With Fear And Trembling

Philippians 2:12-13 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. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Why Is This Happening To Me?

One of the most common questions I am asked as a Pastor/ Overseer is “Why is this happening to me?”. The “this” that people are usually referring to is some trial of life. Everyone is tried. Everyone goes through mountains and valleys. The valleys can be quite dark at times. The valley could be disease, loss of income, personal conflict, persecution, the death of a loved one, persistent pain or one’s own impending death. It is not sinful to question why a trial is occurring. As long as we do not “curse God and die” (Job 2:9) as Job’s silly unbelieving wife suggested, questioning the trial is not sinful. The Prophet said:

Joel 3:14 (KJV) Multitudes, multitudes in the VALLEY OF DECISION: for the day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision.

God allows trials into our lives to bring us into the “VALLEY OF DECISION”, to cause us to examine our lives in the light of eternity. The big question in all of eternity is,

Am I Saved? Am I A Child Of God?

If you are a Child of God by faith in Christ, then trials come to grow our faith. Man has long known how to make pottery from clay. Years ago I tried my hand at pottery. When the clay is formed, you push any imperfections out of it before putting it on the pottery wheel. Once you’ve designed the vessel, it must be thoroughly air dried. But the pot is not ready for actual use until, it is kiln fired at high temperatures for a long period of time. It’s not a flash fire. The kiln or oven that the pottery is baked in is 1830-1940 degrees Fahrenheit. What you are firing must be in the kiln 8-12 hours, and cooled around 24 hours. It takes time. Once out of the kiln, the pot is hardened, but still needs to be glazed. Once glazed, it needs to be fired again, and cooled again. It is a process of tempering. The Bible says:

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; WE ARE THE CLAY, and Thou our Potter; and WE ALL ARE THE WORK OF THY HAND.

IF you are saved by God, by the Grace of Jesus Christ, THEN God has determined that you WILL be like Jesus. The Bible tells us:

Romans 8:29 For whom He did foreknow, He also did PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren.

God has predestinated or predetermined that each and every Christian will be conformed to the image of His Son. It is God’s intent that you be like Jesus. We are promised “as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49).

God originally made man in His own image (Genesis 1:26), but Adam fell, marring that image. Those who have been redeemed from the fall by the precious Blood of Christ the Lord has purposed they will be made into His image, the image of Him Who saved us. God, like a master Potter, is taking each one of us and, working in our lives, is slowly shaping us till we become like Him. This is to our benefit, not our detriment. The Bible says:

James 1:2-4 (LSB) Consider it all joy, my brothers, WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER VARIOUS TRIALS, 3 knowing that the TESTING OF YOUR FAITH BRINGS ABOUT PERSEVERANCE. 4 And let perseverance have [its] perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The Lord PERSONALLY works in the life of each Christian. He uses the PROCESS of prayer and the Scripture to shape us into His image. When PROBLEMS and PAIN come our way, the Lord uses these circumstances to mold and make us as He would have us be. He loves us. He proved that love at Calvary, and proves it even now. The trials – the Valley of Decision – makes you examine yourself whether you are saved or not. If you are saved, it is because God saved you. If you are saved, it is because you were lead to REPENTANCE, and following REPENTANCE you RECEIVED the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Philippians 2:12-13 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.

As Paul addresses the Church, he is not doubting the salvation of those at Philippi. He calls the Church “MY BELOVED”. God the Father called Jesus “My BELOVED Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Bible says “God has made us ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED” (Ephesians 1:6). We are “brothers and sisters, BELOVED BY THE LORD” (Ephesians 5:1). Of those who are saved the Bible says “May the beloved of Yahweh dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day, And he dwells between His shoulders.” (Deuteronomy 33:12). God carries those who love Him, His Beloved. Paul is not doubting the salvation of anyone in Philippi. But he goes on to say “as ye have always obeyed, NOT AS IN MY PRESENCE ONLY, but now much more in my absence”.

The genuine Christian behaves like a son of God not just in the assembly of the Church, but also outside that assembly. The genuine Christian knows that he is not impressing the preacher, but he works for God!

We who are saved by Grace in Christ do not work our way to Heaven. But once saved, we must work for God.

