Several years ago our family experienced two different graduations. The first was my daughter’s graduation from preschool. Each spring the school held a commencement for the kids leaving preschool to start Kindergarten. The children wore robes and caps. They were even presented with a diploma.
The second ceremony was my graduation from the Doctor of Ministry program at Harding School of Theology. After completing my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, this was the last degree I would ever earn.
One ceremony—mine—was the end of a journey. It celebrated the conclusion of my formal education. The other ceremony—my daughter’s—was the beginning of a journey. It celebrated the start of her formal education.
These two ceremonies illustrate the two sides of “salvation”: 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12-13 ESV)
On the one hand, salvation is the end of a journey. These Christians in Philippi have already been saved. It’s something that’s already completed. For example, when Paul spoke to a jailer in the city of Philippi, Paul told him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31 ESV). These Philippians have believed in the Lord Jesus and have been saved. Paul will write later in Phil. 3 that there’s nothing left for them to do for salvation. It’s finished.
On the other hand, salvation is also beginning of a journey. Paul urges these saved Philippians to “work out your own salvation.” There is something about salvation which needs further “work.” It sounds as if there’s part of a journey still to finish.
Paul is revealing that salvation marks the beginning of a journey not just the end of a journey. Like my graduation, salvation is the completion of something. Everything needed to secure a home with God has already been accomplished by Jesus.
But like my daughter’s graduation, salvation is also the beginning of something. The beginning of what? I think we can put it this way: it’s the beginning of the pursuit of spiritual health. The word “salvation” can refer to health. For example, in Acts 27:34 Paul urges hungry soldiers to eat so that they might “survive,” or, literally, “be saved.” In Acts 4:9 the word “saved” is translated “healed” when Peter describes how he “healed” a lame man. The word “salvation” can refer to being spiritually healthy. And in this text Paul is urging us to make progress on our journey toward spiritual health.
His specific phrase for the goal of this journey is found in this phrase: for his good pleasure. In other words, there are certain types of lives that fill God with pleasure. Just as a doctor is thrilled to see a patient gaining greater physical health, so God is thrilled to see us gaining greater spiritual health. What God celebrates is not just the person who is baptized into Christ and saved from their sins. He also celebrates the person who then begins to make progress toward greater spiritual health.
There is absolutely no work we can do to contribute to the salvation that centers on our spiritual home with God. Jesus has done it all. But there is plenty we can do to contribute to the salvation that centers on our spiritual health.
God, by his Spirit, is laboring non-stop to move us toward greater degrees of spiritual maturity. That’s what Paul means when he writes of the “God who works in you, both to will and to work.” Yet we, too, are called to partner with God in that progress. Paul urges us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
The phrase “fear and trembling” is used throughout the Bible to refer to the way humans respond to God’s supernatural work. Paul isn’t calling us to be afraid. He’s saying that our response to God’s supernatural work within us is to soberly participate with God in that work. The knowledge that God is doing what only he can to help us progress in spiritual maturity should lead us to do what only we can to partner with God in our spiritual maturity.
And this phrase “work out”can be translated “work at.” Paul is urging us to “work at” our spiritual health along with God. For example, a few years ago my wife’s father had knee surgery. The surgery was successful. But even though the doctors had done what Ken could never do, Ken still had a part to play. For the next few months, Ken had to “work at” his knee-health. He had to do exercises to stretch and strengthen the tendons and muscles.
Paul is suggesting something similar regarding spiritual health. God is doing things to help us progress in maturity that we could never do. But we still have a part to play. We have things to work at if we want to experience greater spiritual health.
What are you doing to work out/work at your spiritual health?
