Work out your own salvation. Sounds strange to us, doesn't it? Because we don't often associate the word works with salvation. We're going to talk about that in a little bit here. But let me just read the text to you one more time. It says, wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, But now, much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure." You could contemplate on this verse for a long time, and there's a whole lot there that could be talked about. But in reading and studying our text for this morning, one thing jumps out at me, and that is that these words are directed to those who are saved. They are not directed to the unsaved. These words, work out your salvation, have no meaning whatsoever to the lost. You cannot work out what you do not have. It would be the height of folly to expect a lost man to work out his salvation. Now, when I use examples in my preaching, please don't judge me by them. I use examples that pop into my head at times, but it would be useless to preach to a homeless man to keep his home tidy, wouldn't it? He doesn't have a home. it would be useless to teach a man how to engage in childbirth. It is meaningless information to him, and it is useless to tell a lost man how to work out his salvation. Now let me show you clearly that this admonition, work out your own salvation, is directed to those who are already saved. The book of Philippians contains Paul's directions to the saints at Philippi. Take a look at Philippians chapter 1 and verse 1, and it says, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, and then he includes those lesser people, the bishops and the deacons, you see. But at any rate, Paul is writing to the saints there at Philippi. Although there may be helpful information for the lost in this book, the book is written for the immediate and direct purpose of instructing those who are already saved. The immediate context finds Paul instructing the believers at Philippi how to live according to the lofty standards of the gospel of Christ. You remember that? We had a whole sermon on that two or three weeks ago. Philippians 1.27, Paul says, only let your conversation or your behavior be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. You see how that applies to saints, doesn't it? In the immediate context here, Paul is instructing the saints how to live according to that high standard called the gospel of Christ. He is instructing them how to live as a Christian. And he tells them, just by way of review, in verse 27 of chapter 1, strive for unity. And then in verse 28, to be courageous. Verse 29, to endure suffering. And then the next several verses, beginning in chapter 2, verses 3 through 8, he encourages them to live a humble life, just as Christ lived a humble life. And this is the immediate context in which Paul then says, work out your own salvation. Now, the very verse that we are considering this morning, chapter two and verse 12, is specifically addressed to my beloved. Do you see that in verse 12? It says in chapter two and verse 12, wherefore, my beloved. And then the admonition is later in the verse, work out your own salvation. Also notice in the same verse that Paul is writing to those who have already obeyed the gospel. Do you see that in verse 12? He is giving instruction to those who have been obedient to Christ through faith. Nothing is said here to the unconverted. for the unconverted have no salvation to work out. Furthermore, we know from everywhere in the Bible that there is no work that a man can do to be saved. Let me have you flip back one book to Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 10. And I want to cite you to this because I don't want there to be any confusion. that works is a way to attain salvation. And everywhere in the Bible we are told that works does not save. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 10 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them." My, my. I could preach three messages on those verses right there. But let me just summarize them for you briefly. Keep your finger there, Ephesians 2, or your eyes, Ephesians 2, 8 through 10, and notice first that salvation is by grace, isn't it? That means it is the unmerited favor of God that saves a man. Everywhere the Bible teaches that salvation is by grace, but also notice that salvation is through what? Through faith, isn't it? Faith is the opposite of works in that it is meritless. Keep your finger in Ephesians and flip over to Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four. And verse 16. And it says in Romans 4 16, therefore, it is of faith that is salvation comes by faith that it might be by grace. You see, so the idea there is that faith is the opposite of works. If you were saved by works, it wouldn't be by grace, you see, but because it's by faith, it is by grace. So, salvation is by grace, it is through faith, which is a meritless thing. Thirdly, salvation is not of yourselves, in Ephesians 2.8. The whole of it is not of ourselves. Not a part of it is of ourselves. Salvation is wholly of God from beginning to end. The motivation for salvation, the purpose for salvation, the power unto salvation, all comes from God and not from man. And therefore, it says, and that not of yourselves, you see. Fourthly, it says salvation is a gift of God. That means it is not earned. It could in no way be earned. It comes from the sheer graciousness of God. It is a free gift handed to the undeserving. But next we see that salvation is not of works. It says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works, you see. Lest we miss the point, Paul states the obvious. It is not of works. Works is not in the equation for the attaining of salvation. Salvation is designed to exclude boasting, it says. Let's read it again. