Work Out Your Salvation

Eddie

The point of contention during the Reformation was whether justification is by faith alone or by works. The Protestants were adamant that justification is by faith alone.

Since the Reformation, some Protestants have struggled to determine the role of works in salvation. A theologian describes one of the problems in this fashion:

Considering the number who adopted the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith, it would have been strange had they all made a judicious use of it. Unfortunately, some of those who received it with apparent joy, could see no other doctrine in the Bible. Convinced of the hopelessness of justification by the law; delivered from its bondage and terror, as well as from the bondage of the superinduced yoke of ceremonies, under which they had long groaned; they could think of nothing but of grace, liberty, and confidence. From a system which had almost excluded God from any connexion with man’s salvation, they passed to one which seemed to leave nothing for man but to contemplate and admire. Beholding a perfect righteousness by which freedom from guilt is secured to the believer, entirely independent of himself, they forgot that there is a righteousness of a personal character indispensable to the enjoyment of God, which cannot be performed by proxy, or obtained by substitution. From hearing only the voice of a task master, who goaded them on by the terror of punishment, they contracted a dislike to the very language of precept, and experienced a feeling of horror at the idea of punishment, or its threatening. From considering salvation as what must be accomplished entirely by man and in him, they adopted a view of it which divests it of all connexion with his personal character and feelings. In their minds, it became the solution of a moral problem, rather than a moral cure; a sentiment to delight the understanding, more than a medicine to relieve the heart.[1]

The Roman Catholic erroneous teaching, legalism, gets replaced with another error—antinomianism. Legalism correctly understands that obedience matters, but it wrongly makes obedience the ground of acceptance. Antinomianism rightly understands that justification is not by works, but wrongly claims that obedience is unnecessary.

Our passage today teaches us that obedience is required of those who are justified by faith.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, you justified us in Christ so that we can obey you and please you. Help us this morning as I preach, and we listen so that our minds and hearts will understand and desire to gladly obey you in all things for your glory and our joy. Amen.

Obedience is required of those who are justified by faith. My aim in this sermon is to impress upon you that obedience is required of those who are justified by faith, to show you how you must accomplish this obedience, and to describe to you the basis of your obedience. So, the outline is: the action, the manner, and the ground.

The Action

The action… the imperative… the command of this passage is simple: work out your salvation. Plain and simple: Christian, work out your salvation. Paul writes this letter to the church at Philippi. He is not talking to unbelievers but to believers, and he says, “Work out your salvation.”

To some Christians, this command can be a bit jarring since they believe that they are saved. So, then what does it mean that a Christian ought to work out their salvation? I will answer that question in three parts. First, I will describe aspects of salvation. Second, I will address Paul’s choice to say “work out.” Third, I will describe what work this is.

Aspects of Salvation

Conversion is not the full and final experience of salvation, although many rightly describe their conversion experience as salvation. Look at Eph 2:5, 8, which tells us that we have been saved. Salvation is described as a past experience. However, 1 Cor 1:18 teaches that we are being saved. And Rom 5:9 says that we will be saved.

Salvation then has a past, present, and future aspect to it. We can speak as though we are saved. We can speak as those who are being saved. And we can say that we have hope that we will be saved.

Thus, when we are told to work out our salvation, we need to ask whether it means the salvation that we have in the past. Clearly, that cannot be since it contradicts the rest of the NT, which teaches us that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works. It then must refer to the ongoing and future aspects of salvation that we are called to work out. Which one is it? We will return to that question shortly.

Working Out as Opposed to

Let us now turn to Paul’s choice of saying work out. See what he did not say. He did not say work for your salvation as though you can earn your salvation. He did not say work from your salvation as if salvation is the skill achieved or the tool required to accomplish the task. He did not say work with your salvation as though salvation is the clay from which you, as a potter, fashion something.

Paul’s command is to work out your salvation. The underlying word has “the sense of working at something until it is brought to completion.”[2] The point that Paul intends to impress here is that Christians ought to keep working and never give up until their salvation is achieved.

