(REFLECTIONS ON Philippians 2:12-18)

12 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; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Christ humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross and received the glory of God. “So then,” Paul writes to the Philippians, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

Notice, Paul doesn’t say to work for you salvation, but work out your salvation. Our salvation is through Christ Jesus, and not from our works. But having received God’s salvation through Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit, we are to work out our salvation.

Work out means to put our salvation to work in obedience to our Lord. Yes, our salvation isn’t just about getting a ticket to heaven when we die, but it is to be used in our life here and now for the will of God.

We should put our salvation to work. Why? Because as Paul writes, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Putting our salvation to work, means doing the work of God in response to His grace and gift of salvation. Not only doing the work of God, but letting God work in us.

Putting our salvation to work speaks about God transforming us to be more and more like Christ through the Holy Spirit.

However, if we have the assurance of salvation, then why should we do so in fear and trembling? It is because God works in our salvation to mold us and make us to be a people that have the same attitude as Christ.

Salvation works in us, to transform us from living for ourselves and this world, to living for God. It is a process of turning lordship over to the God that saved us.

Fear and trembling refers to the attitude we should have towards God, that is being in awe, seeing Him not only as our Father in heaven, but also Lord over our life. It is an attitude of humbling ourselves, stepping down from our thrones, and bowing down before the Lord that saved us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling means we have already received, are being made new by the Holy Spirit, and are learning to respond not with our own will, but rather to submit to the will of God. This will lead us to appear as “lights in the world,” rather than adding to the grumbling we so often hear in this world.

That is why Paul writes,

17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Paul’s joy is no longer focused on himself, or grumbling, but rather on Christ, and He trusts Christ so much that no matter what happens to him as he works out his salvation with fear and trembling, it will be for his joy and rejoicing, because it is done in the Lord.

Let us also then rejoice and have joy as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, because we are His and He is ours, and we are in fellowship with the God of all creation through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Philippians 2