Work to the finish

"...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." Philippians 2:12,13. Last night during the wrapping up of our Crazy Love study at church, this scripture was brought to the surface. I've often heard this scripture referenced to the point that we are to walk in fear of messing up and to tremble at every stumbling step, that we need to walk around with our heads down so that we are not apt to be enticed by sin every time we turn around and if we find ourselves in trouble we should tremble until we make things right. I agree with the later part of the previous sentence, if we sin, we need to tremble until we make things right because if we don't repent, we're going to miss Heaven. But, I refuse to believe that Paul was talking about Christians having to walk in doubt and anxiety. I believe the scripture is referenced this way: to work out your salvation means to work it out to the finish. It's not a reference to the attempt to earn one's salvation by works, but it's a reference to the expression of one's salvation in spiritual growth and development. We are not saved by works! We are saved by the grace of God: "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4,5). "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9). We must grow spiritually and develop spiritually by walking in fear and trembling. To walk in fear and trembling is not to walk in doubt and anxiety, but rather it's referenced to an active reverence and a singleness of purpose in response to God's grace. We have to have a reverence to working out our salvation to the finish. We have a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) that God has divinely given each of us to walk in His statues and to fulfill a calling that He has bestowed on each of us. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10). It's simple! Surrender to His authority over your life and walk in reverence to Him! We don't have to be a defeated people! Let me leave you with this encouraging scripture: "...we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39) Be blessed today in the name of the Lord!