Philippians 2:12, 13 - Cooperating with Divinity.
Philippians 2:12, 13 (NKJV) 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;
for it is God who works in you both to will and
to do for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12, 13 (AMP) Therefore, my
dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my
suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you
would show] in my presence but much more because I
am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to
the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation
with reverence and awe and trembling
(self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of
conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly
shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit
the name of Christ). [Not in your own strength]
for it is God Who is all the while effectually
at work in you [energizing and creating in you
the power and desire], both to will and to work
for His good pleasure and satisfaction and
delight.
INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS
These verses must be read together for a
proper understanding A "works salvation" is not
being taught. The idea is to progress to the
finish or completion in spiritual growth and
maturity. This process is what the Bible calls
"sanctification." It should be noted that v. 12 makes it clear
we are to be active, not passive, in this
process. However, though we are active, we are not
alone. Verse 13 reminds us again that the entire
salvation process is the work of a sovereign God and
the result of His grace. "For it is God who
works in you" is the ultimate ground and basis for
our salvation. [Believers SB]
Christians allow God to work in them. The
flesh cannot work up humility or dedication;
this must come from within by the power of the
Spirit. God works in us before He works through us,
and He uses the Word (1 Thes. 2:13), the Spirit
(Eph. 3:16, 20-21), and prayer. [Wiersbe
Expository Outlines]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Our Spiritual Gold Mine
During the California Gold Rush of the
mid-1800s, people came from around the nation, even the
world, to find their fortune. I think people
thought the gold was just lying around on the
streets. But they had to go and mine it and work at
it in hopes of discovering the mother lode.
When the apostle Paul wrote, Work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling
(Philippians 2:12 NKJV), he was saying its like a
mine. Go and discover all that God has done for
you. Extract it. Live it out. Understand it.
Appreciate it. Find out what it actually means for
you.
This means working out our own salvation
with self-distrust. We come with a reverence for
God and a distrust of ourselves. We cant do
this in our own strength. Paul continues, For
it is God who works in you both to will and to
do for His good pleasure (verse 13 NKJV).
Some people say, God does it all. I do
nothing. Others say, I do it all and God does
nothing. Both of those views are wrong. God does it
through you as you mine it and discover it for
yourself. Work out your own salvation with
self-distrust, for it is God who is working in you.
The phrase fear and trembling
doesnt mean that Paul is suggesting we can lose our
salvation. You can make a recommitment to Christ if you
need to, but once you have eternal life, it is a
gift to you from God. You are born again once.
The devil loves to challenge what God has
said. We must stand on the promises of God and not
our emotions, because our emotions can mislead
us.
Dont work for your salvation; work out
your salvation. What an incredible gift it is.
[By Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
When Man Cooperates
For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and
he with me" (Revelation 3:20). Thus the world's
Redeemer illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit upon
the human heart. The living agent, by an act of
faith of his own, places himself in the hands of
the Lord for Him to work in him His good
pleasure in His time. There must be a continual
exercise of faith to be in Christ and keep in Christ,
abiding by faith in Him.
This is a training process, a constant
discipline of the mind and heart, that Christ shall
work His great work in human hearts. Self, the
old natural self, dies, and Christ's will is our
will, His way is our way, and the human agent
becomes, with heart, mind, and intellect, an
instrument in the hands of God to work no more
wickedness but the righteousness of Christ.
In the divine arrangement God does
nothing without the cooperation of man. He compels
no man's will. That must be given to the Lord
completely, else the Lord is not able to accomplish His
divine work that He would do through the human
agency. Jesus declared that in a certain place He
could not do many mighty works among the people
because of their unbelief. He wanted to do for them
in that place just what He knew that they
needed to have done, but He could not because
unbelief barred the way. The potter cannot mold and
fashion unto honor that which has never been placed
in his hands. The Christian life is one of
daily surrender, submission, and continual
overcoming, gaining fresh victories every day. This is
the growing up into Christ, fashioning the life
into the divine Model.
Devotion, piety, and sanctification of
the entire man come through Jesus Christ our
righteousness. The love of God needs to be constantly
cultivated. O how my heart cries out to the living God
for the mind of Jesus Christ! I want to lose
sight of self. {TMK 55}
Understanding the True Force of the Will
The tempted one needs to understand the
true force of the will. This is the governing
power in the nature of man--the power of decision,
of choice. Everything depends on the right
action of the will. Desires for goodness and purity
are right, so far as they go; but if we stop
here, they avail nothing. Many will go down to
ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their
evil propensities. They do not yield the will to
God. They do not choose to serve Him.
God has given us the power of choice; it
is ours to exercise. We cannot change our
hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, our
impulses, our affections. We cannot make ourselves
pure, fit for God's service. But we can choose to
serve God, we can give Him our will; then He will
work in us to will and to do according to His
good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be
brought under the control of Christ.
