Work Out Your Own Salvation

Work Out Your Own Salvation

March 23, 2003

Phil 2:12, 13

12 Therefore, 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;

13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

1. Work Out

A. Your Own Salvation

a. I am going to stay on this subject just a little longer…there is much that you and I need to learn about God

b. And one of those things is, that God gave us a will…a will that He Himself will not violate

c. He has given us a destiny – but it is up to you and I to fulfill that destiny

d. He is with us every step of the way, He is there to hold, take us by the hand and guide us…but He will also let us go when we decide to pull our hand away

e. ‘Work out your own salvation…’ – there are things in your life that only you can give up

B. Coming To The Realization

a. Somewhere in our walk with God we need to come to the realization that we are responsible for some things in this life…work out salvation…Why?

b. First, because God commands it…there is no other command more frequently repeated in Scripture

c. Than the command to make to ourselves a new heart; to strive to enter in at the strait gate; to break off from sin, and to repent.

d. It is a duty because it is our own personal interest that is at stake. No one else has, or can have, as much interest in our salvation as we have.

e. Our earthly friends cannot save us. No effort of theirs can deliver us from eternal death without our own exertion.

f. It is a duty, because the salvation of the soul will not take care of itself without an effort on our part.

i. It is a duty, because there is no reason to expect the divine interposition without our own effort.

ii. No such interposition is promised to any man, and why should he expect it?

iii. In the case of all who have been saved, they have made an effort-- and why should we expect that God will favor us more than he did them?

C. God Will Help

a. God will guide you and I, God will lead…the Bible says…

Ps 119:105

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

b. But we will come to times in our lives, where we are going to have to make decisions based on our relationship with God

c. God, as a Father, will give us opportunities…will open doors…He wants the best for you and I – but in return, He wants our heart, our love, our worship

d. Listen, your salvation is based on relationship to Himànot to me, not to this church or any church, or any religion

e. It is solely based on a relationship with God, your hunger for God, your desire to know Him

James 4:8

8 And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.

D. No Excitement – Lack of Relationship

a. Beloved, when we lose joy in salvation, it is because we’ve allowed sin to creep back into our lives

b. You’ve stopped praying, you’ve stopped reading, you’ve stopped contending

c. The old music comes back…the eyes are shifting again, sin is crouching at your door

d. And it is right here that we will attempt to make excuses as to why we are not doing so good

e. We will blame people – no one follows up on me – can I tell you something, friendship is a two way street

f. It has to go both ways…but you’re the pastor

2. Jesus, the Pastor

A. Allowed Men To Make Decisions

a. I want to take a moment and look at the First, true Pastor, Pastor Jesus

b. The One that loves and cares and died for our sins …what an example

c. He has crowds following Him

John 6:54, 66

54 "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

d. I want you to notice something…Jesus didn’t go and chase them back…they had to make up their own decision – do you love Jesus more than you do self-will

e. Do I love Jesus more than self-pity, bitterness, pride, arrogance

f. Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “Look, there is a price that you have to pay to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven…not just anyone is allowed in.”