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Take all credit for man and give it all to God. If a man is to be saved, it is God who will do it. Therefore, salvation will be to the praise of his glory, as it says in Ephesians chapter one. But also in our Ephesians two passage, we find that in salvation we are the work of God, you see, for we are his workmanship. We don't work, he works, and we are his work. He is the potter, we are the clay. He makes of us what he will, and Romans 9 specifies very clearly that he makes one to dishonor and one to honor. And therefore we see that he is the workman, and he makes of us what he will. Nextly, we see in this Ephesians to these verses here that we are saved unto the prospect of good works. You see, it says unto good works. He does not save us because of our good works, but he saves us unto good works. And nextly, we see that our good works have been ordained by God, do you see that? The last phrase, it says, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. And so God decreed that the saved man will do good work. He ordered it and it shall be so. But nextly, we see that we shall walk in good works. God ordained that we certainly will walk in good works, the word should in our text is not suggesting that we should do it, but that we might not, but rather it is stating that the saved man certainly will walk in good works. Now, one thing that we know for sure is that a man does not work to be saved. We know that like the freckles on the back of our hand here, don't we? Every week it seems that comes up in the scriptures. Salvation is by the pure, unmitigated, unaided grace and power of God. God doesn't ask a man to reform his life in order to get saved, as many suppose. He doesn't ask him to perform any rituals to be saved. Rather, he simply asks him to believe in the work of another to be saved. Now, one thing that we have learned very well here is that salvation is a long, eternal process. It is no one event, but it is a magnificent series of necessary events that bring us miraculously to redemption and to salvation. Much of the work of salvation was accomplished by God before we were ever born. And this can be called God's work for us, you see. The Bible says that before the foundation of the world, God chose us. Ephesians 1, 4, which we know by heart, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Now, some people look at that verse and they say that God chose everybody, but they should read on further. This passage says that he chose us to be holy and blameless. This passage says that he predestinated us to be his adopted children. This passage says that he chose us to be to the praise of the glory of his grace. This passage says that he chose us with the view to making us accepted in the beloved. Unless you believe that everyone shall be holy and blameless, unless you believe that everyone shall be his adopted children. Unless you believe that everyone shall be a testament to His grace, unless you believe that everyone shall be accepted, then you must acknowledge that He chose some and not all. Look around in the world and you will find that He did not choose everyone to these great benefits, but He graciously chose some. But the choosing was only part of the work of God for us. The Father gave us to Christ for safekeeping, and Christ cherishes the gift of the Father. The Bible says that Christ holds the elect in his hands, and Christ shall do whatever it takes to save them from their sins. It says in John chapter 6 and verse 39, And this is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." So the Father chose some and gave them to Christ, but the work of God for us goes on and on. In due time, Christ became a man so that he could live an acceptable life on our behalf and so also that he could pay the appropriate penalty for our sins. And Jesus sacrificed himself to make atonement for their sins. That is the sins of those whom the father had given him. The death of Christ satisfied the justice of God and rendered God propitiated toward those people. And all of this was God's work of salvation on their behalf, on our behalf, before we were ever born. See how God works the work of salvation for us. But even after we were born, God continued to work the work of salvation. We were dead in trespasses and sins, the Bible says in Ephesians 2.1. And the Bible says that we had no spiritual sensibility in 1 Corinthians 2.14. And God came and worked a work in our hearts. That work is called regeneration. That is, God made us alive where before we were dead. He worked a work in us when we were incapable of work. Jesus said in John 6, 44, speaking of the natural man, no man can come to me. Fortunately, he went on in that verse, he said, No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him. You see how we depend on God's work for salvation. And so the father drew us. Jesus told Nicodemus, this religious leader in Israel, you must be born again. And so the Holy Spirit came and created in us a new birth. And you see that all of this has been the work of God and we have done nothing at all. All we can say is that we were sinners on the road to hell and God intervened on our behalf. We were in a deep sleep. More than that, we were dead. But we were under a deep sleep, you might say, under the anesthesia of sin. And God woke us up by his work. When you finally get to heaven, I'm sure you will fall at the feet of Christ and give thanks for your salvation, which he worked in you. But we note that our text says, work out your own salvation. This clearly refers to those of you who are already saved. No lost man can please God with his works, but a saved man has a duty to work the works of salvation. If a man does not know Christ, I strongly urge him to stop working. Whatever you are doing to try to get to heaven, stop it and put all of your hope and aspiration of heaven in the work of Christ. You see, Christ's work and his work alone atones for sin. Christ does not save the worker, but Christ saves the sinner. It says in Romans chapter five, verses six through eight, you may want to turn there. This is a very, very good verse here. Verses Romans five, six through eight says, for when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now, most people in this world adopt a religion of works because they suppose that their works will ultimately get them to heaven. They suppose that Christ will only save the good man, but they