Work Out Your Salvation?

“So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13 AMP)

So, what does ‘work out your salvation’ mean?

For one thing it does not mean that you can be saved by ‘works’. You cannot work for salvation. Salvation is a free gift accepted by faith.

The Bible clearly teaches us that the only hope to resurrection and life with God in heaven is through a personal salvation, by faith, of accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour.

You may have been ‘a good person’, may have been baptised as an infant, may have been confirmed in a church, may have attended a church, may have even helped out in a church – but none of these things by themselves assures salvation, nor even necessarily means you are a Christian.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NIV)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’.” (John 14:6 AMP)

“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 AMP)

The only time that you can receive salvation through Jesus Christ is while you are alive. Once you die that is it. It is too late.

You cannot be prayed out of hell by others later on.

No sacrifice or offering by others can get you out of hell or, as the Catholics believe, out of “Purgatory”.

You, and you alone, are responsible for your own salvation. If you have not given your life to Jesus, you must do so now.

There is only one way to be saved.

And that is by giving your life to Jesus.

So, clearly, you cannot ‘work’ your way into heaven by doing good deeds.

I believe that the New Living Translation (NLT) gives a more accurate translation of what the Apostle Paul was saying in Philippians 2:12 “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”

The New Living Translation is a ‘thought for thought’ translation.

In other words it asks the questions “what did the original Greek mean to those who heard it at the time of Paul’s writing”? What would they think when they heard it?

Now translate that Greek thinking into English in a way that would cause us today to think about it similarly to the first Greek listeners.

The original Greek work used for ‘work’ is κατεργάζομαι from two Greek words kata and ergazomai; and it means to work fully, i.e. accomplish; by implication, to finish, fashion, cause, to (deed), perform, work (out).

So, in other words, what the Apostle Paul was in fact saying is that once we are saved by faith in Jesus we need to show that to the world by living fully for the Gospel.

And to allow our lives to reflect that by our good deeds. We are to let Jesus, living in us through the Holy Spirit, fashion us into His image and, by implication, continue His work in the world.

Which is basically what James said in his letter:

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”- but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:14-17 NLT)

The Amplified Bible translates verse 14 as: “What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient – genuine faith produces good works.]” (James 2:14 AMP)

So we are only saved by faith in Jesus, but genuine salvation will allow Jesus to be Lord (Master) of our lives and will therefore, of necessity, cause us to want to do good deeds (‘good works’) – to continue doing the works of Jesus for the Gospel.

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