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Show your salvation
The Bible says, ‘Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.’ It seems a bit confusing – if God’s already at work within us, why do we need to put so much effort in? The Bible doesn’t say, ‘Work for your salvation.’ To work for something means to earn it, deserve it, and merit it, but the Bible teaches us that salvation isn’t something we have to earn or work for. It’s a free gift from God, given by His grace (see Ephesians 2:8-9).
When Paul wrote, ‘Work hard to show the results of your salvation,’ he’s talking about something like a spiritual ‘workout’. When we exercise, we develop and tone the muscles God has already created us to have. To ‘work hard to show the results’’ here means to grow and make the most of what we’ve been given. What Paul’s saying is this: develop your spiritual life.
God has a part in our spiritual growth, and we also have a part. First, He gives us the eagerness to please Him; our part is to recognise that feeling and choose to act on it. Then He provides the power; our part is to access that power, flip the switch, and let it flow through our lives to fulfil His will for us. And we can do that by spending time praying and reading God’s Word each day, sharpening and strengthening each other through fellowship, and exercising the gifts God has given us. The truth is, He’s already done His part; now it’s up to us to do ours.
What Now?
If you take regular time to exercise, try incorporating spiritual growth into that time too. You could listen to worship music while you work out, play an audio Bible or teaching podcast, or pray silently.
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