Do you ever fear that you haven’t done enough to prove yourself? That you haven’t loved enough, given enough, or worked hard enough to be considered good or worthy? Sometimes I have felt that way, and, unfortunately, there is a Bible verse that seemed to reinforce my fear. Philippians 2:12-13 commands, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
That verse scared me because I long ago realized the there is no way I could work out my own salvation. Sometimes I didn’t even like myself, so how could God or anyone else like me? Then someone pointed out that I had misunderstood the verse. It doesn’t mean “work out” like I have to take care of it on my own. It means “work out” like in a gym. Working out in a gym doesn’t produce muscles, it strengthens the muscles you already have. Philippians 2:12 has a similar meaning, we aren’t told to produce salvation, but to exercise it. The God who gave us our muscles as a gift, also gave us our salvation as a gift. By working out this precious gift that God has given us, it will become stronger. Verse 13 adds this thought: when we work out our salvation, we will see the purposes of God fulfilled through us.
Praise HIM , for it is GOD who works within you , both to will and to work for His good pleasure.