Kingdom Comeনমুনা

PRAYER:

God, help me see how you are working in me today. 

READING:

At first glance, these verses can seem confusing. Is Paul implying that salvation is something we earn over time, something we are supposed to “work out?” We know from many other passages of Scripture that salvation is not something we achieve; it is something we receive. It is a gift of grace given freely to us from God. So, what is Paul referring to here?

The key to understanding the phrase “work out your salvation” is actually found in the next verse when Paul writes, “it is God who works in you.” Paul is encouraging these Jesus followers to continue moving forward in their spiritual growth. Following Jesus isn’t simply a moment-in-time decision. It’s actually a series of moments and decisions that add up to a journey of transformation. In the moment of your initial decision to follow Jesus, God declares you to be blameless and righteous in his sight. He gives you a new status and position as a child of God. The theological word for this is justification. The rest of the journey is the process by which we become practically what God has already declared us to be positionally. This is called sanctification. God is committed to this process in your life. He is working “in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” But it is not something he does without your participation. 

Nineteenth-century evangelist George Müller said it this way: “The believer must finish, must carry to conclusion, must apply to its fullest consequences what is already given by God in principle... He must work out what God in His grace has worked in.”

This is ultimately what the journey of spiritual growth is all about—working out what God is working in. We are partners with God in the work of transformation he is doing in our lives. 

REFLECTION:

Find a quiet place and settle in to spend some time being still with God. You might have to fight for it, but be intentional to get to the place where you are able to be internally still. 

Ask God to make you more aware of his presence. Ask him to highlight how he has been working in you and how you can actively participate in your spiritual growth. Finally, thank him for his faithfulness and ask him to sharpen your awareness of his spirit working in you.