By: Robert Serreyn

Question? What does it mean to work out your salvation in Philippians 2:12, is it suggesting works for salvation?

Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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”.

Answer:

The answer is a BIG NO, This verse is written to Christians, There are those who teach FALSELY and try to twist the meaning of this verse by saying that WORK OUT means the same as WORK FOR but NOTHING could be more false than that BECAUSE it does NOT SAY that, when you examine VERSE 10 we are told that every knee SHOULD bow at the name of Jesus, and in VERSE 11 that every tongue SHOULD confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, now compare that with:

Romans 14:11 – “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall(WILL) bow to me, and every tongue shall(WILL) confess to God”.

At the Great White Throne Judgement – Revelation 20:11-15 ALL THE UNSAVED will stand in judgement before the Lord Jesus Christ as Their Judge – John 5:22 WHO THEY REJECTED(did not trust alone) as their savior to RECEIVE their degree of punishment in the lake of fire and as it says in Romans 14:11 they WILL BOW THEIR KNEE and CONFESS WITH THEIR TONGUE that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:10 & 11 is an encouragement from the Lord to us to WITNESS (confess) for and to WORSHIP (bow) Christ,

VERSE 13 gives us the reason

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

and WHAT IS that will and good pleasure of God, to SHARE THE GOSPEL to all people and to fill the world with the SAVING KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ – Mark 16:15. VERSE 12 is reference to OUR SERVICE (WORK OUT) to the Lord Jesus NOT salvation (WORK FOR).

It is God’s will and desire FOR US TO SERVE HIM(WORK OUT) and we are to do it in fear and trembling (in the sense of FAILING to live RIGHTEOUSLY, FAILING in WITNESSING and FAILING to WORSHIP our Lord as we should).

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.

Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8

Christ PAID your sins in Full – 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24

BELIEVE(Trust In Completely) on Christ ALONE for salvation – John 3:16,36,47, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9, 1 Corinthians. 15:1-4, 1 John 5:13

“For the wages(payment) of sin is death(Eternal Torment In Hell & The Lake of Fire); But the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord”. Romans 6:23

IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH