Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
In the above verse, we are instructed by scripture to be sure we are letting the incredible salvation God has provided us work itself out in our lives in practical ways by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. We do it not to get rich, healthy, popular or for any self-gain, but rather to please our Lord. For the 38 years I have been a follower of Christ, I have come across many a person who calls themselves a Christian, but give no evidence of it by their priorities, choices, lifestyle or speech. How could this be true? Well, saying you are a Christian is not the same as being a disciple/follower of Christ. I am not the judge of anyone’s soul, but I am called to discern the things around me so as not to be deceived into following the example of those who do not give themselves fully to Christ (see Ephesians 5). God does for us what we cannot do; namely to save ourselves from our sins and provide the gift of eternal life. God will not do for us what we can and should do by His provision. We must act upon our faith or it is a dead faith and we are deceived (James 2:14-26). Our gracious Lord will forgive our sins and begin the transformation process of new life in Christ if we respond to His grace and the call of the Holy Spirit. What God will not do is force new and good habits on us or make us obey Him in His Word. We must choose to follow Him as this whole thing is about a relationship and it only has meaning if we give our whole heart to Jesus and desire to please and honor Him. Compulsion or programming like a robot would not produce the love relationship our God desires from us.
What evidences in God’s Word do we have to be sure this is true? In the Old Testament, God provided the wandering Israelites with daily manna for food in a barren wilderness so they could eat and not perish. The Israelites had no ability to produce the food they needed in the desolate land they were in. Yet God still had the people get up and collect the manna and prepare it as food; He did not deliver to their tents already cooked. God then led Israel through the wilderness for 40 years and brought them to the Promised Land. God then did miraculous works to help the Israelites defeat the nations of the land that were far superior to them in military might. God still had the people engage in battle to see victory with His help. In the New Testament, we are called to “live by faith” and to obey our Lord. If we do not act upon what we know is right, it is sin! (James 4:17) Our growth in our faith is dependent on our “working out” what God has “put in us.” The Lord puts His Spirit in us to empower us to live for Him. If you find your faith life with God dry and purposeless, check to be sure you have fully surrendered to Him from the heart for salvation and daily living. Let Him work in and through you to fulfill His purposes. A commitment to surrender to Christ in faith will please the God, bless others and bring joy into your life!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Gary Houdek