Work out your salvation
Philippians 2:3 NIV
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
One of the key things many miss when we talk about working out your own salvation with fear and trembling is we tend to think of this from an individual perspective. Remember Paul the author of the book of Philippians is writing this to a whole church while in prison. The verse before the above verse brings this out.
Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
Unity is the foundation of everything in this book. Being one in spirit and of the same mind is key thus our scripture for today. You and I cannot work out our salvation if we are not of one mind and thus you and I cannot afford to do anything out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. We cannot just think of ourselves as individuals but rather as a body. Each of us must humble ourselves and place more value on others in the body above ourselves. Think about this.
Philippians 2:6 NIV
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
Christ himself did not use the fact that He is equal to God for His own advantage but rather He humbled himself to be human and a servant at that.
Paul tells us that this is the very nature that we should have. This should be our basic character quality and inherent feature of every believer. To be humble and consider others in the body as valuable treating them in that manner and doing everything with them in mind.
Take out.
We are one body we must work together and that is only possible if we humble ourselves and see the value in others treating them as better than we are.
Remember;
We are one body and Christ is the head.
