work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that effects you also to will and effect on behalf of His good pleasure.(Philippians 2:12-13)
The word for work out is κατεργάζομαι (katergazomai) "to produce, accomplish, bring about, do." The word effect means to execute; to bring into action. This speaks of being at a place of maturity where the truth is in practice or where one has been transformed, renewed in mind, to accept the will of God as good, pleasing, and perfect. In regards to this maturity, there is a place where we work out our salvation in fear and trembling, a place of godly fear over sin and my need to glorify God in my body.
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and render pure for himself a chosen people zealous of good works.(Titus 2:14)
As His children, we are to be imitators of God, pure, just as Christ gave himself for us an acceptable offering and sacrifice we are to walk in love, and not in sexual immorality, impurity which is improper among the saints... for knowing this, these kinds of people have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.(Ephesians 5:1-5) Is not to know Christ crucified also to be conformed to His death, so to have a mind that reckons sin dead in the body and one having the power to live according to the Spirit? The sons of God are led by the Spirit and where does the Spirit lead us but into consecration of the body to put to death the deeds of the flesh?(Romans 8:14-15) Yes, the old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin would be rendered powerless, so we no longer serve sin (in the body) but serve God, and the one dying has been set free from sin and if dying, crucified with him also believing we live with him.(Romans 6:6-7)
and this in view we pray for you constantly so that our God counts you worthy of His calling and in power brings to fulfillment his good pleasure, all goodness, and work of faith.(2 Thessalonians 1:11)
If I am called then God is working out according to his good pleasure all good so that I will be conformed to the image of His Son. In this part of my salvation, can I rest? How did the children according to the flesh fail to enter His rest? through disobedience.(Hebrews 4:11) Obedience is a fruit of maturity, therefore as a child, can I rest there and stay there? There is a time to be a child and a time to grow up. There is a rite of passage unto adulthood. This is where the devil works hard introducing doctrines in the Church trying to keep, as Paul says, children tossed to and fro in deceitful scheming, so they remain immature.(Ephesians 4:13-14)
The Spirit says clearly that in later times some of the faith will fall away, holding to lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons.(1 Timothy 4:1)
We are to glorify God in our bodies. I am born anew of Spirit but my body is not holy. Evil is near us using sin in the body to war against our souls. Peter writes also the goal of faith is the salvation of my soul. The body we are awaiting salvation, redemption. This body the Holy Spirit resides in. The meaning of glorifying God in our bodies is that we in this body of death and sin are imitators of God, of His holiness. In other words, my new inner man would reflect through the body the power of God to render sin powerless in the body. I do not set aside the grace of God, when God gives me the power to overcome. If we know Christ crucified, if we have participated in His death, been conformed to his death, and have fellowship in his suffering, then it is no longer I who lives, not the old man, but the life of Christ is living in me, the new man.(Galatians 2:20) If Christ died to sin once and for all, then I am to reckon sin dead in the body, and myself alive to God, this is a place where sin doesn't reign but the fruit of righteousness reigns in my body.(Romans 6:10-13)
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body, you will live.(Romans 8:13)
Does this apply to believers? Yes, it is the true principle of sowing and reaping, God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows he will reap, if he sows to the flesh he reaps corruption but if he sows to the Spirit, he reaps life and peace.(Galatians 6:7-8) John writes, if "God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God."(1 John 3:9) I can not go on living in sin, if I do it is a wretched state of doing the things I hate, against my new nature. And it is a fearful place to be as we will see. In the area of working out our salvation it is a place of godly fear and trembling. The salvation of the soul as Peter calls it, is a place where true grace brings us into purification by fire. Can someone stay as a child, continuing in sin so grace abounds, saying they can rest there in their eternal security in Christ?
for if we willingly persist in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, now a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a zealous fire ready to consume the adversaries.(Hebrews 10:26-27)
This person persisting in sin received the knowledge of the truth, like the seed sown in the parable of soils they received with joy, but the thorns are choking them out. Is this a believer? We read more, does not this person trample the Son of God underfoot and profane the blood of the covenant in which he was consecrated and has insulted the Spirit of grace?(Hebrews 10:29-31) Surely this sounds like a believer, as he received the knowledge of the truth, was cleansed by the blood, consecrated, made holy, and has the Spirit of grace in him but willingly persists in sin. What is the expectation for such a person? like the adversaries, "judgment and a raging fire," which surely sounds alot like hell and he is counted among them? Or is his expectation God the consuming fire of purification?
