Stay Strong
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
Insight
If you were on the row of treadmills at Planet Fitness the other day, I want to take this moment to apologize for my huffing and puffing. Yes, that person plodding along gasping for air was yours truly. After an extended time of being a bump on a log, I'm trying to get back in shape by eating better and exercising more.
To my surprise, when I swiped my key tag, alarm bells didn't start ringing, and a confetti cannon didn't go off. Neither did the loudspeaker announce for all to hear that I was back from my long hiatus of working out. I have owned stock in that gym for years, meaning I paid my dues but never stepped foot in it. As a result, I failed to reap its rewards and utilize what was at my disposal.
The Apostle Paul urges us to work "out" our salvation with fear and trembling in today's passage. A point of clarification is needed. We work OUT our salvation, not work FOR our salvation. Having accepted Christ's sacrifice, our salvation is signed, sealed, and delivered. No amount of self-effort can make us earn our spot. We're now members of the body of Christ. Similarly, no amount of slacking on our part can separate us from His love.
What hangs in the balance is the impact an encounter with Christ has on our lives. When we don't work out our salvation, we settle for a life of comfort and convenience. We become couch potatoes of His grace, weighed down by the status quo. We rarely break a sweat by stepping out of our comfort zone. We feed ourselves empty calories of amusement and distraction rather than being satisfied with the vibrant life Christ offers us. We're members, but not participators.
Gym rats live, breathe, and eat exercise. They can't wait to throw some weights around and live in the gym. And if they're Cross-Fitters, they will be sure to tell you about it. The same should be true for us when it comes to our faith. By digging into His Word and stretching ourselves, we build endurance that allows us to stay strong and withstand any circumstance. True transformation occurs when we renew our minds.
Working out our salvation isn't about building our religious physique so we will impress those around us. We don't want people to make much of us. As Christ chisels His character into our bodies, our prayer should be that people would see Him. We work out what Christ means to us for the sake of others. We flex our spiritual muscles when we love boldly, speak up for injustice, and pursue peace and mercy. So today, break a sweat and get a workout in.
Reflection
Where do you need to work out your salvation? How can you flex your spiritual muscle today?
Prayer
God, thank You for allowing me to experience Your love and grace. I want this encounter to do a mighty work within me. Therefore, I will pour all my energy into reflecting Your heart so that when people look at me, they see You. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.