Introduction – God’s Part and Our Part
This morning I want to talk about what it means to be a partner in grace—how God and we work together in this journey of salvation.
Paul says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.”
Notice that: two workers, one purpose.
We work it out; God works it in.
Now, there’s a mystery here.
If God is the One who works in me, then how much freedom do I really have?
And if I have freedom, how much does God control?
That question takes us straight into one of the oldest debates in the world—Do I really have a choice?
Am I truly free to decide who I’ll become?
Or has my life already been written for me?
Before we go too deep, let me lighten the mood a bit.
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The Cookie-Jar Girl
A pastor was teaching the Ten Commandments to a group of children.
When he came to “Thou shalt not steal,” he leaned forward and said, “Now, children, what would the cookie jar say to you if it could talk?”
A little girl lifted her hand and said, “It would say, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not!’”
She felt drawn to that cookie jar—like something outside herself was calling her name.
She knew she shouldn’t, but she wanted to.
She was already wrestling with freedom and desire.
Haven’t we all been there?
The cookie jar may look different for each of us, but we all know what it feels like to be pulled by something that seems stronger than our will.
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The Word “Determinism”
There’s a big word for this idea: determinism.
It means that everything that happens—including what we do—is determined by something else.
Some people believe every decision we make is already set in motion by our past, our upbringing, our biology, even the stars.
If that’s true, then we’re not really free—and we can’t be held responsible for what we do.
But the Bible won’t let us go that far.
From Genesis to Revelation, God calls people to choose.
“Choose this day whom you will serve.”
“Come now, let us reason together.”
“If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself.”
God never treats us like puppets.
He treats us like partners.
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Steinbeck and the Word “Timshel”
There’s a scene in John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden that captures this tension beautifully.
The whole book is built around the story of Cain and Abel—the first brothers, the first offering, the first murder.
Cain brought his gift; Abel brought his.
God accepted Abel’s and rejected Cain’s, and Cain burned with anger.
Then the Lord said to him,
> “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
That verse haunted one of Steinbeck’s characters, a wise old Chinese servant named Mr. Lee.
He couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Did God mean you will master it—like destiny?
Or you must master it—like command?
Or you may master it—like permission?
He studied the word in Hebrew—timshel.
After two years of searching, he and some scholars concluded it meant “Thou mayest.”
Not you must or you will, but you may.
In other words: You have a choice.
Mr. Lee said he had never been prouder to be human.
And the novel ends with that word—Timshel—spoken as a blessing from father to son:
> “Thou mayest.”
You are free to choose.
That one word sums up the dignity God gave us.
We may choose.
We are free to love, free to obey, free even to resist.
But as true as that freedom is, it isn’t the whole story.
Because life has a way of showing us that our freedom isn’t unlimited.
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The Forces That Shape Us
Let’s be honest—there are things about us we never got to vote on.
I didn’t choose my parents.
I didn’t choose my genetic makeup.
I didn’t choose where I was born, or the time in history I live.
Those things shape me before I ever make my first decision.
Family Influence
Our parents program us early—how to react, how to trust, how to fear, how to love.
Even before we could reason, we were learning what to expect from people and from life.
Genetics
Then there are our genes.
Some of us are tall, some short.
Some of us are wired for optimism; some struggle with depression.
It’s easy for a naturally cheerful person to say, “Just be happy!”
But someone born with a more anxious temperament will find that harder.
Language and Culture
Even the language we learn shapes how we think.
Words build worlds.
The way an English speaker thinks is not the same as a person raised in Zulu or Mandarin.
Culture gives us lenses, and we often forget we’re wearing them.
Experiences
And then there’s experience.
A man who once saw a terrible accident beside a telephone pole might grow up afraid of telephone poles.
It’s not logical—but his mind tied danger to that image.
We all carry invisible scars and reflexes like that.
So, we’re not blank slates.
We’re shaped, influenced, and sometimes limited.
Freedom is real, but it isn’t simple.
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How Free Are We?
I like to picture life as a line.
On one end is total freedom—choosing your breakfast cereal or your necktie.
On the other end are things beyond your control—your height, your heritage, your DNA.
Most of our choices fall somewhere in between.
I’ve spent time working with people caught in addiction.
When an alcoholic lifts that next glass, it doesn’t feel like a free choice.
The body and brain have learned a pattern that’s now stronger than willpower.
That doesn’t make it harmless—but it helps us understand the depth of the struggle.
So, I believe we are both influenced and free.
Bound and responsible.
Not robots, but not untouchable either.
And that’s why Paul’s words are so comforting.
He says, Work out your salvation, because God is working in you.
He doesn’t tell us to do it alone.
He doesn’t leave us to wrestle with our limits in despair.
He says, You have a Partner in grace.
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Why Freedom Still Matters
Even if we’re shaped by a thousand forces, there’s a piece of us that still must choose.
And that choice matters for at least three reasons.
1. Because We Reflect God’s Image
The Bible says we’re made in the image of God.
God is free—and He made us to share that likeness.
