Christians, what does it mean in the Bible to work out your own salvation?

Answer 1

It means that Christians are responsible moral agents whom God has called to work in partnership with Him to live holy lives and persevere in the faith.

Philippians 2:12 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

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; (Phil. 2:12)

I believe this goes along with the concept of Jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6) If Messiah is our salvation, then His way is a process. Not that we work for our salvation, but "following" Jesus is a process, it's a Way of life.

That's one of the problems is that most people come at Christianity like at it's core it's just a religion, but Jesus didn't come to bring a new religion, he came to bring a new way of life....and he showed that way perfectly.

The first century church were called, followers of the Way, not Christians. The Scriptures talk about this, that Christians weren't called Christians till later Acts 11:26.

Answer 3

Philippians 2:12 - to work hard to show the results of your salvation, in light of the preceding exhortation to unity, may mean that the entire church was to work together to rid themselves of divisions and discord. Be careful about what you believe and how you live, especially when you are on your own in the absence of Christians leaders.

Answer 4

Choose which way you want to be judged at the end of time. That is why there are so many churches everyone is working out his own salvation. The way he wants to be judged. We need to mostly be concerned with our own decisions concerning salvation. We should pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us down the path God wants us to take in serving him.

Answer 5

Deuteronomy 30:19

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

We have a choice to choose salvation through Jesus and to continue to walk in Christ. Or we can choose to go our own way.

If we choose Christ and then at some point decide to walk away from knowing Him, we are choosing spiritual death, thus putting our salvation on the line. However if we come back He is faithful to forgive. We only hurt ourselves if we walk away.

Believe in the things not seen.

Answer 6

Whoops, another stumbling block to those walking in darkness, imagining that they are saved by faith alone.

Philippians 2:12 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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Remaining in God's friendship does not simply mean believing. Even the devils believe, and tremble.

There is only one passage in the Bible about faith alone: James 2:24. "You see that a person is justified by what he does and NOT by faith alone."

Here Paul talks about obeying God's divine law, even when he is not there to ride herd on them. Work to stay in a right relationship with God with fear and trembling, because salvation can be lost by a return to sin.

You have to endure in Christ to the end of life to live with him forever.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 7

The words 'fear and trembling' are the Greek words 'phobos' en 'traumos' , the words where we get our words phobia and trauma. It's telling that there is a particular importance to adhering to your trust in God. If you find yourself doubting, you'd better get back on track.

At any time God could revoke from us the status of saved. That's what the next verse is about. All according to His good purpose.

Philippians 2
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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Answer 8

Working for salvation is different than working out salvation. To work it out means you already have it and your working out the implications and applications.

Answer 9

It means that when Jesus comes back you will stand in front of him alone. You will not go to heaven based on anyone elses actions or beliefs. It is up to you to follow what the bible says. If you do not, then you can't blame anyone else if you do not make it to heaven.

Answer 10

Christ commanded that the Gospel be taught to all nations (Matthew 28:19). He said that after the Gospel had been preached they had to believe and be baptized (Mark 16:15-16). A great importance was placed upon the preaching of the word because without hearing the word no one could believe (Romans 10:14). Christ commanded repentance (Luke 13:3,5). The Apostle Peter preached repentance prior to baptism (Acts 2:38). Christ demanded confession that he was whom he was (Matthew 10:32-33). Confession is unto salvation (Romans 10:10). The final step for salvation, after hearing, believing, repenting, and confessing is baptism (Romans 6:3-5). We can see baptism as the final act in the conversion examples that we have in the book of Acts (Acts 2:22-47, 8:4-13, 8:26-39, 9:1-20, 22:6-16, 10:1-11:18, 16:13-15, 16:23-34, and 18:8). Christ said that if a person is not born again of water they shall not see the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:1-5). God’s plan for one to be saved is simple and true. One is taught the truth about Christ and the Kingdom (Church) (Acts 8:12). Then that person becomes part of the Church of Christ through obedience in baptism (I Corinthians 12:12-13). Remember that those that received Paul’s words were Christians and therefore had already been obedient to God’s plan of Salvation.

Philippians 2:12-13

"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.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. "
Notice that when Paul told them in his absence to work out their own salvation in trembling and fear (12), he also clearly told them in Verse 13 just how they would accomplish that. He says because it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure. And that Greek word translated do [energeo] is the exact same word translated worketh. The word means that God is the active one within you so that you will effectually work. So that when verse 12 says they will work (to the fullest), verse 13 lets us know explicitly that the effectual working unto salvation is by His actively moving us to do. It is not ourselves! That is what is meant by never forgetting the context. Here Paul is very plainly telling them that the work in them is not of them, but it is of God Himself. Not only to do (move us to work) but also to will (not free will, God's will) in us.
Paul is exhorting them that as they have listened to and obeyed his teaching of the word when he was present with them, so they should now listen and be obedient to the word when he is no longer present, and not be slothful but work out their own salvation with trembling and fear. In other words, Paul's going away and they are on their own (so to speak) with the Word of God. They must now work without the leadership of Paul. They must be earnest, work out their salvation in the word without him. And it is God who will both will and do it in them.