One Work We Must Work.

09 Sep One Work We Must Work.

Laziness is a tool in the hands of the enemy to keep people from making progress in life. It is true that the favour of God can escalate a man’s promotion but this does not apply to those who would not put their hands to work. Only one who is doing something can receive favour from God, and only a hard worker can sustain and grow in God’s favour.
There is nothing that cost nothing. Whatever we got for free must have cost some other person, one way or the other.

Salvation is free, for us, but it cost God something… someone… His very life. Click To Tweet

However, in order to sustain and grow in this salvation, in order to complete the salvation and receive the ultimate reward, we must work. We must depend on God for sure, but God will not work the work for us. We have our own part to play in standing our ground in Christ, in making sure we do not lose our souls in this dark-dark world.

Laziness/complacency won’t do it.
If we lay back after confessing Christ and do nothing, we would slip back into the old way of life. If we grow to a certain level in our faith and decide to relax a bit we will stunt in growth, after a while we begin to backslide.

There are so many things that are struggling for our attention, so many things that want to take our attention from Christ and our focus on heaven but we must take heed to the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:12 AMP
Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, [i]with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

Every person will have to answer for him/her self. Salvation is a very personal race and no one can run for another. So each individual MUST work out their own salvation.
Notice that the scripture reads that there is a way which we are to work it out… in fear and trembling according to The King James Version of The Holy Bible.

In explaining the HOW to work out our salvation, I like the way The Amplified version breaks down the words Fear and Trembling;

1. Self-Distrust.
This means lack of confidence in self- dictionary.com. It means not relying on one’s intellect or ability but relying solely on God’s grace and help.

2. Serious Caution.
This indicates that we should continually be at alert, never letting down our guard. It means we should careful, prudent, watchful as Christians, as sheep among wolves.

3. Tenderness of conscience.
This means that we must pray for and maintain a heart that is more intent to hear from God on every issue and at all times. We must seek a heart that is willing and obedient to God. A heart like this will not miss God.

4. Watchfulness against temptation.
In working out our salvation we must stay watchful against temptation. This means we must see evil for what it is, and maintain a zero tolerant heart and attitude toward sin. We must run after truth not tolerance.

5. Timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God or discredit the name of Christ.
We must shy away from anything that will offend God. No matter how popular it is or the pressure that comes upon us. If it offends God we must shrink from it. If it will discredit Christ’s name we must not be part of it.

I like that God does not only tell us what to do and how to do it, He also enables us to do it. Click To Tweet

The next verse excites me so much.

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while [j]effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Philippians 2:13 AMP

God works the work in us to desire it and also enables us to do it. Now doesn’t mean we have nothing to do about our salvation. We must ask God to work it in us and also be willing to follow His nudges.

No matter how much God stirs us up to His good pleasure and how much of His ability He gives us, if we do not take the steps to actually ‘do’, we will not work out our salvation.

So while we rely on God for grace, we must put that grace to work like Apostle Paul…

But by the grace (the unmerited favour and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favour and blessing) of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 AMP Highlight for emphasis

The blessedness of it.
Working out our salvation is a command that any serious minded Christian must work to obey. To complete our salvation, to show the results of our salvation, we must WORK, and it is no easy or casual work, it is heart felt and energy taking.

But the price is insignificant when compared to the prize.

That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world, Holding out [to it] and offering [to all men] the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have something of which exultantly to rejoice and glory in that I did not run my race in vain or spend my labor to no purpose. Philippians 2:15-16 AMP

I know every believer dreams to make eternity with God. The verses above describe the kind of people Jesus is coming back for.
So let us all work this work…

Are you working out your salvation?

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