The Saved “Work OUT”

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION
with fear and trembling

Let’s look at the first part of that command. It does not say “work FOR your own salvation”, but “work OUT your own salvation”. You do not have to work FOR your salvation. Jesus Christ did all the work that was necessary to earn your salvation. There is nothing within the fallen creation that is worthy of salvation. Like Jacob of old all we can do is cry out to God, saying:

Genesis 49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

Salvation is a gracious gift from God. We ask God for salvation. We stand still and see His salvation:

Exodus 14:13 … stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD …

We praise our Lord, we glorify His Name, we work for Him once saved – but He alone must clothe us in salvation:

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh Himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

We cannot clothe ourselves. We can call upon the Name of Jesus and ask Him for salvation – but He is the Savior (Lamentations 3:26). We work out or exercise the salvation that God has given us, but we do not work for our salvation. God has decreed that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29) Salvation is all of God, all of what He has mercifully given us.

1 Corinthians 1:29-31 That NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. {30} But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: {31} That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him GLORY IN THE LORD.

None of us are saved by our own hand, or by our own assumed “goodness”. Our Lord Jesus said “There is NONE GOOD, BUT GOD” (Matthew 19:17). We do not work FOR our salvation. But once saved, we will work OUT our salvation.

WORK OUT your OWN salvation
with FEAR AND TREMBLING

Are you saved? Only YOU can answer that. “Work out YOUR OWN salvation”. Have you come to Jesus for salvation? Have you cast your life and hope upon Him? The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (LSB) For BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH, and this NOT OF YOURSELVES, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not of works, so that no one may boast.

You cannot work your way into salvation. But once saved, you WILL WORK THE WORKS OF THE SAVED. The Scripture goes on to say:

Ephesians 2:10 (LSB) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand so that WE WOULD WALK IN THEM.

We are to “work OUT your OWN salvation with FEAR AND TREMBLING”. Jeffrey Smith is a Christian Cartoonist who does the “Prayer Pups” cartoons I often put in our bulletins. I recently came across this cartoon, and it expresses what the text is telling us.

When You Work For God, Is There FEAR AND TREMBLING? Or Are You Flippant?

Some who profess to be Christ never do anything for God. To them, God is a Big Buddy in the sky, a Santa Claus figure. The Bible says,

Psalm 2:11 (KJV) SERVE the LORD with FEAR, and rejoice with TREMBLING.

A person who is flippant in their relationship with God, has little knowledge of Who God is. When the Apostle visited the Church at Corinth, he said:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (KJV) And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, DECLARING UNTO YOU THE TESTIMONY OF GOD. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you IN WEAKNESS, and IN FEAR, and in MUCH TREMBLING. 4 And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Beloved, when you serve God, you are serving the Ultimate Master, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. There should be FEAR AND TREMBLING. We are told:

Philippians 2:13 For it is GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU both to will and to do OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE.

We serve at the pleasure of God. Once saved, God works in us and through us. We should humble ourselves before God. We must stay dependent upon God, and trust in His Word. There is a seriousness in serving God – and a serious consequence if we are NOT WILLING to serve Him. The Apostle said in another place:

1 Corinthians 15:10 (KJV) But BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM: and His grace which [was bestowed] upon me was NOT IN VAIN; but I LABORED MORE ABUNDANTLY than they all: yet NOT I, but THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH WAS WITH ME.

When Grace is experienced, we are bound to God. Once saved, God works IN us, and we work OUT our salvation. We are to be working for the glory of God, for “HIS GOOD PLEASURE”, not for ours. Our works for the Lord are to be:

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without MURMURINGS and DISPUTINGS

MURMURINGS and DISPUTINGS are the opposite of FEAR and TREMBLING. The latter will bring blessing to the work we do for God. The former will bring cursing and destruction.

Adrian Rogers once said:

“I’ll tell you, folks, there are a lot of things that I don’t want in life. I’ll tell you, number one on the list, I believe, is a church full of murmuring people. Don’t murmur: the Bible forbids it. You know what murmuring is? It’s half-concealed, half-uttered complaints. And the Bible teaches that is it a form of disobedience. “Do all things without murmurings.” Why? Because murmuring leads to disputing. No murmuring and no misunderstanding: that’s the spirit of obedience. Never, never murmur about what God lays on your heart to do. You see, the example is this: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) And then it says that He laid down His life. (Philippians 2:8) He never murmured. He never disobeyed. And that’s the Christ that works in us: no murmuring, no misunderstanding. Jesus did not murmur, and the one who murmurs never really understands Calvary.”

