What does it mean to work out your salvation?
After reading Philippians 2:12, I looked up the Greek word for “work” in my Vine’s Dictionary and found katergazomai: which means “to achieve, work out, effect by toil.” I know our salvation comes through Christ’s atoning death on our behalf, but this verse seems to indicate we should “work out” or “accomplish” our salvation through personal effort. How is this verse reconciled with the rest of scripture?
Why are we told in Philippians 2:12 to work out our salvation?
Question #1: After reading Philippians 2:12, I looked up the Greek word for “work” in my Vine’s Dictionary and found katergazomai: which means “to achieve, work out, effect by toil.” I know our salvation comes through Christ’s atoning death on our behalf, but this verse seems to indicate we should “work out” or “accomplish” our salvation through personal effort. How is this verse reconciled with the rest of scripture?
“Therefore, as you 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; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13
Answer: “As you have always obeyed” - obedience to the revealed will of God as recorded in His word gives evidence that a new birth in Christ has occurred. The Greek verb rendered “work out” means “to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion.” The question is: what are we “continually working out” or “bringing to completion?” This verse obviously does not refer to the means by which we are justified (declared legally righteous) before a holy God. Our works of righteousness are like filthy rags in the presence of true holiness (Isaiah 64:6). To earn our justification before God is not only impossible but such a claim contradicts the clear teaching of God’s word (Rom.
So what are we to “work out?” The believer’s active pursuit of obedience is part of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (Rom.
The attitude Christian’s have as they go through the process of being sanctified is "fear and trembling" because a healthy fear of offending God and a righteous awe and respect always accompanies a true understanding of His holiness (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; Isaiah 66:1, 2).
Though the believer is responsible to “work out” his salvation, the Lord enables him to produce the good works and spiritual fruit (John 15:5; I Cor. 12:6) through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 3:16-20; Gal. 3:3). The Lord energizes both the believer’s desires and his actions. The Greek word for “will” indicates He is not focusing on mere desires or whimsical emotions but on the studied intent of His word to fulfill His planned purpose.
The Lord is the One who justifies us through Christ's atoning death at the cross and sanctifies us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as He brings to completion His good, perfect and pleasing will for our good and His glory, which is evident in the lives of those who "work out" the salvation they have received from the good pleasure of a holy God (Ephesians 1:5, 9).
Question #2: "If “work out” is referring to sanctification, why is it used in reference to salvation?"
Answer: Sanctification is just as much a part of your salvation as justification. The Lord justified you through Christ’s atoning death for a purpose, which includes the honor and glory He receives when you are sanctified by His word and the Holy Spirit.
When an individual within the popular Arminian mindset says: "I got saved" they are usually referring to the moment they believe God justified them through their faith in Christ (and whatever tradition, ritual, ceremony, etc. they believe was also necessary to accomplish their redemption).
But the scripture reveals the salvation that is of the Lord (I Thess. 5:9) includes His choosing to redeem us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6, 11-12) and His justifying us through Christ's atoning death at the cross (Romans 3:24; 5:8-10) and His calling us to faith by His word and Spirit (II Tim. 1:8-9) and His sanctifying us by the renewing of our minds through the study of His word and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit (II Thess. 2:13) and His glorifying us in eternity (Romans 8:30; II Timothy 2:10).
While our “getting saved” may appear to us and others to occur at a specific point "in time" it is actually a marvelous and gracious work of a holy and merciful God from eternity past to eternity future (Rev. 7:10).