“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
Or, the age of anti-works. Are we so against works that we’re no longer gracefully good?
As a believer I think I would call Christians the “pendulum people.” Over centuries of history and experiencing God myself for the past 46 years, I have seen the Church swing from one extreme to the other. This “works” versus “grace” is just one example. Free will verses sovereignty is another.
One huge swing was from total social involvement in mission, like giving an actual cup of water with the gospel, to just giving the gospel only. At one point Christianity WAS a social gospel, hands on, running into plagues to care for the sick and such. Then it was deemed to liberal to only feed, cloth or shelter and possibly do it in the name of Jesus. So, mission was defined as just giving the gospel and not tending to real needs at all.
We’ve bounced around blaming styles of works and grace, competing and comparing one denomination to another. Both saying, “we’re better because we are Biblical!” When will we get it?
Paul writes to the Ephesians and says, “grace saves you!” Paul writes to the Philippians and says, “Word hard!” Which is it Paul? Of course we should know – it’s BOTH! How long will it take for us to see that FAITH and OBEDIENCE go together and can never be separated? Apparently, we will not fully get it until we reach heaven.
How can we love God and live for Him without both His grace and His power to do, to create, to WORK here on this earth as His Kingdom has arrived and is arriving. It is grace that saves us AND it is works that are the joy of that salvation! Paul says works are the results, the application, the outcome. He uses this interesting Greek word, only found here in Philippians. katergazomai – work out, bring about. It combines two words “work” and “down to the point or thoroughly.” He also adds these two “kick-in-the-pants” words: fear and trembling.
Of course these words are connected to obedience, not necessarily the work. When God rescues and redeems, He does so with purpose in mind. That purpose becomes a mystery and a delight to figure out and get busy with it. If you’ve ever seen a toddler or a preschooler “play,” you know to them it IS work. If you’ve every witnessed a master craftsman building, shaping or painting you’ve seen the joy of pure play. But we say “she’s working” on something or “he’s in his workshop.” God’s grace releases us, frees us to play, with joy, in this world – participating in the Kingdom of God. My advice, quit swinging to the extremes of the pendulum and get busy in the tension of being a human being. Live and love in the paradox of God’s will for us.
Prayer
Dad,
The older I get the more frustrated I become with the polarization of opinion! We fight about the edges of extremes and abandon unity. We quarrel in our corners wasting precious time pointing at each other to bolster our pride and embarrass your grace towards us. I just want to believe and obey. I just want to please you with faith and do what it is you’ve said. Should I become a friend of my brothers and an enemy of yours? Or, a friend of God and let you decide who will join with me? My faith and obedience is in you, for although I love my brothers and sisters, they are not the ones who saved me!