Through the right exercise of the will,
an entire change may be made in the life. By
yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves
with divine power. We receive strength from above
to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a
life of victory over appetite and lust, is
possible to everyone who will unite his weak,
wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering
will of God. {MH 176}
We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is
to use us. Through the Spirit God works in His
people "to will and to do of His good pleasure."
Philippians 2:13. But many will not submit to this. They
want to manage themselves. This is why they do
not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who
wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance
and grace, is the Spirit given. The power of God
awaits their demand and reception. This promised
blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings
in its train. It is given according to the
riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to
supply every soul according to the capacity to
receive. {DA 672.1}
The victory is not won without much earnest
prayer, without the humbling of self at every step.
Our will is not to be forced into co-operation
with divine agencies, but it must be voluntarily
submitted. Were it possible to force upon you with a
hundredfold greater intensity the influence of the
Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian, a
fit subject for heaven. The stronghold of Satan
would not be broken. The will must be placed on
the side of God's will. You are not able, of
yourself, to bring your purposes and desires and
inclinations into submission to the will of God; but if
you are "willing to be made willing," God will
accomplish the work for you, even "casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2
Corinthians 10:5. Then you will "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." Philippians 2:12, 13. MB142
The Lord does not propose to perform for us
either the willing or the doing. This is our proper
work. As soon as we earnestly enter upon the work,
God's grace is given to work in us to will and to
do, but never as a substitute for our effort.
Our souls are to be aroused to cooperate. The
Holy Spirit works the human agent, to work out
our own salvation. TM240
Many are attracted by the beauty of Christ
and the glory of heaven, who yet shrink from the
conditions by which alone these can become their own.
There are many in the broad way who are not fully
satisfied with the path in which they walk. They long
to break from the slavery of sin, and in their
own strength they seek to make a stand against
their sinful practices. They look toward the
narrow way and the strait gate; but selfish
pleasure, love of the world, pride, unsanctified
ambition, place a barrier between them and the
Saviour. To renounce their own will, their chosen
objects of affection or pursuit, requires a
sacrifice at which they hesitate and falter and turn
back. Many "will seek to enter in, and shall not
be able." Luke 13:24. They desire the good,
they make some effort to obtain it; but they do
not choose it; they have not a settled purpose
to secure it at the cost of all things. MB143
Work It Out
Wouldnt it be nice if you could hire
someone to work out for you? When you dont want
to go to the gym, you simply pay someone to do
it for you. But you cant do that. You have
to work out for yourself.
The Bible tells us, Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12
NKJV). This carries the meaning of working to full
completion. We dont work for it, however; its a
gift to us from God. But theres work involved
in the Christian life as we discover what God
has done for us.
This isnt something that someone else
can do in your place. This is something that you
must do for yourself. The apostle Paul gives this
interesting thought in verse 12: Therefore, my
beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence
(NKJV). Paul was writing to the believers in
Philippi from prison. He couldnt be there with
them as he had been in the past.
The New Living Translation is helpful
here: Dear friends, you always followed my
instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away,
it is even more important. Work hard to show
the results of your salvation, obeying God with
deep reverence and fear.
Paul was effectively saying, You need
to grow up spiritually. You cant build your
spiritual life on me, because it is God who works in
you, not me.
Sometimes we allow people to take the
place of God in our lives. A husband chooses not
to attend church because his wife doesnt go
anymore. Or the kids dont go to church because
their parents dont.
You need your own relationship with God.
Work out your own salvation. [By Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Understand That God Is on Your Side
No matter what youre going to face
this next week, you wont face it alone. God is
with you, he is in you, and he is for you.
Philippians 2:13 says, God is working
in you, giving you the desire and the power to
do what pleases him (NLT).
God is working in you. The word
working in Greek is the word energos, from which we
get our word energy. God is the energy
driver in your life. Youre not just going on
willpower. Youre not just going on your own power.
God says he will give you the power you need, no
matter what youre facing.
Not only is he in you, he also is with
you. The Bible says, I will not leave you as
orphans; I will come to you On that day you will
realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me,
and I am in you (John 14:18, 20, NIV).
Thats quite a promise! The Bible says Christ is in
you, youre sheltered with Christ, and youre
sealed with the Holy Spirit. That means for the
Devil to get to you, hes got to get through the
Trinity! Thats pretty good protection and a great
fear reliever.
Not only is God with you and in you, God
is also for you. Romans 8:31 says, If God is
for us, no one can defeat us (NCV).
When a shepherd leads the sheep, guard
dogs stay at the back, nipping at the sheep to
keep them moving in the right direction.
The Bible says the guard dogs in your
life are Gods goodness and mercy. God gives
you the things you dont deserve - thats
his goodness. And he doesnt give you the
things you do deserve - thats his mercy.
Get up every morning and say, God,
thank you that youre going to be with me today,
youre going to be in me today, and youre going
to be for me today.
Isnt that great news? God is with you,
God is in you, and God is for you. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Philippians 2:12, 13 - Abiding in Christ and
Cooperation in the Salvation Process.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170801-0933.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