So we can be certain that Paul means we have to work until we achieve our final salvation, or until we depart from this body and be with the Lord, awaiting our resurrection—whichever is earlier. We have to be clear: we are not commanded to work for our final salvation. But we must work till we achieve our final salvation. If we do not work till we achieve our final salvation, we cannot be assured of final salvation. This is important. But we cannot work to produce it. Final salvation is not a result of works. Works and final salvation do not have a cause-and-effect relationship. Works is the way; final salvation is the end.

Works a.k.a. Good Works[3]

So now let us understand what works are. These are also called good works in the Bible. Here’s how I define good works: Good works[4] are those grace-enabled, God-pleasing, God-glorifying deeds that arise from true faith and conform to God’s revealed will.[5] These deeds may be summarized as those pertaining to piety (duties toward God) and charity (duties toward man).[6] Duties toward God include prayer, worship, meditating on God’s word, fasting, giving thanks, personal holiness, etc. Duties toward man include hospitality, caring for widows, helping the poor, generosity, encouragement, forgiveness, justice, practical help, etc. These are not exhaustive lists but only serve as examples. Good works arise from true faith (Heb 11:6). They cannot be performed by unbelievers, even if the substance of the good works is similar to the substance of the good works performed by a believer. So, if we take the exact same external act and internal compassion performed by a believer and an unbeliever, the believer’s work is good works while the unbeliever’s is not because it does not arise from faith. Good works may not be invented by men but must conform to God’s revealed will (Matt 15:9; Rom 10:2; Col 2:8). Good works are done in obedience to God’s law and not based on human opinion about what is good for all or some.

God the Father prepared good works for Christians beforehand to walk in them (Eph 2:10). Christians are created anew in Jesus for good works (Eph 2:10). The grace of God enables the Christian to abound in good works (2 Cor 9:8). The word of God is sufficient to equip the Christian for good works (2 Tim 3:15–17). Believers spur each other to good works (Heb 10:24). You must see how the church is the hub of good works in the Bible. The gospel goes out; believers spur each other on through the word; the preaching teaches and exhorts believers to good works.

That is the command in this passage: work out your salvation.

The Manner

While we are not allowed to invent good works, we are also taught in Scripture what our attitude must be when we do good works. We are taught in this passage to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Fear and trembling are the manner in which we must work out our salvation.

We must be fearful because anyone who thinks that he stands must take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12). Paul says this after he presents the wilderness generation as examples to the Corinthians as those who did not continue in faithful obedience but became grumblers. From experiencing deliverance from God to becoming grumblers judged by God is not completely unthinkable, says Paul. And so he warns Christians to work out their salvation fearfully.

We must be fearful about how we work out our salvation in all three dimensions that Paul has in mind. First, working out our salvation involves personal holiness. These are invisible acts of piety and charity. Second, it involves public witness. These are visible acts of piety and charity. Third, it involves interpersonal relationships. Twice in the passage prior to our sermon passage, Paul speaks of having one mind. He stresses unity. In the following passage, he teaches them not to grumble or dispute. Thus, Paul also has interpersonal relationships in his mind as he tells the Philippians to work out their salvation.

Lest we misunderstand what fearfully means in here, let us understand the kinds of fear. According to William Perkins, there are three kinds of fear: nature, grace, and distrust.[7] Natural fear is the fear of anything that is painful. We naturally fear such pain and tend to avoid it. We were created with this sort of fear. This fear, although good by creation, is defective since the fall. Fear that is by grace is a virtuous fear by which there is reverence for God. The third kind, distrust, is a vice. It rightly recognizes that God’s judgment for sin is severe; however, it offers no hope of mercy. This is the fear the man with the single talent had.

We are to depend on God’s grace and fearfully work out our salvation personally, publicly, and interpersonally.

