So, I had to balance it out with the truth.
“It Is Finished": The Grace-Powered Outworking of Our Salvation
Philippians 2:12, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," often stands as a stark challenge. Yet, when we view it through the liberating lens of Jesus's triumphant declaration on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), a profound shift in understanding occurs. Suddenly, the daunting task becomes a grace-filled journey.
When it is finished, it is finished!
Jesus's cry, "tetelestai" in Greek, wasn't a sigh of defeat, but a shout of victory. It signified the complete and utter fulfilment of all that was required for our salvation. He took upon Himself that which we could never take upon ourselves, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. The chasm between us and God had been forever removed. He didn't just "start" the work; He finished it.
This "finished" work is the foundation upon which we "work out" our salvation. It's not about adding to what Jesus accomplished, but about receiving and allowing His finished work to manifest in our lives. We're not trying to earn our salvation; we're living out the reality of what He has already secured for us, in authority and from the perspective of His victory.
Don’t complete the completeness
When Paul urges us to "work out" our salvation, he's using the Greek word "katergazomai" which implies cultivating, developing, and bringing something to completion. It's akin to tending a garden that has already been planted and watered. Jesus planted the seed of salvation; we are crafted in. All we need to do is abide. Now we can nurture our positions and grow.
Reverence and awe vs fear and trembling
Fear and trembling, "phobos" and "tromos", now, takes on a new meaning in light of the cross. It's not a terror of God's wrath, but a reverential awe for the magnitude of His grace. It's a recognition of the incredible cost of our salvation, the immeasurable love that drove Jesus to the cross.
Think about it: Jesus, the sinless Son of God, endured unimaginable suffering, our suffering, to reconcile us to the Father. He bore the weight of our sins, the full force of the penalty of sin, so that we could receive and be declared righteous. This realization should inspire a profound sense of humility, a deep (trembling) gratitude that translates into a desire to live a life victory in the inheritance bestowed upon us being worthy of such a sacrifice.
This reverence isn't about cowering in fear, but about walking in the freedom that Christ purchased for us. It's about acknowledging that our lives are merged with Him, our Lover , our Friend, our Redeemer (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). It's about intimacy with His Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
Done, done, done!
The cross forever removes the burden of self-effort. We're no longer striving to earn God's favour, but responding to His love. We're not trying to be perfect, but allowing the perfect One to live through us. As Galatians 2:20 puts it, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Merged!
Work it out
The "working out" becomes a process of aligning our lives with the reality of "it is finished." It's about allowing the power of the resurrection to transform us from the inside out. It's about embracing the journey of sanctification and wholeness, not as a legalistic obligation, but as a grace-fuelled privilege.
It is already worked out!
It's about recognizing that every step we take, every decision we make, the life we live, is made possible by the grace of God, the grace that flowed from the cross. His life. The fear and trembling is the humble acknowledgement that without His finished work, we are nothing. But with Him, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).
When we approach Philippians 2:12, we do so not with dread, but with gratitude and awe. Let us "work out" our salvation with a deep appreciation for the finished work of Christ, knowing that His grace is sufficient for every step of the journey, from Grace to grace, from Life to life.. Let us live in the freedom He accomplished for us, allowing His love to engulf and transform us till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)
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