“It’s a done deal. Here are your keys. Now your work begins.” This statement can fit lots of situations. My youngest son bought his first house a few years ago. Despite the fact, the purchase was a done deal, he’s learning that owning a home involves constant work for upkeep and improvements. Think of this in light of salvation. Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished!” This word was a common term and meant someone had paid a debt in full and the certificate for the debt destroyed. It’s as if He said, “It’s a done deal. I have paid your debt in full. Now, your work begins”. Don’t panic, I’m not teaching work theology. When we put our faith in Christ, He give us the gift of salvation, because He has paid our debt. Now we begin our work for Him not to earn salvation, not to repay Him, or to keep our salvation, we begin the life long process of sanctification.
From prison, Paul wrote to the church of Philippi to express his affection for them, thank them for a gift, and encourage the believers. Since he could not be there helping them grow in Christ, he tells them they must continue their obedience to Him. 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 (Phil 2:12 MSG). Paul further explains, work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). Note what it does not say; keep working for your salvation or work to keep your salvation. The word translated work out means to carry out the goal to its ultimate conclusion. By choosing this term Paul is urging them to carry out their salvation to its goal and ultimate conclusion—Christlikeness. This is a lifetime process.
Often people have asked me what was the greatest need I’ve observed in churches I have visited around the world. My simple answer has always been discipleship. Jesus’ final commission to His disciples was to go into the world and make disciples (Matt 28:19). Becoming His disciple is not a complicated task. The word means learner. He was commanding the Apostles to go and make learners, make pupils. After accepting Christ and receiving forgiveness of their sins, believers must then become a learner of Christ by a relationship with Him and a student of the Word. I call this the greatest need because so many people never move beyond the initial commitment. They call themselves a Christian, attend church regularly, may occasionally read the Bible, and even give to the church. However, they are believers but not disciples. A disciples are pupils who has fully committed themselves to learn and obey Jesus in every part of their life.
The believers at Philippi had been disciples of Paul learning from him and working out their salvation. Now with his absence, he instructs them to continue working out their salvation as disciples of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised, He [Holy Spirit] will teach you all things; He [Holy Spirit] will guide you into all the truth (Jn 14: 26; 16:13). Being a disciple is not a passive activity; it is active participation. No believer should take this lightly. Paul indicates this with the ending words, work out your salvation with fear and trembling (v12). Bringing our salvation to its ultimate conclusion isn’t something we can do alone neither does the Holy Spirit do it for us without our participation. Working out our salvation is not a self-empowered activity. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Paul assures us in the next verse we aren’t doing this alone. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philp 2:13 NTL).
I know too many believers who see salvation as just a ticket to heaven and never progress beyond that. Salvation is a broad term and contains several time-oriented phases. The first is repentance, justification, redemption, propitiation, regeneration and adoption. After we put our faith in Christ, these actions done by God are in the past. The second phase, sanctification, occurs in the present. This constitutes working out our salvation. The third phase, glorification, will happy in the future when we die. It is totally done by God. Until then we are in the process of sanctification being transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corin 3:18). Several times Paul tells us to put on the new self (Eph 4:24, Col 3:10); put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col 3:12). Put on is an active verb and something we do. In contrast, But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth (Col 3:8). Put aside is something we do.
Prove yourselves doers of the word (Jas 1:22). However we can’t work out our salvation alone in human strength. The done deal in phase one, includes the gift of the Holy Spirit. God made mankind to depend on Him. An element of working out our salvation is becoming dependent on God. As we become increasingly dependent of Him, we increasingly allow the Holy Spirit to give us the power and ability to do His will.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Phase one is a done deal. Now work out your salvation to its goal and ultimate conclusion—Christlikeness.