“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but 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 work for his good pleasure.” -Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)
The year is a little long in the tooth. The days of this year have been spent one way or another. As most of us can admit, there have been great times of victory and joy and times of sorrow and defeat. We have made some progress but we have also experienced set-backs. How did we spend the year? Perhaps it is better for us to not spend too much time considering this question and instead, consider the testimony of the Apostle Paul, also in Philippians 3:9. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on…” And as we press on into the new year and as we forget what lies behind us, if that's what we plan to do, we find in today's letter an encouraging promise. We are to commit ourselves to obedience of God’s word and in doing so, we are working out God’s purpose for us with a healthy fear because we have respect and awe of God and do not want to risk offending Him with our disobedience. The promise is this, as we work, God is the one who works in us to produce the good works by grace for His good pleasure and for His name’s sake.
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