by Dennis Gladden, By Green Pastures, ©2025
(Sep. 19, 2025) — Question: The Apostle Paul told the believers in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” He also wrote that we are saved by grace and not by works. What does “work out” our salvation mean? (Philippians 2:12-16).
Response: This is a timely question. This verse was in my recent morning devotions, and it came up again in our latest Sunday School class. When I read this passage in my devotions, the circumstances of the Philippian church brought to mind one of the last parables Jesus told the disciples (Matthew 24:45-51).
I will show how the letter and the parable blend by telling a story.
Let’s return to the first century and visit a home in Philippi, Macedonia, where followers of Jesus have gathered to hear the letter from the Apostle Paul that has just arrived.
He was a recent convert but felt comfortable enough to interrupt the reading.
“The apostle has taught us we are saved by grace, which is a gift. Now, he tells us to work out our salvation. How are we to understand this?”
The reader stopped. Without reproach, he answered, “You ask a wise question. Our brother Paul has written in another letter that we are saved by grace, and this salvation comes through faith. It is a gift. You are right.”
He repeated the question. “So, how are we to understand his words to us in this letter?”
As the one in the room who had followed Christ the longest, he broke the silence.
“The apostle reminds us how we responded when he had been with us: We received the Gospel and began to live according to the ways of Jesus, the Christ.
“Now, our brother Paul is absent. What are we to do? Shall we return to our former ways? Does his absence release us from obedience?”
The elder stood, assuming his teacher’s stance.
“The Scriptures declare that salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is God’s work, which Paul says God works in us. We can only ‘work out’ what God has ‘worked in.’1
“Follow our brother’s thought. God began this work before we believed; it led us to believe, and continued in our obedience when Paul was among us. Now, he admonishes us to keep at it. Obey in his absence as we did in his presence.
“In other words, bring salvation to life in your everyday life; do the good things worthy of God who saved you.”
The elder scanned the group. Most were thoughtful; a few frowned.
“Let me recall a parable that Jesus gave the Twelve when He was preparing them for the day when He would return to heaven. It speaks to our circumstances.
“Paul was among us, is absent, and says in this letter that he will return. Likewise, Jesus lived among us, has gone into heaven, and we await His return, which He promised.
“Listen, and hear the harmony of the parable and the letter.
“Jesus said a certain householder had a servant who had proved wise and faithful enough for him to entrust with an important task while he would be away. He was to oversee everyone’s meals—a seemingly small chore, but it promised eventual responsibility for everything in the house.
“The servant would receive the promise upon two conditions. First, the owner would indeed return, and second, the servant would manage the meals as instructed up to the day his master came back.
“In telling the parable, Jesus paused to pronounce a blessing upon the servant who fulfilled his responsibility. The faithful one received the promise and was ‘made ruler over all’ the household’s goods.”
Bring salvation to life in your everyday life.
Warming to the lesson, the elder pressed on.
“Then, Jesus resumed and supposed this heretofore trustworthy servant would grow weary of waiting. The servant let the meals slip and began to carouse with outsiders. What’s more, he became abusive and beat the other servants, hindering them from their work.
“Over time, the servant even gave up looking for the householder.”
The elder polled the group.
“What do you think happened?”
The recent convert erupted. “The householder returned, and the servant wasn’t doing his job!”
“You are right. He came when the servant was neither looking nor obeying. And what do you suppose the householder did?”
“Fired him.”
“Even worse. He regarded the servant as an impostor. Not only did the master deny the servant a greater position, but he also cast him out of the household altogether.”
He paused for the group to weigh the teaching.
“Observe the work of the master. He had taken the man into his household, had prepared him to become a taskmaster, and set the expectation. The master had done His work. While they were together, the servant also did his and continued for a while.
“By faithfulness to what he was given, the servant worked out his master’s work.
“Do you see?” the elder asked. “We are the servant. Jesus has been with us, first in person and then through His servant, Paul. God took us into His family and has given each of us a responsibility to sustain His people.
“Our faithfulness when Paul was among us filled him with joy. And now we hear what he expects: ‘You have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.’
“In this context, as we await the coming of Paul and, ultimately, our Lord, the apostle tells us to ‘work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling.’
“And so, we serve the Lord, faithful day by day, until the last day. We look forward to the joy of our Lord when He returns and finds us so doing.”
The dialog ended, and the elder resumed reading.