Working Out Our Salvation--Philippians 2:12

This is probably an odd thing to post, but these are some of my sermon notes from a message I preached a few weeks ago.  I am always interested in how other preachers arrange their notes and what they look like, so here is a snapshot of one of mine.

Philippians 2:12-13 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.  These verses give us the two sides of sanctification…Man’s responsibility, and God’s provision… today we will focus on vs 12…man’s responsibility…our responsibility before God in the living of our Christian life….

What we are to do….How we are to do it…

This verse gives us the command then tells us how to carry it out….both in action and in attitude

Work out…literally means to work fully, to accomplish, to finish…it means to bring about, it means to fully carry out an assignment….to carry out a task until it is finished…

You stay at it until it is finished….rake all the leaves, wash all the dishes, cover the entire wall with paint….doing all that is required to finish the task while leaving nothing undone.

What are we to work out…..our salvation….ACTION

What is not said…work for your salvation, or work to be saved or get saved…what is implied in the syntax here is that the salvation has already begun, but not yet completed…

3 tenses of salvation…..See 2:13 and then 1:6

There are logical and consequential results of being saved…there is the continuum of salvation…and the culmination of salvation….we are in the continuum….

Colossians 1:5b-6 the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day your heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.

So in the continuum of salvation we have been a command, a responsibility that is ongoing, a command that we are to carry out, a responsibility to shoulder, as long as we have the breath of life in our bodies

So what does this working out of salvation look like…what pictures can we draw from the word of God…so we will know what this responsibility entails.

Get our mind right

Colossians 3:1-2 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above…Set your mind on the things above and not on the things of the earth.

I Corinthians 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

I John 2:15-17….

….We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ….

Put our shoulder to the plow

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, if fit for the kingdom of God.

I Thessalonians 1:3 Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of God our Father.

I Corinthians 9:24-27

I Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called….

Philippians 3:12-14

Ephesians 6:10-14 Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might…stand firm against the schemes of the devil….resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing

I Timothy 6:18-19 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

II Peter 1:5-8

II Peter 1:11 For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil in not in vain in the Lord.

Finish what we start…what the word work out means….

Luke 8:15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

Romans 2:7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality…

II Thessalonians 1:4…perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure…

I Timothy 6;11…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness…

II Peter 1:6…perseverance…

Revelation 1:9…I John, your fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus…

Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

If this was a paint by numbers painting, we would not have the painting completely covered, but we have the outline of the picture, and enough filled in to know what the picture looks like and what colors go where.

How we are to work it out

In Obedience…compound word…means to heed…to hear and to do…

Follow the same pattern of obedience…the same obedience as if he was there watching….

II 10:5…every thought captive to the obedience of Christ….

II Corinthians 9:13…they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ

Romans 2:8…II Thessalonians  do not obey the truth, do not obey the gospel…

Mark 1:15…Repent and believe the gospel…

I Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love for the brethren

Romans 6:16-17 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?  But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.

James…not just be hearers of the word…who delude themselves, but doers of the word.

Luke….why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do as I say.

With Fear and trembling…ATTITUDE…phrase used many times in the Scriptures…Mark of profound reverence, the utmost respect, the highest regard, and the greatest esteem….

fear and trembling present a picture for us of worship, reverence and homage

Psalm 2:11-12a Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling.  Do homage to the Son…

Out of this worship, reverence, and homage comes a profound desire to please

II Corinthians 5:9-11 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according what he has done, whether good or bad.  Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God…

Colossians 1:9-10…we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of Him, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

I Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more….