We must also tremble as we work out our salvation. Gal 6:1 teaches us to instruct a person involved in wrongdoing with a gentle spirit. But it does not stop there. It warns us to take heed for ourselves, lest we may be tempted as well. A Christian should not presume upon salvation while deliberately abandoning Christ. But neither should a struggling Christian conclude that every battle with sin means they are unsaved. A Christian depends on God, holds on to God, and seeks God for their assurance of salvation.

Having said that, I must also add that it is also possible that fear and trembling is an idiomatic expression derived from Ps 2:11. “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” That is the way the fourth-century bishop, John Chrysostom, reads this passage.[8] He sees it as shorthand for glad reverent service. You can see Paul use this expression when he teaches that servants should not be eye-pleasers but serve their masters with fear and trembling (Eph 6:5). Happy, reverent service. Likewise, in 2 Cor 7:15, he says that the Corinthians welcomed Titus with fear and trembling. Titus’s increased affection for the Corinthians cannot be because they were afraid of him, quivering in his presence, but because they cheerfully respected him.

If that is true, then this verse would mean that we are called to serve God with cheerful reverence… happy submission… glad service… serious joy… delightful duty.

Whether or not fear and trembling is an idiomatic phrase, Christians ought not to work out their salvation as though it is a burden to bear, but with joy.

Jesus’s work on the cross and the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts enable us to work out our salvation joyfully. So, let us turn now to the ground of the command.

The Ground

Our ability to obey to any extent and our desire to obey despite many hindrances—the reason for joyful service in obeying God’s various commands—are found in the ground of this command: “for it is God who works in you” (Phil 2:13)

Do you see that? The God who commands your obedience is the God who creates your obedience! Let us see this in two parts. God’s work is the efficient cause, and God’s pleasure is the final cause of obedience.

The Efficient Cause

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to work.” There are two aspects here—the willing and the doing. The will is the internal mental faculty of choosing, intending, or deciding. Action is the external execution or physical manifestation of that choice. Will represents the invisible motive and inner blueprint, while action represents the visible deed and final result. Will is psychological and internal; action is behavioral and external. You can possess the will to do something yet be physically constrained from completing the action. Remember Jesus’s words to his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane? “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

God’s inner work in us, enabling us to will and work, is the efficient cause of our obedience. When we obey, it is not because of our ability, but because God is at work in us. We work out what God works in.

Here is another place where we can see divine sovereignty and human responsibility come together. If God does the work in us, then why are Christians commanded to work out their salvation? Because this is by design. This is not a 50-50 partnership. God does not do his part and then tell us to do ours. God works in us, and therefore we work.

When we obey God, we give glory to God because he enabled us to obey by his work in us. When we disobey God, we are responsible for not working. Why do Christians disobey? We can give several reasons. First, the Christian may act contrary to his renewed desires. He gives in to temptation. Second, the Christian may have disordered desires. He has competing desires, some of which are sinful. Third, God may permit the believer to fall into sin as part of his providential sanctifying work, teaching the believer to depend on God by exposing the idols in his life.

You may still ask, “If God is working in me, why do I still struggle to obey?” God’s work in us is real, but it is not yet complete. He has begun this work; he will complete it. In the meantime, he works in us precisely by enabling us to fight sin, repent, believe, obey, and persevere.

God’s sovereignty does not render our obedience unnecessary; on the contrary, it makes it possible. Brother Christian, are you feeling hopeless as you battle a sin? Find your strength in God’s enablement and not in your willpower. Ask God for help to rightly order your desires.

If any of you who are here who may not be a Christian, I want to address you. God does this amazing work of enabling Christians to live an obedient life that pleases him. Have you been trying hard to change yourself? You may succeed here a little, there a little. Here is what you must know: only God does a perfect work in people. He does this work in all who put their trust in Christ, his son. So I invite you to believe in Jesus, who died for sinners that they may be forgiven.

The Final Cause

Let me now turn to the final cause of obedience. V. 13 says, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The final cause of obedience is God’s pleasure, his glory.

We please and glorify God when we obey him. God works in us for his pleasure. In his pleasure is our pleasure.

