¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

1)  What does it mean to “work out your own salvation”?
Paul is writing to the church in Philippi, encouraging them to continue moving forward in unity. He reminds them to work together, as one body, to show the fruit of their salvation. To do this, the church members needed to come before the Lord, and each other, with “fear and trembling” or humility.

2)  Why is it important to do all things without grumbling?
This is an important charge for the Philippians because grumbling and disputes would tarnish the unity Paul is exhorting them to display. It was an impossible task; doing EVERYTHING without grumbling or disputing would require the grace of God. Paul was encouraging the members of the church to continue on in humility as they worked in one accord and showed grace to each other when that proved difficult.

3)  What is a drink offering and why is it important?
Under Old Testament law, a drink offering was poured out on the alter as part of the individual’s offering to God. Here, Paul is sharing how much he loves people and is willing to serve and sacrifice so much for them, ready to bless them. He is encouraging the Philippians that their participation in ministry should be joyous and they should move with a servant’s heart, not one of obligation.

1) What does it mean to “work out your own salvation”?
Our salvation experiences often feel individual. The Lord has created our lives to be lived out together in community with our brothers and sisters; we need each other regularly. We represent the fruition of the gospel as we live in unity, with a spirit of humility, in the church.

2) Why is it important to do all things without grumbling?
We experience negative situations every day and are presented with a choice every time. Choosing to grumble and argue in those situations will break unity in our relationships, pushing the freedom of the gospel to a back row. Consider your regular interactions that usually put you on the defensive or bring out your attitude of complaint. What can you do to value unity instead? What truths can you cling to in these moments?

3) What is a drink offering and why is it important?
Because Christ fulfilled every aspect of the law for us, we are freed from obeying the majority of Old Testament laws like sacrifices and drink offerings. While we don’t need to physically offer a “drink offering” like the ancient Israelites, we are still called to offer our lives to the Lord by serving others. The idea that being “poured out” means that service should wear us out and drain us, is not a correct takeaway from this passage. Serving others is meant to bring us deep satisfaction! If you aren’t serving the Body of Christ, begin exploring where you reach out and pour yourself out for another, just as Christ poured Himself out for us!

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Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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