Q: If salvation is a free gift from God, why does Paul tell us to work out our salvation in Philippians 2:12?

A: A fraction of the truth is like the whole truth and nothing but the truth’s second cousin. We may not really know the cousin very well. Philippians 2:12 is the truth, but only a fraction of it. Philippians 2:12 by itself is partially true, and just a second cousin of the whole truth until you link it with Philippians 2:13. Now that everything is as clear as mud to you, here is the whole truth. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you to will and to work for His good pleasure,” (Phil 2:12‑13).

If you go to a gym to work out your body, you must first have a body to work out. Through exercise and diet we fashion our bodies in order to function and appear differently. The same premise applies to our salvation. A Christian is someone who is already saved from hell.

Christians have relinquished their will in exchange for God’s will in their lives. Once we allow our Lord control from within, He begins to produce a different behavior which others begin to observe from without. Our salvation is not being worked for, but rather worked out for the rest of the world to see. Does that make any sense? It was supposed to.

Have you ever watched an orchestra conductor waving his wand while conducting the symphony? He is working the melody off of the music sheet and into the ears of the audience. God is the conductor of the Christian’s life who desires to work salvation out of our hearts, and into full view of the general public. To work out salvation is to bring about its logical conclusion.

The Bible declares, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so no one may boast. For we are His workmanship,” (Eph 2:8‑10).

The term for workmanship is poiema and refers to artwork on fabric. We derive our English word poem from poiema. The story of our life becomes as a beautiful poem for God’s pleasure no matter how badly it began. Our lives develop as precious works of art as we allow God to direct and control.

As our salvation is being worked out for all the world to see, there should never be an occasion to act as though we do not know Jesus, or His love. Remember, He never pretends that we are no longer His.

John 15:13