> General Discussions
Work Out your Own Salvation
mharrell08:
--- Quote from: EKnight on April 19, 2009, 05:34:10 PM ---It is the "fear and trembling" that I don't understand in this verse. Could someone explain this for me?
Eileen
--- End quote ---
Email reply from Ray (http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,373.0.html):
Dear John and Blanca:
I get many questions such as yours. I presently have over 400 unanswered emails waiting on me. Unfortunately, I cannot even begin to explain the whole plan of God to you in an email, and then explain the process of conversion, overcoming, living a godly life, etc., etc., etc., in an email. It would take me days.
Understand this: It is GOD Who is directing your life, and He caused you to come to our site. There is a lot of information on our site. Unfortunately only a handful of people have ever read all the material on our site. If you will read all the material on our site, most of your questions will be answered.
No one showed me how to repent. No one showed me how to overcome. No one showed me how to conquer sin. God did it in me, for me. There was a time when I too felt helpless and didn't know what to do. I knew there was a God, but I didn't know how to really contact Him, and so basically I learned that it was He who contacted me--in HIS TIME.
I have people asking me to "Please explain the Bible to me, Ray." Or: "Show me how to do God's perfect will so that I will be happy and have purpose in my life."
I can't really do these things. Here is what Paul instructs us: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence [Paul was now in prison in Rome, and would never see these Philippians again] , WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING." Why?
"For [because] it is GOD which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasre" (Phil. 2:12-12).
This sounds like a contradiction to most people. The reason that we "work out our own slavation with fear and trembling" is because it is ALL OF GOD.
We cannot look to our own devices or works--only God can and will save us. You MUST rely on God IN FAITH for all of these things in your life. God will CAUSE you to work all these things out in your life. I will help as much as lies within me, but I cannot give you all the answers in an email, and I have too many email to write long essay type answers. Hope you understand.
God be with you,
Ray
Email reply from Ray (http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3252.msg24198.html#msg24198):
Dear Jennifer:
We ALL have been in your situation where we didn't know where or how to turn to straighten out our lives. Truth is, you are right where God wants you. And I will not deliver you from your troubles. If I could or if I were to do that, you would then LOOK TO ME as some great one who has the answers to life and how to apply them to be spiritually strong and happy. No, Jennifer, you must go to God. God is your Saviour. I can encourage you, I can pray to God that you stay faithful to what you are learning, but your must "Work out YOUR OWN salvation with fear and trembling.....for [BECAUSE] it is GOD [and ONLY GOD] which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).
If you are reading and studying and praying and obeying the things you are learning on our site, then you are on the right road and God will ultimately give you the victory over your sins and weaknesses just as He is doing with the rest of His called and chosen elect. God IS ALREADY showing you how to repent of leaving your "First Love." That is WHY you are feeling as you are. It is because God is calling all this to your spiritual attention. You would never change or overcome if God didn't first put you in the position you are now in. What may appear as a dead-end street to you now, Jennifer, is only the temporary detour to the highway of spiritual recovery and growth. Don't become discouraged in well-doing. God is able to bring you through all this.
God be with you,
Ray
Hope this helps,
Marques
EKnight:
Thanks Marques, it helped a lot. Ray is correct, it does sound contradictory and whenever something sounds like a contradiction, I know that it is not and there is an explanation. God is good.
Eileen
Phil3:10:
To All,
When we all learn that everything is of GOD. HE wills, HE works, HE fulfills, HE does it all. I have spent much of this day reviewing and re-reading the first 5 installments of Ray's Lake of Fire series. What a wonderful blessing it has been to me and again I printed out many pages to pass on as I have in the past. However, I have learned that whatever I may do, with good intentions, that only GOD can bring about any increase. It may be that this is not HIS pleasure at this time but I am comforted in knowing that HE is the SAVIOR of all mankind and will accomplish HIS will in HIS time frame. HIS victory is assured, HIS will is going to happen, and HIS love is for all time.
Praise HIS Holy NAME,
Phil3:10
aqrinc:
Phil3:10,
You are so correct in stating what you have learned, By The Holy Spirit, (Comforter) Guiding and Teaching you, what is Right And Good In The Sight Of GOD And Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ray has done a masterful job of showing us; through The Holy Spirit Teaching; what The Scriptures are Saying to us daily. We as students being tutored; need to not only learn what is shown to us; we must be eager to grow in Grace and Faith and Humility daily. Otherwise what use are we to Our Master Jesus Christ; if we bear little or no fruit; when we are given a commission to finally go out and do His Work.
Mat 9: 37-38 (MKJV)
37 Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
38 Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send out laborers into His harvest.
For those who have been Given eyes to see, and ears to hear, and a heart that is after GOD; it is no more fear and trembling. Instead it is: ABBA, Thank You And What Would You Have me do.
To everyone else who has not the truth; it is: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; because when you fail, and you know you will; then where is salvation going to come from. If not from GOD, In Jesus Christ, what other name is given anywhere in The Scriptures, whereby we Must be saved.
Dan 3:29 (KJV)
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Act 4:12 (KJV)
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
So to sum it up; run to GOD'S (Safe Harbor) Jesus Christ; or work it out yourself, in fear and trembling; which is bound to fail.
george :).
EKnight:
Since it is God who works in us to both will and do of His good pleasure, then couldn't this verse about fear and trembling be referring to the chastisement/trial and tribulations that inevitably lead believers to salvation and bring us closer to becoming more like Christ? After all, Paul is speaking to believers. And secondly, if the process includes being "crucified" with Christ, and we have seen all that Christ had to go through to learn obedience, then it would make sense that this fear and trembling is in regard to the journey toward salvation because it is beyond our control.
Eileen
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version