Philippians 2:12

So the thing that has been on my mind since yesterday is found in Philippians 2:12. "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"

This is the passage often seen as one of the key verses supporting "a merit based salvation." In truth, the word "continue" indicates that this should be done after our faith is place in Jesus Christ as Savior. I see this verse as a response to the first part of chapter 2 mainly because the verse starts with "therefore" which links the previous passage as the cause to "work out you faith in fear and trembling".

And that previous passage is a doozie:
"1 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, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."

So to more fully qualify what it means to "work out your faith with fear and trembling". We must look to Jesus' example of humility. also here, especially in verses 1-5 is the need to place others ahead of ourselves.

All this to say that I heard a sermon yesterday that used a powerful illustration for this passage. "It was a black tie event. The elite of society had gathered in this grand theater to hear a solo concert from a master pianist. People had arrived early and as they were mingling waiting for the event to start a boy probably bored out of his mind went up to the grand piano and started playing Chopsticks.

The crowd started shouting "get him off." or "where's his mother." Off stage, the master pianist saw what was happening to this young trouble maker and he came up behind the boy telling him to keep on playing. as the boy sat there playing Chopsticks the master pianist improvised a profound enrichment to the simple sound of the song."

We are to be the boy working out our faith, counting on God to surround us and transform our faith as we go along working, fearing God and trembling at our surrender.