Fear and Trembling

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"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling ..."

- from Philippians 2:12

Following the great hymn about our Savior in v6-11, Paul here picks up on this theme of working out our salvation. Paul declares that we have been saved and the fruits of salvation should show up in our lives.

Working out salvation "with fear and trembling" can take two different paths.

Some of us are filled with the fear and trembling that comes from legalism. We work and strive and put on a good face to appear "saved." The fear is the fear of being found wanting and the trembling comes from knowing we can't measure up.

When Paul urges his readers to work out salvation with fear and trembling, he's talking about a different kind of fear and trembling, the fear and trembling that come from reverence. It is more about awe and sober-mindedness than anxious striving.

As we work to see God's great salvation show up in our lives, the work we're doing is a holy work. Christ goes before us and above us and beneath us and beside us. Our fear and trembling come from doing our work in front of our Master.    

What does it look like for you to work out your salvation with fear and trembling today?


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5 Comments

I don't get the fear and trembling eithe.....the ocean, the beach, reminds me about how BIG God is and I suppose my fear is that I am not measuring up to what I should be...I come to Him now in fear an trembling that He will help me and my daughter have a healed relationship..

Thanks so much for starting a great conversation here, Susan. And thanks to Bella and Jeff for your thoughtful replies!

I agree very much that fear and trembling isn't like the Wizard of Oz image. Jesus invites us to approach with much more confidence than that. But perhaps a different image will do.

In about a month I'll make my first trip to the Grand Canyon. I'm sure that whatever place we park and wherever we stand to look at it will be safe. And at the same time, I'm sure that at whatever place I stand to look at it, I'll have a sense of how big this thing is and how incredibly privileged I am to see it and, yes, there is a certain sense of "if I wasn't standing on a safe place, this thing could kill me."

Fear and trembling, appreciation and wonder, joy and happiness, awe and reverence, gratefulness and beauty, and "this thing is way bigger and I'm way smaller than I ever realized" perhaps all co-mingle together.

Jeff and Bella both bring up other good thoughts about a certain freedom FROM fear and trembling that comes with God as our fear. I'm not afraid of lesser things when I've got my fears rightly ordered! There is a certain larger, greater reverence and 'fear' that drowns out all lower and lesser fears and causes us to rise up in courage, fortitude, strength, peace and joy!

Amen....complete and total surrender to anything brings about apprehension; and can cause fear and trembling in the unknown, unless coupled with the God-confidence in faith whereas He will never leave us nor forsake us....then He becomes the source of all joy in our lives and we look to Him, not ourselves, our circumstance or others.

All praise and glory to Jesus....the One who makes all things new!!

Susan, I hear you and have struggled with the same. I've just reread this blip and it has helped a lot. From the sermon I got that any confidence or power we have is only because God has given us gifts and influence with the intention of using it for good, for kingdom building. The fear for me is that I am not making a difference. So I slink back and receive inspiration but feel powerless to pay it forward. For me to apply this today I will be more deliberate as I share God's love. Any mention of f and t used to bring forth images of Oz. Thankfully, Jesus is not about holding back on grace and power. I think I get it, but the day is young!

I don't get the fear and tembling thing...

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