What would it be like to experience a mind of Christ in our personal lives, to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, minds, and day-to-day encounters to impact our works, our attitudes, our behaviors? Bro. Jeff explains and challenges us with two questions. Has God done a work in you? Are you working that out in your life?
Philippians 2:1-5 KJV
1 If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. 3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 2:12
12 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.
“He is not saying that we are saved by works. Paul is not contradicting what he taught about salvation by grace in Ephesians 2. Paul is commanding them to work their salvation ‘out;’ he is not commanding them to work their salvation ‘in.’ God is the only one who can work salvation in someone; when God has worked salvation in you, then you need to get busy working it out. It means we are working out in our practical, everyday lives, that work that God did within us when God gave us a brand new heart. It is impossible to work salvation out if it has never been worked in.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
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.
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Philippians 2:13
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.