This past Sunday in church, we spoke about living a life based on the word (God’s expectations of us) rather than based on how we are feeling.
I say “we”, because it seemed to be a very sensitive subject with many people raising their hands in order to voice their opinion.
I love this because I believe that we all need to work out our own faith. It’s important to listen to teaching but we can’t have someone just put their stuff on us. We need to ‘check’ what we are taught against the word of God and the voice of God – that quiet still voice that whispers into our hearts.
While listening to our pastor and the many other opinions and comments, the Lord dropped this scripture into my head.
“Therefore, my beloved, …… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 2:12-13
I know the scripture sounds quite harsh, but the Lord gave me His explanation for it too.
We need to remember that God is a loving, kind, fathering God. Yes, he wants us to live in obedience to His instructions (in the word) and His will and purpose for our lives but there-in lies the wonderful mystery.
We are all unique individuals with a past that has moulded us and a future that God has planned for us. When the scripture says ‘work out your salvation’, it means that in the light of who you are and your personal and intimate relationship with Jesus, you need to allow Him to guide you, minister to you, equip you and direct you to live the life that He has purposed for you.
There is only one You and You are the only one that can live the life that He has purposed.
That is why You need to work out your own salvation.
Here are two beautiful versions of that same scripture (Philippians 2:12-13);
Amplified Bible (AMP)
12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].
The Message
12-13 What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
This means that everyone’s Christian journey will look different.
And there will also be seasons on this journey – there will be times of learning and teaching, times of boldness and times of reflecting, times of healing and times of helping, times of pushing in and times of giving out.
So don’t be tempted to compare your journey with someone elses journey. Your journey is the one you need to concern yourself with most. Your own faith needs to be your precedence. Your own relationship with the Father, your priority.
And everything else flows out of that.
And you will feel confident and content about who you are in Christ.