For those called according to His purpose, holiness is a serious matter which is whole in spirit, soul, and body. If I am truly born of God, of Spirit, then that holy seed would grow up to bear fruit of righteousness whereby I glorify God in my soul and body, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and overcoming the evil one. This as John writes is the nature of the young person who has matured from being a child.(1 John 2:12-14) The idea is if I am freed from sin and a servant of God the fruit I have leads me to consecration and its outcome is life.(Romans 6:22) Can I bypass the purification by fire, consecration, saying I have already received it in Christ and justify in my reasoning to continue in sin? I believe that this is the same concept in consecration of glorifying God in my body also, which is an important to understand.
God's seed in me will grow up to bear fruit, so I no longer live according to the flesh and its desires but according to the Spirit which puts to death the deeds of the flesh. If I have been born of God, then I glorify God in my body by overcoming sin in the body. Therefore I can say I am being conformed to the image of Christ. This is a place of making sure of your calling, for to fall away, to persist in sin is to be as the lost. Can I be brought back, what happens to the one choked out by thorns in the parable of soils, does he become as a thorn? The one that produces thorns is useless and cursed, its end is to be burned.(Hebrews 6:4-6) The one who produces no fruit or interest of being faithful is included among the unbelievers.(Matthew 25:14-30)
Now, if examing ourselves we would not be judged, now the one who judges is the Lord, he disciplines so that we will not be condemned together with the world.(1 Corinthians 11:29-32)
Communion Paul writes is also a place to examine ourselves, for if we partake, eat and drink without judging the body, we judge ourselves, this is why he says many are sick and some have died.(1 Corinthians 11:28-32) Notice, Paul writes we judge sin according to the body. Who can judge the Spiritual man?(1 Corinthians 2:14-16) The wages of sin is death. The Spirit of life frees us from the law of sin and death but my body is not free, its still dying so does not the wage, I reap what I sow, still applies to the body? Though I am of the Spirit, a saint, holy, what I do according to the body, brings either glory to God or judgment upon myself, so I must discern, examine what I have done according to the body and confess such sins.
for knowing the one saying, 'punishment is mine, I will repay' and again 'the Lord judges his own people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.(Hebrews 10:29-31)
A father, one who is mature knows Him who is from the beginning, John writes. A child sees dimly who he is, he is not fully known who he is in Christ, so how can he rest when he doesn't see clearly who he is? Bearing fruit, or maturity John writes is a telling sign, a distinguisher from those born of God and of the devil. If God's seed has been planted and there is good soil there will be fruit, some thirty, some sixty, some hundredfold. As the branches needing pruning, God disciplines those he loves so that we bear more fruit of sharing in his holiness.(Hebrews 12:10)
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and render pure for himself a chosen people zealous of good works.(Titus 2:14)
As His children, we are to be imitators of God, pure, just as Christ gave himself for us an acceptable offering and sacrifice we are to walk in love, and not in sexual immorality, impurity which is improper among the saints... for knowing this, these kinds of people have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.(Ephesians 5:1-5) Is not to know Christ crucified also to be conformed to His death, so to have a mind that reckons sin dead in the body and one having the power to live according to the Spirit? The sons of God are led by the Spirit and where does the Spirit lead us but into consecration of the body to put to death the deeds of the flesh?(Romans 8:14-15) Yes, the old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin would be rendered powerless, so we no longer serve sin (in the body) but serve God, and the one dying has been set free from sin and if dying, crucified with him also believing we live with him.(Romans 6:6-7)
