why does Paul say "I work out my salvation daily with fear and trembling" if salvation cannot be lost?

Question

the elevator is going down. You can understand that too can't ya?

all of you have neglected the fear and trembling part. What's that all about if he is saved and has no chance of losing his salvation?

Answer 1

You can lose your salvation.

Answer 2

Can a Believer "Lose" His Salvation?

Or Stated More Accurately, Can He Forfeit It?

the scripture clearly teaches BOTH the sovereignty of God AND the free will of men. To deny this is irrational, and must be caused by something other than reason based on scriptural precepts.

The scriptural position is that a person who is saved can forfeit that salvation. The bible teaches those at highest risk of forfeiting their salvation are those who are newly saved, and those who continue on in known disobedience, after being born again.

The elect are those whom God chose, whom God foresaw would both trust in His Son AND who would endure or persevere in the faith given them until the end of their physical life, or the return of Jesus.

Those whose hearts are seeking the Lord with all that is in them, should have no concern about "losing" their salvation. Nor should they have any concern about forfeiting their salvation.

Salvation cannot be lost, but it can be forfeited - this is the nature of covenants in the bible. The bible no where guarantee's someone that salvation once received cannot be turned away from or forfeited by the individual that possesses it.

Receiving salvation involves man's will, and not works. Forfeiting salvation involves man's will, and not works. In the same way the Lord did not force His salvation on anyone, He neither forces anyone to remain in the covenant.

Answer 3

There are abundant passages that speak of the believer receiving eternal and everlasting life. If you could "lose" it, then the word eternal has lost its meaning.

Jesus Himself said that those who come to Him, He "will in no wise cast out." (Jn. 6:37). He will not cast you out of his family no matter what comes to pass or under any circumstances.

John 10:27-29 makes it clear that no "man" can cause you to lose your salvation, because God your Father is greater than all men.

No man can lose his salvation on his own, because no man earned his salvation on his own (Eph. 2:8-9).

2 Tim. 1:12 assures us that it is Jesus Christ who keeps us, not we ourselves.

Take a moment are read Romans 8:38-39. Paul says that he was persuaded (convinced by argument) that none of the extremes of existence could cause him to lose his salvation.

Hope this helps!! :)

Answer 4

Wow. I'm very happy to be in the church Christ founded, the Catholic Church. The inventions of salvation previously posted are scary in their lack of understanding. Jesus clearly taught that he would judge us. It amazes me how many Christians hear a sermon by poorly trained preacher...but probably charismatic and convince ... who uses singular lines of St. Paul .. .out of context ... and ignore the most basic teachings of Jesus himself in the Gospels (as well as Peter teaching in Acts). The bottom line to Paul is that he was giving summaries in letters to communities that he also spoke to in person to explain and had correspondence with. No one superseded Jesus plain teaching about judgment (separate the sheep and goats... when you did this to the least of my brother you did this to me...10 Bridesmaids parable from Matthew. Many Protestant Pastors who beginto study the entire Bible in context and read the early Christian teachings - those closest to the actual Biblical authors become Catholic... See their stories on the Coming Home Network. Many speak about how poorly trained they were and how misinformed they were about what the early Church believed.

Answer 5

I have been studying salvation recently and what I found is that the Holy Spirit works to 'seal our salvation'...Ephesians 1:13. He empowers believers daily, to live transformed lives in Christ where you have that "fully persuaded..nothing shall separate me from the Love of God" sort of commitment in your salvation.

So though we are saved...it is possible to walk 'without power' and therefore be constantly tormented with the temptations you fell to before being saved.

That said..I believe Paul was expressing his humility and his admonishment to the Body of believers to do likewise-work out your salvation daily...and never forsake the gift. When you begin to treat it like it cant be compromised is usually when you do.

Answer 6

CJ is right, although I pray to God that the Lord will talk to him about the way he bashes Catholics. Jeepers, talk about a terrible witness.

Working out your own salvation means, tending to your own business and not pointing fingers at other Christians *looks over at CJ*.

Answer 7

To "work out" in this case, IMO, doesn't mean to resolve or create; it means to manifest or make visible. Salvation is deposited within us by God, and day by day we learn to "work it out" in our everyday lives, to make what was put within us permeate through us to the outside, into our everyday world.

Actually, God himself is doing the work!

Philippians 2:12-13 (New International Version)
12Therefore, 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, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Philippians 2:12-13 (The Message)
12-13What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

With God working for you, how can you lose?

Answer 8

So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Cmty-Personal - Phil 2:12
* (1)So
I.e., as a consequence of taking Christ as a pattern of
obedience in the preceding verses.
* (2)obeyed
This answers to becoming obedient in v.·8.
* (3)work
I.e., carry out, bring to the ultimate conclusion. We have
received God's salvation, which has as its climax our being
exalted by God in glory as the Lord Jesus was (v.·9). We need to carry out this salvation, to bring it to its ultimate conclusion, by our constant and absolute obedience with fear and trembling. We have received this salvation by faith; now we must carry it out by obedience, which includes our being genuinely one in our soul (v.·2). To receive this salvation by faith is once for all; to carry it out is lifelong.
* (4)(a)salvation
# Php 1.19
Not eternal salvation from God's condemnation and from the lake
of fire but the daily salvation that is a living Person. This
daily salvation results from taking the very Christ whom we live,
experience, and enjoy as our inward as well as outward pattern.
The main elements of this salvation are Christ as the crucified
life (vv. 5-8) and Christ in His exaltation (vv. 9-11). When this
pattern becomes the believers' inward life, the pattern becomes
their salvation. Only this would make the apostle's joy full.
In ch.·1 salvation comes through the bountiful supply of the
Spirit of Jesus Christ, but here salvation comes from the
operating God within us. The operating God is actually the Spirit
of Jesus Christ. In both these cases salvation is a practical,
daily, moment-by-moment salvation. The constant salvation in 1:19
is one in which a particular believer is saved from a specific
encounter in a particular situation; whereas the constant
salvation in 2:12 is one in which any believer is saved from
ordinary things in common situations in his daily living.
* (5)(b)fear
# 2Co 7.15 Eph 6.5
Fear is the inward motive; trembling is the outward attitude.

Answer 9

He says work OUT salvation, not FOR salvation. Work out how it plays in your daily life and what it means to different things in you life.

Catholics are not saved Christians, which is why they can't understand even one verse.

Answer 10

If you want salvation, simply make a commitment to LOVE.

Answer 11

You should not neglect the verse that follows: For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do for his good pleasure.