Read: Philippians 2:5-18
Work out your own salvation . . . (v. 12)
The culture around us preaches the relentless message of individuality. The do-it-yourself, make-it-up-as-you-go cult of me, myself, and I. Amid the swirling, the churning, the noise, individuality is the lie we’re told most often. And at first glance, this verse seems to preach the same thing: “Work out your own salvation” (v. 12). Yet the gospel of Christ is different; the good news of Jesus tears all other ideologies to pieces. And we can take comfort, for his answer is clear just a phrase later: “for it is God who works in you . . . for his good pleasure” (v. 13).
It isn’t up to us—it never was, because Christ emptied himself, Christ took on the form of a human, Christ was born as the infant child in the backwater town of Bethlehem in the shadow of Roman power. Christ suffered and died for us only to rise again from the dead. Christ ascended into heaven where he rules and reigns until he comes again to make all things right, to make all things new.
It’s done. It’s finished. He did it. And when we bend our knees in awe and bow our heads in worship and confess with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord!”—that is salvation. Paul is not asking us to accomplish something, to make something, to complete something. He’s asking us to embrace it, to play it out, to live with bright eyes, loud laughter, honest tears, open hands as if his gospel were really true and on the move.
As you pray, ask God to help you live like a redeemed child of the King.
Co-authored by Rev. Jon Brown and Justin Kuiper.
Jon Brown is the lead pastor of Pillar Church in Holland, Michigan. Jon loves preaching and loves walking with people through all of life’s circumstances. He loves to invite people to follow Jesus in community on mission. Jon and his beloved wife, Kristyn, are the proud parents of four daughters.
Justin Kuiper is a student from Holland, Michigan, studying English literature at Hope College. His own writing explores the many intersections of faith, storytelling, and the created order.
