This passage from the second chapter of Philippians has caused many a sincere Christian to hit the Tylenol bottle while trying to reconcile this passage with the solid doctrine of: Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. In other words, faith in Jesus plus nothing else.
Philippians 2:12: (ESV)
“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…
“What?!”, you say, “I thought the Bible says that we are saved by grace, not by works, so no one could boast in their own good deeds. Should I be afraid to approach God’s throne?”
No, he is not talking about walking on pins and needles because the Bible says that we, the redeemed, can boldly approach the throne. So what was Paul getting at here in verse 12? Well, like all doctrine we have from Scripture we must interpret it in context.
We must interpret the Bible with the Bible
We can start by reading the very next verse; verse 13 says:
…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (ESV)
Now, let’s hop over to 2Corinthians 5:10:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
And Hebrews 10:31 says:
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
NO ONE WILL SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS
The 2 Corinthians passage expresses the truth that everyone will appear before God to give an account. The unsaved, who have rejected God’s gift of salvation through the intercessory work of his son Jesus, at the Great White Throne Judgment. And the believer at the Judgment Seat of Christ (or the Bema Seat Judgment). The first group receiving condemnation and the second receiving rewards for their faithful service to the King.
The “fear and trembling” referred to in Philippians 2:12 is instructing us to be intentional in our walk with the Lord Jesus because one day we will stand before him and give an account of our obedience to him or lack there of.
Paul says elsewhere that our works of service to Jesus will be tested with fire and everything done with the wrong motives will be burned up—yet the person will be spared as if surviving a walk through fire (I’m paraphrasing).
So by interpreting the Bible with the Bible we can avoid fretting over a false interpretation that another is preaching by twisting scripture to suit their own inclinations. This is exactly what Satan tried to do while tempting our Lord in the wilderness after he was baptized by John.
So to add even more assurance to our doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, we can go to Romans 10:9-10:
…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
WHAT ABOUT WHAT JAMES SAYS?
So just where do the “works” of a faithful follower of Jesus Christ fit into his or her Christian walk?
James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Church in Jerusalem, said in his letter that “faith without works is dead” and that a person’s faith can be proved by his or her good works…another Tylenol moment!
The doctrine of salvation by grace through faith firmly states that you cannot justify yourself to God by your good works. And that “there are none righteous, no not one”. (Romans 3:10)The only way to God is through Jesus Christ—the Son of God who became a human being and lived a sinless life; he was the sacrificial “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and by the shedding of his blood took the sin of humanity upon himself so that we could be made righteous before God and be adopted into His family. (Romans 3:28,5:1; Galatians 2:16, 3:11, 3:24)
Once that transaction (for lack of a better word at the moment) takes place and we are Born Again as a new creation in Christ, we do good works in service to our Heavenly Father out of gratitude and obedience. (Revelation 2:26)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
CONCLUSION: FEAR AND TREMBLE
We will all stand before Jesus at the Judgment Seat when we enter his presence at our time of death. Eternity is forever…that’s a long time. This short time on Earth is a very narrow window of opportunity to love and serve him with all our heart, soul, and spirit. And it is our relationship with him that should come before everything else in our lives: our spouse, our kids, our extended family, and our own passions, goals, and dreams:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
This verse, I’m sure, is not promoting hate. Jesus is emphasizing that he is our number one priority in life if we truly believe that he is who he says he is. That when we put him first everything else will fall into place. That is what he meant when he said, “Come to me you all you who are burdened and carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
And also in Luke 12:31-34:
Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief steals and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Far too often we approach Almighty God like we are ordering food at the drive up window at McDonald’s. Put a Post-It Note on the bathroom mirror or some place you will notice it daily to remind yourself to approach God in prayer with reverent respect.
Remember, you are speaking to the one who created everything that exists just by speaking, “Let there be…“.
Go with God, friend.