 If salvation is not of works, then why would the Bible say to work out your own salvation? Unfortunately, many Christians haven't fully grasped or understood what it actually means to be a Christian. So when we hear these these passages such as in Philippians 2-12 where Paul writes to work out your own soul salvation or work out your own salvation, depending on what passage or what translation you're listening to or reading, there might be a little bit of confusion that comes in and unfortunately, it really doesn't need to be there and so obviously we need to go to the text and look and see because it doesn't mean that we have to work something out in order to gain our salvation. So let's just go to the text. To kind of keep it in context, let's start in verse 1 of Philippians 2 and he says, So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only on his own interests, but also the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ. He says, of course, here's a famous passage that we quote often. He says, Who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the cross. Now, I don't mean that you ought to really ignore that passage. But what I'm saying is what I'm getting ready to say is that portion that we just read from verses 6 through 8, that's not the meat of the text. That's not the main point. He's given an example or showing the heart of what this text is about and he's using Christ as an example. So back to it, verse 9, Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow or should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Here it is. Therefore, well, when we read therefore, this is what the there is for. This is what is there for based upon what we just read. My beloved, as you have always obeyed, as you have always obeyed, so now only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And so before we go back to the text, I want to kind of look at something that, again, the English carries it out wonderfully, but we might miss it a little bit and so I want to show you something that is also brought out even more in this passage. When you look at the word that's used here, look over here to the right side where we look at the Greek. And here is this word, categaxaphe, which is, it's to work, but it means to kind of work to prepare to kind of subdue, as you see. In other words, it kind of means to bring under control whatever it is that you're doing. Well, in this case, this is in relation to salvation. So let's read it. Notice also before, and the word order in the Greek is a little bit different in the English, he says with fear and trembling, the salvation of yours, work, subdue it, get under control, make, prepare. So the point he's making is, as he says, with fear, and the word is, not just I'm scared, but in honor, in reverence, in awe, work. That's his whole point. That's the whole point that Paul is making because of what's happened to us, because of what's in us, because of this attitude, because of in light of what all God has done, work. How do I know? Let's, let, now let's read the rest of the passage and let's see if what I'm saying makes even more sense. Verse 13 he says, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. So that really is the key. Who is it that works in us? Who's, who's actually doing the work? It's not really us. It says that it's God who works in us. So in light or in view of what all that's happened, God through his spirit is working in us, through us. And so this is one of these ways, and we have all these different warning passages for believers. This is one of these things that he's kind of telling us, make sure you're working. Guys, if you're not working, if there are no fruits, if there's nothing that you're doing, then the light ought to go off. There needs to be something that makes you kind of scratch your head. Hmm, am I a believer? Because in light of my salvation, what should I be doing working? In light of who's in me, the spirit of God, what should I be doing? I should be working. Now, is he saying to what degree? How to compare it with the next person? No, he's not saying that because someone else's work to the view of somebody else might look greater. Your works might look greater than mine. Mine might look greater than his. And so it's not according to how we see it, but obviously according to how he sees it. And it's him, God, that is working in us. And if he's working in us, if the spirit wants to work in us and we're not working, then guess what, guys? Maybe the spirit is not in us. But, good indication, if the spirit is in us, then what? We should be working. And so Paul says a view of what's taken place and who is in us work. Amen.