Have you ever seen little children who bring little gifts to their parents? Parents smile at them. The child is happy. The child is pleased that they have pleased their parent. This action grows into them wanting to be mommy’s or daddy’s little helper. They love seeing their parents’ pleasure—it brings them joy.

Friends, obeying God is not a drudgery. It is a joy and a privilege. Have you ever seen parents beaming with pleasure at a child who gifted them with some silly object they found. The object may have no significance to a parent. Yet, the parent showers the child with praise. This is so the child will love the parent’s praise and be joyful in turn. God gives such acts to us as an example so that we may learn that our pleasure is in his praise. We work and serve him well so that he will say to our great joy, “Well done!”

Conclusion

At the end of the day, I do not want you to go home, thinking that obedience is about striking a balance and avoiding the dangers of legalism and antinomianism. So, here is the most important point.

Yes, we obey because we are enabled to obey. But we obey because Christ obeyed. The first word in our passage today is “therefore.” The command to work out our salvation does not just appear out of nowhere. It is connected to what was prior. Jesus’s perfect obedience, his humility, his endurance, and his subsequent exaltation are the background for this command.

As people united to Jesus, we are to follow his pattern and obey God. God has loved me in Christ; therefore, by his grace working in me, I joyfully obey him as Christ did.

Let me tie everything together for us. God works in you. Therefore, you work. God works in you to will. Therefore, you desire obedience. God works in you to work. Therefore, you actually obey. God works in you for his good pleasure. Therefore, your obedience ultimately exists for his glory and your joy.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baxter, Richard. The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter. Translated by William Orme. Vol. 1. James Duncan, 1830.

Hawthorne, Gerald F. Philippians. WBT. Zondervan Academic, 1987.

Perkins, William. The Works of William Perkins. Edited by J. Stephen Yuille, Joel R. Beeke, and Derek W. H. Thomas. Vol. 8. Reformation Heritage Books, 2019.

Schaff, Philip, ed. Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Vol. 13 of A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series. Christian Literature Company, 1889.

Turretin, Francis. Institutes of Elenctic Theology. Edited by James T. Dennison. Translated by George M. Giger. Vol. 2. P&R Publishing, 1994.

[1] William Orme in The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, trans. William Orme (James Duncan, 1830), 1:663.

[2] Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians, WBT (Zondervan Academic, 1987), 140.

[3] Most of this section is reproduced from a forthcoming article (A Model of Good Works) I wrote for Equip Indian Churches.

[4] The place of good works in the Christian life is not uniformly agreed upon. While legalists affirm good works, claiming that they merit and cause justification, antinomians deny the need for good works, arguing that, since good works do not merit salvation, their place in a Christian’s life is arbitrary. See Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology 17.3.2 (Institutes of Elenctic Theology, ed. James T. Dennison, trans. George M. Giger [P&R Publishing, 1994], 2:702). Legalists are in error since good works are a consequence of justification (Eph 2:10; Tit 3:5). Antinomians are in error since good works are constitutive of sanctification (Tit 2:14; Jam 2:26). Good works are important in the Christian’s life because they are a means to glorification (Rom 2:7). The Bible teaches that the faith which alone justifies (Gal 2:16), cannot remain alone (Jam 2:26), but works through love (Gal 5:6). Good works are the form or shape of perseverance.

[5] See also The Westminster Confession of Faith 16, The Second London Baptist Confession 16, Question 91 of The Heidelberg Catechism.

[6] In speaking of the two tables of the Ten Commandments, Calvin also identifies two parts corresponding to the greatest commandments. John Calvin, Institutes II.viii.11 (Institutes of the Christian Religion [The Calvin Translation Society, 1845], 2:324).

[7] William Perkins, The Works of William Perkins, ed. J. Stephen Yuille, Joel R. Beeke, and Derek W. H. Thomas (Reformation Heritage Books, 2019), 8:70–71.

[8] Likewise John Chrysostom Homiliae in epistulam ad Philippenses VIII (NPNF 1/13:219).

Discussion Material: Discussion-Questions.pdf