Bible Questions Answered:
“You say, we are saved only by belief, but in Bible it plainly say...work out your own salvation!”
Riye/ Shibuya, Japan
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Philippians 2:12 KJV (The Apostle Paul)
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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.
Notice the Apostle Paul did not say, work “for” your salvation, but work “out” your own salvation.
We cannot work “for,” our salvation!
When our Lord hung on the cross of Calvary, He said....
John 19:30 KJV
“...It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.
The sacrifice for mankind's salvation was forever finished. No man can add to it, nor from it take away.
This He did this “once,” for all time.
Hebrews 7:27 KJV
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.
Hebrews 9:28 KJV
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews 10:5-10 KJV
5 Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared Me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said He, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Here are the teachings of Apostle Paul.
Paul was not referring to salvation, but to sanctification.
I Corinthians 2:1-3 KJV
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
Ephesians 6:5 KJV (Paul “was not,” endorsing slavery, but using it as an example.)
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness (sincerity) of your heart, as unto Christ;
Salvation, was forever a finished work, but our Christian walk in righteousness, till the end, is a work in progress, never ending until we are with Christ.
I John 3:2 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
When shall we be “fully-sanctified?”
When we shall see Him as He is, and not until.”
II Corinthians 3:18 KJV
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Bible teachings continued.
Spiritual Perseverance:
Psalm 2:11 NLT
Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Matthew 7:21 KJV
Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
Luke 21:34-36 KJV (Jesus)
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting (overindulgence), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
Salvation a Gift:
Romans 3:24 KJV (Paul)
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 5:12-21 NLT (Paul)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s Gracious Gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His Gift of forgiveness to many through this other Man, Jesus Christ.
16 And the result of God’s Gracious Gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free Gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.
17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His Gift of Righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
Romans 11:5,6 NLT (Paul)
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—His undeserved kindness in choosing them.
6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV (Paul)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Working out our own salvation:
It means to receive through faith, Salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ, a finished work.
Being a member of His body, His people, we are called to live our lives like unto the sinless Saviour.
Doing our best, not to earn our salvation, but to live as He has called us to live through His holy word.
If we should stop being a part of His body, stop living for Him, stop living like Him, stop living in righteousness and His word. We remove ourselves from His body.
If redemption is lost, it will be because we were not willing to live for the Saviour.
Although Salvation is never earned, yet once received, the Author of Salvation, from a heart of thanksgiving, should be loved and followed in our daily lives.
Could it seem right any other way, than to love and live for the one who has redeemed us?
Mark 8:34 KJV
And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
John 12:26 KJV
If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.
