What does it mean to “Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling”?

by Ed Elliott

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

What does it mean to “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”? Many believers will quote this verse to support the idea that we still have much personal development to do in completing what Jesus started or to make ourselves worthy and acceptable to the Lord. The idea is we need to do “works” to prove we are saved, and we need to be fearful that if we don’t do and live as God has commanded, we could be tossed into hell. If this were true, I can understand why believers would be trembling in fear while working hard to stay out of hell.

Unfortunately for these types of believers who preach a gospel of performance, this isn’t what this verse means at all. First off, salvation isn’t something you have to work for; it is a free gift from God that is received by faith. You don’t work for salvation; it works for you.

Working out our salvation is very different from working for our salvation. When Paul tells believers they need to work out their salvation, he is simply explaining that the wonderful gift they freely received from God is…