Ready:
“Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” – Филип'ян 2:12-13
Set:
To get better as an athlete requires practice. But it has been pointed out that the old saying “practice makes perfect” is not fully accurate. Athletes can practice every day, but if what they’re practicing doesn’t address the specific skills and conditioning they actually need, they will make very little progress. They need to practice the right things. Effective practices bring progress.
This also holds true for us spiritually. How do we improve in more consistently thinking, saying and doing what honors the Lord? According to Philippians 2:12-13, because we’ve experienced salvation—rescue from what we deserve for our sin and restoration to God through faith in Jesus—we now “work out [our] own salvation.” Notice Paul doesn’t say “work for” but rather “work out.” It’s a call to put into action who we are as those saved by Christ. We work hard at obeying God not because this saves us but because it demonstrates our awe and gratitude for what Jesus has graciously done. We don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to “get better” at living out our identity as a dearly loved child of God.
Is making progress in obeying God and living like Jesus all on our shoulders? Far from it! Paul reminds us that “it is God who is working in [us] both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” Our responsibility is to respond to His work and actively participate in what He is doing. To “work out” involves intentional, directed efforts. It includes engaging in particular practices—such as studying God’s Word, prayer, and worship—that help us grow spiritually so that we live for Jesus more consistently.
Doing these things doesn’t make us more spiritually mature in and of themselves. To be spiritually mature according to God’s definition is to be like Jesus: reflecting His love, character, closeness to the Father, actions, etc. The purpose of these spiritual practices is to intentionally arrange our life around activities that give God the opportunity to work in us and enable us to increasingly live as Jesus would were He in our setting. Trusting the Lord’s power and grace, we work at engaging in the right practices. Practice brings progress.
Go:
How does understanding that spiritual progress requires practice encourage you or challenge you?
In what ways do you see the Lord working in you, enabling you to compete and live according to His good purpose?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord, thank You that You are working in me to will and to work according to Your good purpose. Through Your power and grace, I want to grow in consistently practicing what helps me make progress in competing and living for Your honor. Amen.”