Philippians 2:12 says, "So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Many have told us that Paul said explicitly in Philippians that we have to work out our own salvation. If we are to work out our salvation, does that not mean that we have to do something? Is it true that the Lord has done the work, but man also has to do something? This is like saying that He supplies the material, we supply the labor, and the two of us work out our salvation. A person says this because he does not understand the word of the Bible. If we are to work out our salvation, then what has the Lord Jesus done on the cross? What has He accomplished on the cross? If a thing has been accomplished, it cannot be accomplished any further. If you are a child of God, you cannot become a child of God again. On the cross, the Lord Jesus clearly said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). The cross of the Lord Jesus has accomplished the work of salvation. It has accomplished the work of redemption. Since the work of salvation and redemption have been accomplished, there is no possibility for us to work out this salvation. If we still want to work out our salvation, we must first overturn the work of the Lord on the cross. We must declare that the work of the Lord Jesus has not been accomplished; the Lord's work has not been finished. That is why we have to work it out.

Many times, we do not know what it means to shame others. But once you have experienced it, you will know what it is. For example, here is a sister. Someone has asked her to wash some handkerchiefs. After she has washed them, she hangs them up to dry. But another person comes along and takes the handkerchiefs away. When she asks for the reason, she is told that they were taken down to be washed. This is an open shame to the sister, for it means that the other person does not believe that the handkerchiefs are washed. It means that they think that the sister has lied. In the same way, for us to work out our salvation is not a glory to Christ but a shame to Christ. The Bible says clearly that Christ has accomplished all the work.

Then why does Philippians 2:12 say that we have to work out our salvation? The word work out in the original language carries the meaning of out. We should work out our salvation in fear and trembling. Did Paul's word stop here? If it had stopped here, we would not know what he meant. Verse 13 says, "For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure." Since God has operated in you, it is possible for you to now work it out. If God has not operated in, we have no way to work it out. Since God has operated in, you can work out. God has already saved you within and has given you life. Now there is no other way but to let Him come out. God does not want you to work. He wants you to work out. Hence, this is not a question of salvation or perdition, eternal life or eternal death. This is a question of whether or not one receives the reward after his salvation. God has already operated in you, causing you to will and to work for His good pleasure. Hence, you have to work it out. This is the proper condition of a Christian. In other words, this is your work after salvation. If a man has not yet been saved, he cannot work out his salvation. If a man does not have life, he cannot live out a life. Only after a man has been saved can he work out his salvation. Hence, one sees that there is no such thing as being saved through good works.