Work It Out

Therefore, my beloved, as you 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. Phil 2:12

Paul commanded his disciples to work out. Before we head off to the gym though, the workout was for our salvation. The work out methods are a bit strange. Paul told us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. So...put on some horror movies and work out that salvation? That doesn't seem quite right, although a bit of fright can remind us to pray. I'm fairly sure that God does not need any of the old oogy-boogy to bring us back to His flock. Well, maybe that first instinct of the flesh to think about the self is wrong in this case.

As I heard again this weekend, the matter of humility is not thinking less about the self, but thinking about the self less (as in less often). Which may give us an idea of where the word 'selfless' came into our language. The fear and trembling may well be for those who are not yet saved by the blood of the Lamb. Indeed, the verse begins with a therefore which should remind us to check into what Paul said before, and before is that great statement of Christ's lordship, Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess... (v 9-11)

So, with fear and trembling for those we love who do not yet believe in the salvation offered by our Lord Jesus, we work out our salvation on the rack of Revelation. "That's not a rack," the Lord reminds me. True, and the Lord is of course quite right as always, but within the warning of what is to come is the story of plagues that we fear for those who go after the Antichrist; and with fear and trembling for what may happen to those who choose their own way over God's Way, we workout our salvation in prayer and supplication for our neighbor, whom we love in Christ. As all Heaven was silent for half an hour at the Revelation, we too can fear for and tremble over the fate of those who choose against our Lord. This fear and trembling must then drive us to prayer for someone other than ourselves; a good workout for our salvation.

Now, down on the knees, and a one prayer, two prayers...

Bucky