Work Out Your Salvation

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Phil. 2:12,13)

As I was meditating this morning I realized another insight that further diffuses the dark feelings I have had about this verse. Most of my life this verse was a legalistic intimidation to try harder to be good so I could be “saved” in heaven. Most people I know have similar feelings about this text. But it flashed into my understanding that one reason it is so misunderstood is because we have maintained such a skewed interpretation of the word salvation.

Most Christians use this word to imply the act of going to heaven, primarily to escape the pain and discomfort of this sinful world and all its mess. Heaven is somehow viewed not only as a fire escape from “hell” but as maybe an elite social gathering for “good” people. Some do not take it to that extreme but still the main thrust of their understanding of the idea of salvation revolves around “going to heaven”

Not long ago I received instruction from Jim Wilder while listening to his “Munchies” series about the true biblical meaning of this term “salvation”. In the original language it actually refers primarily to God's work of restoring humanity back to His original design for how we should function and interrelate. It is strongly related to the idea of “salvage” which even sounds very similar to “salvation”. The root word conveys basically the same meaning. Jesus taking a group of people to heaven is only one step in this process of salvaging and restoring humans to live in the image of God and is not the primary focus of salvation.

With this much more accurate definition of the key word in this text, the whole text suddenly takes on completely different meaning and application. What I am asked to work out is not my “getting to heaven”, as many suppose. It is instructing me to cooperate with God's work in me in the process of salvage and restoration in my own life. It involves giving God permission repeatedly and even continuously to work in me to “will and to act according to His good purpose.” His “good purpose” is the full restoration of my life along with everyone who will allow Him access and put their full confidence in the provision created by Jesus' death. His good purpose is the passion of His heart to reunite all of us back into full fellowship and intimacy with Himself and all the rest of His family.

This view and understanding of this verse strips away the legalistic baggage that has eclipsed the beauty of God's heart and plans for us. 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' (Jeremiah 29:11-14)