The freedom to choose is part of what makes us human.
2. Because It Protects God’s Goodness
If we had no choice, we’d have to blame God for every act of evil.
Every war, every cruelty, every heartbreak would trace back to Him.
But the Bible says people choose rebellion.
We made the mess, not God.
Freedom protects the goodness of God.
3. Because Love Requires Choice
Love can’t be forced.
If you force love, it’s not love anymore.
The only reason I know my wife loves me is that she’s free to choose otherwise—and still chooses me.
Love demands freedom.
And God wants love, not programming.
That’s why He gives us the choice to follow Him.
It’s risky.
He could lose us.
But He’d rather have love that’s free than obedience that’s forced.
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The Story of Naaman
Now, let me share one of my favorite Old Testament stories—it’s both humorous and profound.
There was a great general in Syria named Naaman.
Powerful man. Brave. Respected.
But he had leprosy.
He heard there was a prophet in Israel who could heal, so he sent a message to the king of Israel:
“I’ve got leprosy. I understand you have someone who can fix it.”
The king panicked—“Am I God, to heal leprosy?”
But the prophet Elisha said, “Send him to me.”
When Naaman arrived, Elisha didn’t even come to the door.
He just sent a messenger saying, “Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River.”
Naaman was insulted.
“I expected the prophet to come out and wave his hand, say a prayer, make a ceremony!
Besides, the rivers in Syria are cleaner than that muddy Jordan.”
But his servants said, “Sir, if he’d asked you to do something hard, wouldn’t you have done it?
Why not try something simple?”
So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped seven times, and was healed.
When he came back, he said,
> “Now I know there’s no God in all the earth except the God of Israel.”
Then he asked for something odd:
“Please let me take two bags of Israel’s soil back home with me.
I’ll lay that dirt on the ground and pray there—because I want to pray on the God of Israel’s land.”
He was still thinking in old categories—each god had a territory.
Then he said, “There’s one more problem.
When I go back, I’ll have to help my king bow before his god, Rimmon.
The king leans on my arm when he kneels.
May the Lord forgive me when that happens.”
Now you’d expect Elisha to thunder, “No compromise! Stand firm!”
But Elisha didn’t.
He said, “Go in peace.”
Why?
Because Elisha understood the process of growth.
Naaman was brand new in faith.
He was conditioned by his culture.
God would work on him step by step.
Elisha didn’t excuse sin, but he gave the man room to grow.
He trusted the grace of God to finish what had started.
That’s what it means to be a partner in grace.
God meets us where we are and moves us forward.
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Giving Others Room to Grow
That story teaches me to be a little harder on myself and a little gentler with others.
We don’t all start at the same place.
Some carry heavy baggage from childhood, trauma, or shame.
Some fight invisible battles every day.
So when someone struggles, instead of judging, remember: You don’t know the whole story.
Be patient.
God’s still working.
And when you look in the mirror, remember the same thing.
He’s still working in you too.
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Working Out What God Works In
Paul says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
That means take it seriously.
Handle your spiritual life with reverence.
Not because God is waiting to punish you, but because the One who works in you is holy.
He doesn’t say work for your salvation—Christ has already done that.
He says work out what God has already put in.
Think of it like a carpenter sanding wood.
The grain is already there; sanding just brings it out.
Grace has written God’s pattern into your soul; your daily choices bring it to the surface.
So yes, God is sovereign.
And yes, you are responsible.
Both are true.
And the bridge between them is partnership.
You are a partner in grace.
God supplies the power; you supply the willingness.
He gives the seed; you let it grow.
He opens the door; you walk through it.
When temptation whispers, when old habits try to pull you down, remember this:
You are not alone.
The very God who calls you to obey is the One who gives you strength to do it.
Paul says, “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”
Even the desire to change is a gift of His Spirit.
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Freedom Re-defined
So, are we free or not?
Yes—and more than that.
We are freed for something.
True freedom isn’t doing whatever I please.
It’s being free from what used to control me, so I can do what pleases God.
When Jesus sets you free, He doesn’t remove choice; He redeems it.
He takes a broken will and repairs it.
He makes obedience possible, even joyful.
That’s why Paul could say, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Not the liberty of rebellion, but the liberty of becoming who you were created to be.
We’re all still under construction—but praise God, we’re not where we used to be.
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Conclusion – The Serenity of Grace
Let me close with a prayer you’ve probably heard before.
It captures the heart of what Paul said in Philippians:
> The Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
That’s the balance of grace and choice.
Some things are beyond my control—God asks me to accept them.
Some things are within my reach—He gives me courage to change them.
And in every case, He gives wisdom to know which is which.
You are not a puppet, and you are not abandoned.
You are a partner in grace.
God works in you; you work it out.
Together, you and He are shaping a life that reflects His purpose.
So this week, when you face temptation or discouragement, hear God’s whisper:
> “Timshel—thou mayest.”
You may choose.
You may overcome.
You may walk with Me.
And as you do, you’ll discover that the strongest part of your will… is His presence inside it.
