Finding your reverence for God
I honestly don't like to think much of Philippians 2:12 because it obviously applies to every area of my life. Since God's word commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and our faith is our very core, this should affect everything about us. This holy "fear and trembling" we have for God should affect everything we do. From work, all the way to the most passive interaction with people; in everything.
It also means that God has a high standard he has set for us. So to work it out, we need God's help, but must also be conscious of how amazingly holy he is.
Work it out
To work out at the gym, or to train, or get better at something, we need a plan. A good plan not only includes exercises, it includes a nutritional plan, and a coach/trainer/guide to show you how to do these exercises.
The nutritional part of any exercise regimen is the most important part. You cannot out train a bad diet.
The nutritional plan is God's word. We have to eat it up.
The exercise plan is doing and obeying God's word.
The guide/trainer/coach is the Holy Spirit. The Bible literally says (quoting Jesus) in John 16:13 that He will guide us into truth.
Fear and Trembling
This phrase makes me uncomfortable. I can do a lot more with regard to having holy fear and trembling with regard to how I see God, interact with God and love life for God.
For example, work as unto God. Love your neighbor as yourself. Think of yourself less, give to the needy, stand up for the oppressed, do not take revenge, pray without ceasing... So many commands that apply to literally every area of life.
I've fallen short of it, still do, but I know God is working it out for me.
Tony Evans commentary on Philippians 2:12 is very encouraging. I paraphrase, but he says, God has put in us that good that he is already working out in us. He has started the work (and will complete this good work he has started - Philippians 1:6) and He being the source of everything good, is the one spurring us forward to do even more good works as evidence of His spirit living in us.
So, whenever I obey God, it's God leading me to obey Him, not my goodness, or desire or anything of me.
I strongly believe that it's impossible to obey God without coming to grips with how holy he is. How majestic he is. He demands all of us. But even when we fail, we repent and instantly, he sees Jesus in us. Righteous.
Righteous
We need a deep reverence of God to want to obey Him.
Do we have this automatically by default?
No.
Even as christians, our default isn't to please God. If it were, we wouldn't need God and could live without going back to the source to rest and recharge.
Thanks be to God that He is our provider.
It's amazing.
He gives us the desire to want this deep reverence for him so that we obey Him.
It's literally all God's work. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