Someone once said “If we do not humble ourselves before God and live for His glory, He will use circumstances and situations around us to humble us”. God allows trials to come to us to temper our faith. But if we do not work to glorify God, if we do not manifest good that blesses others, then God will humble us. Do you not remember Israel wandering 40 years in the desert, the Promised Land in sight most of the time. They wandered until they all died – and those of faith went into the Promised Land.

Illustrate: Adrian Rogers told a story about a farmer who made his sons work in the cornfields while their friends spent the afternoon at the swimming hole. Someone scolded the father saying, “Why do you make those boys work so hard? You don’t need all that corn.” The wise father replied, “Sir, I’m not raising corn. I’m raising men.” God the Father calls His children to work in the fields of the Lord for HIS pleasure, not ours. The farmer’s sons worked for their father because he was their father. We work for the Lord because He is our Father. As the Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 100:2-3 (LSB) Serve Yahweh with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Know that Yahweh, He is God; It is He WHO MADE US, AND NOT WE OURSELVES; [We are] His people and the sheep of His pasture.

We serve our Heavenly Father because we love Him. We love Him, because “He first LOVED US” (1 John 4:19). The Apostle goes on to say:

Philippians 2:15 That YE MAY BE blameless and harmless, THE SONS OF GOD, without rebuke, in the midst of a CROOKED AND PERVERSE NATION, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Word Study: I ask the question, “Are you saved?” Many of you answer, “Yes, I’m a member at such and such a Church”. I didn’t ask whether you were a member of a Church. I asked “Are you saved?”. Your works for Christ, your works for God’s Kingdom, prove your salvation. The words “That YE MAY BE” is the Greek ginomai, which means “be proved or proven, to be exposed as”. The Christian is NOT like the “CROOKED AND PERVERSE NATION”. We are not like the darkness around us. Those who have “FEAR AND TREMBLING” are “BLAMELESS AND HARMLESS”. We seek to do good in the midst of this present darkness, to the glory of God our Savior.

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth THE WORD OF LIFE; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

What is “THE WORD OF LIFE”? The Apostle John used the same phrase that Paul uses when he wrote:

1 John 1:1 (KJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN WITH OUR EYES, which we have LOOKED UPON, and our HANDS HAVE HANDLED, of THE WORD OF LIFE;

The WORD OF LIFE is Jesus. We tell others what Jesus did for us. We HEARD Jesus when He called us to salvation, and responded with our repentance and faith. John and the other Apostles walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ministered with Jesus, and touched Jesus. We who are saved have experienced Jesus and His gracious salvation. This is what we tell others. It’s all about Jesus!

Pastor Bruce Goettsche wrote:

“ Our personal belief system ALWAYS affects what we do. This is especially true of Christianity. The Christian faith is meant to be intensely practical. It is meant to impact the way we live. Salvation is extended by a free act of God’s grace. We did not and cannot do anything to earn it. But . . . once we are saved, the new life that Christ plants in us should result in a new way of living. We have said it many times before. The unchanged Christian is a contradiction in terms. If a person is unchanged they are not a Christian. If they are a Christian they are in the process of changing.”

Are you saved? If you are, you are kept by God. You belong to God. You work for God. If you are saved, there is a visibility to your salvation seen through the good that you do for Christ. Trials will come your way, dear Christian. We do not live on the Mountain. When Moses received the Law from the Father on Mount Sinai, he had to come down the mountain into the valley to serve the Lord. Moses failed God in the valley – But God buried him, and raised him up to see Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration.

Christian, your salvation is secure – though you may fail at times. But as a son of God, YOU MUST CONTINUE TO SERVE HIM! The Apostle Peter wrote:

1 Peter 1:3-9 (LSB) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to [obtain] an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, 5 who are PROTECTED BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS, 7 so that THE PROOF OF YOUR FAITH, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 And though you have not seen Him, YOU LOVE HIM, and though you do not see Him now, but BELIEVE IN HIM, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving as the OUTCOME OF YOUR FAITH THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.

If you are saved, prove it by continuing to work for the One you love. Do so with fear and trembling. Do so because God is working in you. For if you will not work for the Kingdom … then you might not be saved at all. Think about it. Your salvation is secure, dear Christian, IF you are indeed saved. And if you are saved, it will show in your good works for God. Amen.