it than just what has been laid out above.
The new stand comes with a lot of responsibilities. God who calls men to himself has clear ideas on how the call would work and what it would entail. God does not waste resources and if he calls, it is because there is an earthly assignment with eternal consequences that need to be done. The new stand comes with a lot of expectations from those called to stand in it. This church had a part of it figured out, and it has to do with obedience. This church was not one given to hypocrisy and eye-service. It was sincere in its service and obedient to instructions. The church did not only obey when Paul was in, but Paul could testify that even in his absence, the church would remain obedient. There is not much Jesus can do in the life of a disciple who is not committed to obedience. Where do I stand on the matter of total obedience?
Part of the instruction for a disciple is to keep working out my salvation. This is the continuous tense, which shows that it is never finished, until it is truly finished. It requires careful cultivation and daily pursuit of the goal, until it is fully complete. You do not start well and then stop in the middle of the journey. You do not keep the end in view and then allow yourself to be distracted by the things that have no relevance to the things that are really important. There is also a prescribed attitude as I work this out, and it must be with fear and trembling. Why this seemingly negative words? It is because when it comes to God, I cannot trust these carnal senses. They give you a false sense of security, making you comfortable, even when you are missing the mark. I must always rely on the help of the Holy Spirit to know how to walk and work per time, so that I do not make assumptions.
I must avoid anything that may offend God and make him withdraw from me, or bring disgrace or reproach to the name of Christ. It is a constant watch, where at all times, I am conscious of who I am, what I have left behind, who I serve now and what I am called into. Fear of God keeps my feet away from evil, and the fear of man is a snare that will lead a man into evil. I depend on the grace of God that has been given in abundant measure for the walk of faith I have been called into. I am saved but I must hold on to it to the end, so that I can enjoy the benefit of salvation, which is eternal life. That is the end; nothing else will matter. God's time of favour is here.
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