Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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 which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:12-15

The Apostle Paul makes an interesting statement here , he says “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” Now I can already hear the liberals say “Paul is a legalist”, however Paul is not talking about “earning your salvation” As we know salvation can only be obtained through Christ alone. As Paul said “Its by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves, its a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8)

So what is Paul talking about? He’s talking about the daily walk of a true Born Again Christian, a walk that is worthy of our higher calling as a child of God. As Jesus said “You will be known by your fruit” (Matthew 7:16) If you are truly saved, if you are truly a Born Again Christian, then there should be evidence of your conversion. There should be fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5) produced.

As Paul says “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do his good pleasures” Did you ever hear a Pastor or Christian bragging about their accomplishments or when “they” saved somebody. We never saved anyone or produced good works on our own, its the works of the Holy Spirit within us. How do you know if your truly saved? You will see the fruits of the Holy Spirit working in and through you for the glory of God. All our good works are filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6)

You as a Christian should shine as a light in a crooked and perverse generation. As Jesus said “You are the light of the world, a city on the hill can’t be hidden” (Matthew 5:14) A true Christian will stick out in the world like a sore thumb, those who try to conform with the world, the love of God is truly not in them. You were called to be set apart, to shine in the darkness of this world. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, just as a bad tree can’t produce good fruit (Matthew 7)

If the Church is not the light in the crooked and perverse world, then the Church becomes worthless. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, by being obedient to your Lord, being obedient to your calling, by producing light and fruit in a dark world , Amen