{"id":12634,"date":"2022-01-19T10:50:39","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T15:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/?p=12634"},"modified":"2022-01-19T10:50:39","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T15:50:39","slug":"phil-212-does-this-mean-that-we-earn-our-salvation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/phil-212-does-this-mean-that-we-earn-our-salvation\/","title":{"rendered":"Phil 2:12 – Does this mean that we earn our salvation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Problem:<\/strong> Some interpreters claim that this passage teaches salvation by works. Paul writes, \u201cWork out your salvation with fear and trembling\u201d (Phil. 2:12). Does this mean that Christians have to \u201cwork\u201d for their salvation?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> We can\u2019t work for our salvation, but we can work from it. We aren\u2019t saved by our good works (Eph. 2:8-9), but we are saved for good works (Eph. 2:10). This is the sense in which Paul uses the term. Moreover, \u201csalvation\u201d is spoken of in multiple senses in the NT: justification, sanctification, and glorification.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nHere, in Philippians 2:12, Paul is describing the present sense of salvation (i.e. sanctification). Note, Paul\u2019s use of the present tense (\u201cwork out your salvation\u201d). Moreover, this imperative in verse 12 is based on the indicative of Christ\u2019s finished work (v.5-11). Note, the word \u201cTherefore\u2026\u201d (NIV) in verse 12. According to Paul, we \u201cwork out\u201d our salvation, because it is God who promises to \u201cwork in you\u201d (v.13).<\/p>\n

Finally, we can also point out that the pronoun \u201cyou\u201d is plural\u2014not singular. This is a command for the entire church to pursue sanctification, because the church of Philippi was experiencing division and in-fighting (Phil. 2:3-4; 4:2-3). Often, Western Christians read the Bible to refer to me, when it actually refers to we. In this case, Paul\u2019s command is to become sanctified in the Body of Christ\u2014not as individual, maverick Christians.<\/p>\n

\n

“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. (Phil 2:12)”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Problem: Some interpreters claim that this passage teaches salvation by works. Paul writes, \u201cWork out your salvation with fear and trembling\u201d (Phil. 2:12). Does this mean that Christians have to \u201cwork\u201d for their salvation?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22,3,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-errors","category-bible-proof","category-bible-teaching","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}