Fear and Trembling

Philippians 2:12-13 says, "Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work our your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."  As United Methodists we don't speak much about working out salvation in fear and trembling.  It reminds us way too much of judgmental preachers who gave us nightmares of spending eternity in hell, lest we die before we confess Jesus as Lord.   Yes, what if you left that church revival without coming to the altar, leaving only to be hit by a speeding train while attempting to cross the railroads tracks, only to wake up, finding yourself in hell for all eternity.  These and many other finely painted scenarios were a popular way preachers used to scare the hell out of parishioners to get them into heaven.   Some still preach it today.

But before you dismiss this text in fear of returning nightmares, let's take a deeper look at Philippians 2:12 and 13.  The word Paul uses for work can be defined as "bringing an act to its completion."  The terms he uses for fear and trembling does not suggest the type of fear and trembling that, as William Barclay says, "disobedient slaves have toward their harsh masters," but "the fear and trembling that comes with the knowledge that without our cooperation, God is helpless to complete the salvation work within each of us."  What is important is that we cooperate with God in obeying him and walking the path God puts before us.  In this way, we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but the kind of fear and trembling that humbles us knowing that the Holy God, of whose face we are not worthy to look upon, has invited us by his grace to join him on an adventure that will lead to the salvation of our souls.  Salvation is a journey.  It is a journey that begins with saying that Jesus is Lord, as Peter once did, but that is just the beginning of the journey.  This journey is a journey of grace as we learn to walk with God, trusting God along the way!

I've been preaching on what it means to work our your salvation with fear and trembling using the Exodus (the story of ancient Israel's salvation history) as the backdrop for what God wishes to say to us today.  This Sunday I am preaching on the Crossing of the Sea.  Why don't you come and join us for worship and learn how to work out your salvation.

Dennis