Therefore to know Christ crucified speaks not just of the cross and the shedding of his blood for the forgiveness of sin but that the old man has been crucified with him. To know/experience being conformed to his death, where sin is rendered powerless in the body. I am to be imitators of Him in holiness reflected in how I glorify him, outwardly practice holiness, in my body. This is why Paul pleads with us by God's mercy to present the body, in which sin dwells, a living sacrifice unto holiness, and why he says this is the sacrifice acceptable to God and our reasonable service.(Romans 12:1) Just as the one who has called us is holy, we are to be imitators, holy as he is holy.(1 Peter 1:15-16) This is where we come to the part of growth where we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
and this in view we pray for you constantly so that our God counts you worthy of His calling and in power brings to fulfillment his good pleasure, all goodness, and work of faith.(2 Thessalonians 1:11)
If I am called then God is working out according to his good pleasure all good so that I will be conformed to the image of His Son. In this part of my salvation, can I rest? How did the children according to the flesh fail to enter His rest? through disobedience.(Hebrews 4:11) Obedience is a fruit of maturity, therefore as a child, can I rest there and stay there? There is a time to be a child and a time to grow up. There is a rite of passage unto adulthood. This is where the devil works hard introducing doctrines in the Church trying to keep, as Paul says, children tossed to and fro in deceitful scheming, so they remain immature.(Ephesians 4:13-14)
The Spirit says clearly that in later times some of the faith will fall away, holding to lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons.(1 Timothy 4:1)
We are to glorify God in our bodies. I am born anew of Spirit but my body is not holy. Evil is near us using sin in the body to war against our souls. Peter writes also the goal of faith is the salvation of my soul. The body we are awaiting salvation, redemption. This body the Holy Spirit resides in. The meaning of glorifying God in our bodies is that we in this body of death and sin are imitators of God, of His holiness. In other words, my new inner man would reflect through the body the power of God to render sin powerless in the body. I do not set aside the grace of God, when God gives me the power to overcome. If we know Christ crucified, if we have participated in His death, been conformed to his death, and have fellowship in his suffering, then it is no longer I who lives, not the old man, but the life of Christ is living in me, the new man.(Galatians 2:20) If Christ died to sin once and for all, then I am to reckon sin dead in the body, and myself alive to God, this is a place where sin doesn't reign but the fruit of righteousness reigns in my body.(Romans 6:10-13)
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body, you will live.(Romans 8:13)
Does this apply to believers? Yes, it is the true principle of sowing and reaping, God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows he will reap, if he sows to the flesh he reaps corruption but if he sows to the Spirit, he reaps life and peace.(Galatians 6:7-8) John writes, if "God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God."(1 John 3:9) I can not go on living in sin, if I do it is a wretched state of doing the things I hate, against my new nature. And it is a fearful place to be as we will see. In the area of working out our salvation it is a place of godly fear and trembling. The salvation of the soul as Peter calls it, is a place where true grace brings us into purification by fire. Can someone stay as a child, continuing in sin so grace abounds, saying they can rest there in their eternal security in Christ?
for if we willingly persist in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, now a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a zealous fire ready to consume the adversaries.(Hebrews 10:26-27)
This person persisting in sin received the knowledge of the truth, like the seed sown in the parable of soils they received with joy, but the thorns are choking them out. Is this a believer? We read more, does not this person trample the Son of God underfoot and profane the blood of the covenant in which he was consecrated and has insulted the Spirit of grace?(Hebrews 10:29-31) Surely this sounds like a believer, as he received the knowledge of the truth, was cleansed by the blood, consecrated, made holy, and has the Spirit of grace in him but willingly persists in sin. What is the expectation for such a person? like the adversaries, "judgment and a raging fire," which surely sounds alot like hell and he is counted among them? Or is his expectation God the consuming fire of purification?