forget that Christ saves sinners. Nothing will exclude you from heaven more surely than your own works. Trust in your own works will cause you to despise and diminish the work of Christ, and Christ will not have his work despised. It says in Acts 16, verse 31, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. This is the message of salvation. Believe, believe, believe. There is not a hint of works in the message to the lost. To them, the Bible simply says believe. But to the saved, Paul says work. Work out your own. salvation. So we're going to talk about this in just the next few minutes here. I want you to see, first of all, that which is worked out is the same thing that is worked in. And I want you to see that from our text. Let's read it, it says, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Now, from this text this morning, I want you to notice that there is a working in you by God. And then there is a working that comes out of you and they are the same in nature. Now, it seems that God works a work in you. And as a result of God's work in you, there is an outworking that is consistent with the inworking. Let me give you another silly example. We have a four month old grandchild. He's not here this morning. And this grandchild likes to eat. And he has a 40 something year old grandmother who likes to feed him. She is here this morning. And sometimes his eyes are bigger than his stomach. And when too much milk goes in, something has got to be spewed back out. But here is what has never happened. We have never fed him milk. and had green pea casserole come back out. You see, what goes in is what comes out. And here is the natural thing for a Christian. God works salvation in a man and the things attending salvation come out of a man. So keep in mind that the good work of a Christian is nothing more or less than that good thing that God has wrought inside the Christian. God has worked a great work in us, and now the thing which is to come out of us is to be consistent with his work. Now, this is similar to the thought which was presented in Philippians 127. Go back to Philippians 127 again. And let me show you sort of the same idea, it says in Philippians 127, Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Another way to say it is, let your outworking be consistent with His inworking. God has put a new life in us, and now that new life must come out of us. There is no such thing as an unchanged Christian. Think about that. Salvation is not merely positional, but it is also practical. God not only saves from the guilt of sin, but he also saves from the pollution of sin. Salvation is more than a judicial act. It is also a sanctifying power. That is why Jesus could forgive a man and then say, go and sin no more. The saving power of God is seen both in heaven's courtroom where you are justified and in the heart's throne room where you are changed. Salvation provides a double cure. Have you ever heard that phrase before? The double cure? It's found in that great hymn, The Rock of Ages. I believe it's verse number two, if I'm not mistaken, says, Rock of Ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from my wounded side, which flowed, be of sin the double cure. Save from wrath, you see, that's the guilt of sin, save from wrath and make me pure. That's saving me from the pollution. of sin. Let me just say that if God saves from the penalty of sin, then he also saves from the pollution of sin. And let me say it another way. If God has not saved from the pollution of sin, then he has not saved from the penalty of sin. So see clearly that when God works something in you. That same something will come out of you. But let me show you also, secondly this morning, that God works in us the desire to do the will of God. I want you to see this clearly. It says in verse, let me get back to Philippians here, Philippians chapter 2 and verse 13, It says, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Now, in addition to all of the glorious things that God does for us out there somewhere, such things as justification, adoption as children, reconciliation, redemption, propitiation, forgiveness of sins. In addition to all that, you see, God actually pierces into the heart and does a work inside of us as well. He causes us to want to do his will. How blessed you are if there is a spark within you that wants to do his will. What a miracle of grace and power that is, because you know what you were like before. We were dead and God made us alive. We had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, it says, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ. And this great power of God within us causes us to will to do His good pleasure. But I want you also to see from our text that this work of God not only causes us to desire to do the will of God, but it also works in us the actual doing of His pleasure. Notice that this power of God in you not only causes you to want to do his pleasure, but it causes you to do his pleasure. This new creation inside of you is such a force that it moves you to work. It moves you into action. It compels you to do the very thing that has been worked in you. Take a look at that again in verse 13. It says, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So whenever we are moved to act in a Christian way, we should be reminded that it is God working in us. It is not our natural inclination to esteem others better than ourselves, is it? It is not our natural inclination to think on the things of others. It is not our natural inclination to humble ourselves in the manner of Christ, which is what Paul has previously taught us here in Philippians chapter one. But when we do these things, it is God working in us. Remember it says in Ephesians 2 10 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So God works in us the desire to do his will and he also works in us the actual doing of good works. But let's go further and let's see from our text that salvation is proven by works. Let me say that good works are as much a part of salvation as genuine faith. And therefore, Paul says, work out your salvation. As