On my short run yesterday, I was reminded of the importance of getting in my regular workouts. I try to do something three to four days a week. My exercise keeps me alert, energizes me and helps me to manage any stress in my life. It’s also clearly good for my physical health. Working out provides me lots of benefits.
Work Out Your Salvation
Just as working out physically is beneficial, working out spiritually is also beneficial. It’s not only beneficial, it’s a necessity if we are to continue to grow spiritually healthy. We are encouraged by the apostle Paul to work out:
…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling… Philippians 2:12
When you are saved, you’re assured of being with God eternally. There is no doubt about this. But God wants more than that for you. He wants you to live a full life on this side of heaven… the full life that his Son died for you to experience. (John 10:10) He wants you to have a degree of wellness and wholeness to be able to use the gifts and talents He’s given you to best serve in his Kingdom. In order for that to be a reality in the here and now, you need to continue to ‘work out’ your salvation.
What might working out your salvation look look like?
Strip off Excess Weight – Keeping with the exercise theme, Paul also tells us that we are to strip off everything that hinders us from running the race of life. (Hebrews 12:1) God wants you to strip off all things that get in the way of you becoming whole . This is part of your sanctification process.
Renew Your Mind – Again, Paul encourages you to renew your mind, because it’s through the renewing of your mind that you can be transformed. (Romans 12:2) God is always working on us to help us become more like Christ. Renewing your mind with the truths of scripture is key to this.
Know Your True Identity in Christ – If you have accepted Christ into your heart, the Bible says that you are a child of God. (Galatians 3:26). You are his beloved. You are his masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10) He knows how many hairs are on your head. (Luke 12:7) God loves you. (John 3:16)
Forgive Others and Yourself – Another key biblical principle to work out your salvation is to forgive others and yourself. Have you built up resentment and bitterness over a past relationship conflict? Are you still harboring some unforgiveness toward yourself because of something in your past? Unforgiveness will not allow you to be free and to experience the abundant life. To forgive yourself and others is crucial. (Matthew 18:21-22)
These are just a few truths of scripture, in the form of spiritual exercises, that are an important aspect of working out your salvation.
I encourage you to be persistent with this lifelong process. Work out your salvation!
Questions to Reflect On:
What are you doing to ‘work out your salvation’ according to Philippians 2:12? ( Add a few things in the Comment box)
How spiritually fit are you?
Helpful Resources:
Other blog posts about Spiritual Fitness
Take this free Spiritual Fitness Assessment
A Nicely Formatted 1 Page Article – Get Spiritually and Physically Fit
We address 40 such biblical principles for living a life of wholeness in our Faith and Health Ambassador Course and our PathWay 2 Wholeness Bible Study.
I have been struggling with but working on forgiving others for wrongdoing, I’m overcoming it. I also have been working on showing love, kindness and mercy to others with whoever I encounter in my daily life. I have opened up to others time and time again even though I have been trampled on but others have been kind and forgiving to me. Sometimes when people don’t have a change of heart right now, they do so later. In other situations if people have a change of heart now, they can reverse it later. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses as the scripture is written. Very good article, please posts some more of these 🙂