May the God of peace, himself, consecrate you whole, and keep your spirit, soul and body, kept whole and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
For those called according to His purpose, holiness is a serious matter which is whole in spirit, soul, and body. If I am truly born of God, of Spirit, then that holy seed would grow up to bear fruit of righteousness whereby I glorify God in my soul and body, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and overcoming the evil one. This as John writes is the nature of the young person who has matured from being a child.(1 John 2:12-14) The idea is if I am freed from sin and a servant of God the fruit I have leads me to consecration and its outcome is life.(Romans 6:22) Can I bypass the purification by fire, consecration, saying I have already received it in Christ and justify in my reasoning to continue in sin? I believe that this is the same concept in consecration of glorifying God in my body also, which is an important to understand.
God's seed in me will grow up to bear fruit, so I no longer live according to the flesh and its desires but according to the Spirit which puts to death the deeds of the flesh. If I have been born of God, then I glorify God in my body by overcoming sin in the body. Therefore I can say I am being conformed to the image of Christ. This is a place of making sure of your calling, for to fall away, to persist in sin is to be as the lost. Can I be brought back, what happens to the one choked out by thorns in the parable of soils, does he become as a thorn? The one that produces thorns is useless and cursed, its end is to be burned.(Hebrews 6:4-6) The one who produces no fruit or interest of being faithful is included among the unbelievers.(Matthew 25:14-30)
Now, if examing ourselves we would not be judged, now the one who judges is the Lord, he disciplines so that we will not be condemned together with the world.(1 Corinthians 11:29-32)
Communion Paul writes is also a place to examine ourselves, for if we partake, eat and drink without judging the body, we judge ourselves, this is why he says many are sick and some have died.(1 Corinthians 11:28-32) Notice, Paul writes we judge sin according to the body. Who can judge the Spiritual man?(1 Corinthians 2:14-16) The wages of sin is death. The Spirit of life frees us from the law of sin and death but my body is not free, its still dying so does not the wage, I reap what I sow, still applies to the body? Though I am of the Spirit, a saint, holy, what I do according to the body, brings either glory to God or judgment upon myself, so I must discern, examine what I have done according to the body and confess such sins.
Be careful of what you hear and read, we are to receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. You hear people say they do not sin, as they do not acknowledge sin in the flesh because they are of the Spirit. The problem with this is as Paul writes, we would not examine what is done in our body and if we do not examine ourselves, just ignoring sin, we will not confess sin done in the body. We bring judgement upon ourselves according to sin done in the body, is this not what Paul is saying? This is an issue John speaks of, if we say we are without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, and we make God out to be a liar, but if we confess our sin he is faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jesus is our advocate for this very reason.(1 John 1:7-10;2:1-2) If I am holy and forgiven all my sin why do I need an advocate? Why do I need to confess? in regards to sin, done in the body. And we are being judged and punished accordingly so as not to be condemned with the world. It is important I understand this.
for knowing the one saying, 'punishment is mine, I will repay' and again 'the Lord judges his own people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.(Hebrews 10:29-31)
A father, one who is mature knows Him who is from the beginning, John writes. A child sees dimly who he is, he is not fully known who he is in Christ, so how can he rest when he doesn't see clearly who he is? Bearing fruit, or maturity John writes is a telling sign, a distinguisher from those born of God and of the devil. If God's seed has been planted and there is good soil there will be fruit, some thirty, some sixty, some hundredfold. As the branches needing pruning, God disciplines those he loves so that we bear more fruit of sharing in his holiness.(Hebrews 12:10)
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If I persist in sin, what happens? Because of free will, can one lose their salvation, can one willingly jump out of God's hands? If he does where does he fall? But into the hands of the living God. He jumps out of his hands and falls right back in. Will he be saved? Will he be disciplined and if he persists in sin will he be taken home? Or will he be considered among the branch removed from the Vine which withers and is thrown into the fire? The Lord judges his own, punishment is His, it is a fearful place to be, a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Certainly, this is not a place to be, so in regards to sin in the body, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. God loves you, child, he disciplines those he loves for your benefit, which will produce godly fear in regards to sin in the body. It is so that in the body you glorify Him, sharing in the body His holy character.