we saw in Ephesians 2 10, God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. There were two thieves on a cross next to Jesus. Both were reviling Christ, the Gospel of Mark tells us. But then God did a work in one man's heart and he was saved in the last moments of his life. Now, you would think that there was no time for work, but even hanging there, he worked out his salvation. The other thief kept reviling Christ, but suddenly the saved man spoke up for Christ. You see how Christ worked in him, and then good works came out of him. Saul was a hater of Christians until Christ did a work in him, and then Saul became the greatest advocate for Christians. A man without the works of salvation is a man without salvation. Listen to James. In James 2.14, James says, What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he have faith and have not works? Can faith save him? Not a workless faith. And a little later in James 2.17, it says, Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead. being alone. Yea, a man may say thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works. So you see that salvation is proven by works, but also notice that the Christian works that we perform are an expression of our own salvation. Notice that it says work out your own salvation. Now, when you put a program in a computer. It causes the computer to act in a certain way, doesn't it? And when God does his work in us, it causes us to act in a certain way. We have this thing called salvation implanted in our souls, and it changes our will And it changes our conduct. And this salvation comes out of us in the form of godly behavior. When you see yourself acting like a Christian, you are witnessing your own salvation at work. Now, the question might be, what works do we do? And I've saved myself five minutes. to tell you what it means to work out your own salvation. And I'm not going to tell you much about that, I think, you know, for the most part. But the question might be, what works do we do? How do we work out our own salvation? Let me just say, first of all, that Christian works are to be attended with great seriousness. It says, work out your salvation with what? Fear and trembling. When Paul says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, he means to suggest that it is a very, very serious endeavor. Salvation is a very serious matter. It is the most serious matter to which you will ever attend. It is much more serious than where you work. It is much more serious than what house you live in. It is even more serious than who you marry. It is a thousand times more serious than those things, and therefore the working out of your salvation is to be attended with the kind of anxiety which one has who feels that he has an immensely important interest at stake and that he is in danger of losing it. Now, if your child becomes ill with a deadly disease, you attend to the matter with fear and trembling, don't you? You do everything that you can do. You leave no stone unturned. You spend your last dollar and then you ask others for help. There are many reasons why we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling first. We should work out our salvation with fear and trembling because so many persons make shipwreck of their lives in this world and they perish and we are no better than them. There is no danger. There is danger of losing the soul. We cannot presume on God's election, but we must prove his election by our life. Secondly, there are so many temptations and allurements in the world and so many things that take our attention away from our religion and from our God that there is a danger that we will ignore our soul and thereby lose it. This is heaven instead of hell, this is the issue, you see, this is acceptance with God instead of eternal rejection. This is life or death. Therefore, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Lastly, let me say that what we are to do, let me say what we are to do to work out our salvation. And I'm going to spend about this much time on this this morning. In very general terms, we are to be busy. in those things which are consistent with the work which God has done in us. He says, but beloved, we are persuaded, this is Hebrews 6, 9, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation. And then in John 6, 27, it says labor not for the meat that perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life. Paul said in Philippians chapter three, verse 14, I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. In short, we are to obey every command of Christ. We are to conform to every principle. of the Word of God, and we are to be about this business every day. Now, in the immediate context of Philippians chapter 2, it seems that Paul is encouraging us toward that great Christian quality of humility. This is what the passage is about. We are to have the mind of Christ, it says, and he spent a good many verses teaching us that we should esteem others better than ourselves. And then he gave us the example of Christ. And then he tells us, work out your own salvation, you see. So we are to live selflessly and sacrificially. This is the work that comes out of us when God has worked in us. So let me encourage you this morning to work out your own salvation, whatever work that may be. What God has worked in you, express it daily in your Christian walk, especially we are to put away pride and conceit and selfishness. And we are to walk humbly and with lowliness of mind, just as Christ walked in this way, you will work out your salvation. Would you bow with me, please? Our Heavenly Father, now we come to you, we ask you, Lord, to help us to understand these things, help us to understand these great and wondrous truths of your word, impress them upon our hearts, Lord, help us to understand what you have done for us and in us, and then help us to work out that salvation in our daily walk. We thank you, Lord, that you give us the grace and the power to do so. We thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty, who did the work. Now help us to do our work. And we ask this in Christ's name.