Bible Question: What is meant by,work out your own salvation |
Bible Answer: Here Paul is speaking to the Philippians, and so many commentaries feel that he is speaking about a collective group working out their salvation rather than individuals. We have clearly learned through the context of the rest of the Bible that individuals cannot earn their salvation through works, so "work out your own salvation" does not mean to "work FOR" it, but rather to live it out. What makes a Christian different from a non-Christian? One answer is that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Another important answer would be that we have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus. And like any relationship, we have to work on this relationship. (i.e. your father will always be your father, but to reap the full benefits of the father/son relationship, you have to work out the relationship). You should think of your salvation as your RELATIONSHIP with CHRIST rather than just that one moment that you decided to accept Jesus into your heart. |