| What did the Apostle Paul mean when he said that | | | | Jesus for good works, which God prepared |
| we should work out our salvation with fear and | | | | beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). |
| trembling? Was he saying that we secure our | | | | But what about this "fear and trembling" stuff? Well, it |
| salvation through our own efforts? If so, how do we | | | | seems that Paul liked to use that phrase to let his |
| explain the Apostle's assertion that we are saved by | | | | readers know that they should take the task of |
| grace through faith and not by works? The answer is | | | | Christ-like living very seriously. He uses the same |
| really quite simple; salvation is a gift that requires | | | | phrase when he instructs servants to work for their |
| assembly. Let me explain. | | | | masters as unto the Lord. In other words, we are to |
| As a child I once received a model airplane as a gift. I | | | | cultivate the new creation in a serious and careful |
| didn't do anything to earn that model airplane; it was | | | | manner, recognizing the profound importance of the |
| freely given to me by someone who loved me. Once I | | | | task. Not that we should run around wringing our |
| received the model it was mine, one hundred percent. | | | | hands, but that we must be careful to follow the |
| However, in order to fully enjoy the gift I needed to put | | | | instructions so that we don't put the wings on upside |
| it together. If I failed to do so, all I would have would be | | | | down. |
| the picture on the front of the box to remind me of | | | | I think that this is one of the critical issues facing the |
| what my airplane should look like. If the airplane | | | | Church today. There are too few Christians who are |
| remained disassembled in the box, I would have never | | | | working to bring their sphere of influence under the |
| been able to enjoy it as it should have been enjoyed, | | | | authority of the Lord Jesus Christ; too few who are |
| my friends would miss out and the person who gave | | | | actively cultivating the new creation, working to live |
| me the gift would be disappointed as well. | | | | their life in obedience to God's word - that same word |
| That's what salvation is like. We receive the gift of | | | | that is written upon their heart. There is no excuse for |
| salvation freely. We don't do anything to earn it. At the | | | | this. As F. F. Bruce wrote, "the superiority of the New |
| same time, we cannot enjoy the full benefit of our | | | | Covenant lies partly in this, that those who enter into it |
| salvation unless we work it out - assemble it, so to | | | | receive into their own lives the life of Christ and the |
| speak. | | | | power of the Holy Spirit, a life which knows and |
| The idea that Paul wants to convey is that we | | | | desires the will of God and a power which is able to |
| Christians are called to confirm our salvation by | | | | do it." |
| cultivating the law which has been written upon our | | | | The bottom line is that there is no reason that we |
| heart (Jer. 31:31-34, Heb. 8:7-13). Indeed, Paul says in | | | | should not be working out our salvation in a serious, |
| another place that the purpose of Christ's sacrifice | | | | careful fashion. We are a new creation in Christ, and |
| was to insure that "the righteous requirement of the | | | | that new creation requires cultivation: Until we do so |
| law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to | | | | (according to the objective standards of the Bible), we |
| the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). And | | | | will fail to enjoy the full benefit of salvation and this |
| again, he says that we have been "created in Christ | | | | world will be a poorer place because of it. |