Work Out Your Salvation??

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 

--Philippians 2:12

What was the Apostle Paul trying to communicate about salvation?

• Was he telling Christians that everyone’s salvation is different, that each person has to figure it out on his own?
• Was he making a point about individual responsibility?
• What does fear and trembling have to do with salvation? Fear of what?

Salvation: 

Paul was writing to Christians, those who were in a state of having been saved. Sometimes we are so accustomed to the word salvation that it becomes cliché. It is easy to forget that salvation is more accurately salvation from the wrath of God because of sin.

Work out: 

The phrase “work out your salvation” is not about ‘figuring it out’ but working through to completion. Salvation is not like a treasure hunt in which cryptic clues are discovered and must be figured out. (That’s the Hollywood way.) Rather, God has made it clear how a person can be saved from His wrath due to sin. In addition, God has made it plain how followers of Jesus are to order their lives while living in this world. There is no mystery about God’s expectations for the saints.

So, working out one’s salvation is not a mystery that is individualized. The phrase was meant to encourage endurance. Work it through to completion. Don’t give up part way through. Remain loyal.

Obedience: 

Look at the phrase, “just as you have always obeyed.” The early Christians would have understood fully what they were to obey. Paul was referring to obedience in their Christian life. They were obedient to the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. This was what they had ‘always obeyed.’ It really is that simple. That admonition carries forward to us. We are encouraged to hold fast to the things that God has revealed to us in His written word. Again, it is not a mysterious code. There may be passages that are challenging, but God’s instruction is clear and simple.

Fear and Trembling: 

Many believers today latch hold of a scripture they like:, such as, Call on the Lord and you’ll be saved. Or, believe in the Lord and you’ll be saved. The New Testament teaches these things but not in the absence of obedience, purity, and loyalty.

Many wish to portray God as a tolerant friend instead of Creator. Other’s fixate on ‘Father’ forgetting that God is also our Judge and demands holiness. ‘Fear and trembling’ call us to soberness, to say the least.

Ancient Jericho trembled when Israel approached. The Bible says that there was no spirit in them any longer. That means that they trembled to the point of being virtually lifeless. They had lost all motivation to fight. They could not run or cry for help. They trembled, accepting certain defeat.

We must have confidence in God’s word because God keeps His promises. And yet we must also possess a sense of awe and reverence toward God. We are not to be scared, but fearful. 

There is no personalized instruction to you and me. So, every time we open God’s word we must recognize that individually we are the learner, the slave, the child. We must open God’s book for understanding. We must be serious about interpreting God’s word according to what He intended, not what it means to me. And we must be careful to apply God’s word in obedient allegiance to Jesus, our King. This is not done without reverence and awe toward God, and yes, a measure of fear and trembling.

Mark Stinnett

June 28, 2026

Psalm 23: The Shepherd Restores

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul…

--Psalm 23:1-3

Sheep can wander off from the flock and sustain injury or become easy prey. Another frequent danger for sheep is becoming cast down. A sheep is cast down, or cast, when it lies down to rest and shifts its weight so that it rolls slightly, drawing its feet off the ground. When a sheep realizes this predicament it will panic by working its legs and body in an effort to stand up. If help does not come in time, the sheep will die.

A shepherd is well aware of the dangers of cast sheep and wandering sheep. He constantly looks for signs of trouble. He will look to the sky for signs of circling buzzards whose eyes are also looking for signs...of dinner. The shepherd will frequently count his sheep to insure that none are missing. If there are signs of predators or a missing sheep, the shepherd will immediately go in search of the helpless sheep in order to restore it to the flock under his watchful eye.

There is an interesting human parallel to the sheep that is cast down. The human dilemma is that of being ‘downcast.’ An individual can be going along life’s way only to fall into desperate circumstances: job loss, family troubles, financial stress, frustration with fellow Christians, problems at work, health issues, death of a loved one, etc. These can bring about a loss of self worth, increased anxiety, a sense of lostness, a burden of guilt, or other negative feelings. It is easy to panic and in frustration lash out at friends and family. These feelings can lead a person into a pit of despair and self-pity. Having given up hope some have even given themselves over to a ‘sinning spree.’

Like sheep that wander off, we can easily wander spiritually. There may be no real ‘life drama,’ we simply lose focus on the truly important things, or become distracted by the world. Little by little we veer off God’s path. When we stop and look up, we can be frightened by our lostness.

We are sheep, prone to wander, and easily frightened by the worries of this life. But our God is the Great Shepherd who restores souls.

————————————

A store manager calls over the intercom for the mother of a crying child who has wandered off. Their reunion is a mixture of hugs and kisses along with a tender scolding: “You MUST stay close to mommy,” (hug). “I was worried about you,” (kiss). “Don’t run off from mommy, I love you.”

Love and rebuke in the same breath: Restored.

God warned Israel of the bold and harsh discipline that he would use if they turned away to other gods. Yet with every level of escalating discipline there was tender encouragement promising that He would accept them when they returned to Him. (Read Leviticus 26.)

Jesus seemed harsh when he rebuked Peter: “Get behind me Satan.” He seemed so ‘matter-of-fact’ when he foretold Peter’s denial. Yet, Jesus restored his soul as he commissioned Peter with the task of shepherding His sheep.

The father of the prodigal son represents God. The son was always His son: when he left home, when he was lost, when he returned. We are the son.

Our God is the faithful and loving shepherd who, aware of all external dangers as well as our own personal problems and frustrations, watches over us. He finds us and He puts us back on our feet. Restoration is not about what we do, but about God’s acceptance of us when we are weak and downcast. However, restoration is possible only if we turn to God in humility and faith. Then, we will regain our strength because...

He restores my soul.

Mark Stinnett

November 3, 2024

Always Saved? ("Yes" and "No")

The book of 1 John assures Christians of their salvation in Christ. However, some have taught that a Christian is always saved and can never lose their salvation. Turning to the book of 1 John, let’s answer an important question: Is a Christian always saved?

“Absolutely, Yes!”

John wrote his first letter to Christians who must have lacked confidence in their salvation. He offered convincing truths to build their confidence. Consider the following statements in John’s letter:

If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses from all sin.

--1 John 1:7

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

--1 John 2:1

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

--1 John 2:25

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

--1 John 2:28

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

--1 John 3:18-21

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

--1 John 4:17

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

--1 John 5:13

Christians were being deceived about their salvation (2:26). John wanted to bolster their confidence by ensuring them that they would not lose their salvation. We are encouraged that God has not and will not abandon his children. The children of God have confidence that God will never change his mind or makes new requirements for salvation. He will honor all his promises regarding salvation.

So, in that respect we can confidently say, “Absolutely Yes!” Once a person has been saved, he/she has confidence in God’s promises. They will never lose their salvation.

“Absolutely Not!”

Some say that a Christian cannot fall from God’s grace. John also gives us insight into this claim in his brief letter. Remember that John was addressing those who were already saved (2:12-14). In the first chapter He reminded them of their fellowship with God through Christ. Then in the very next chapter he boldly stated:

I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father….(2:1)

John’s intent was for Christians to avoid sin. Yet in the same verse he acknowledged that a Christian might sin, but that there is a remedy for sin for the Christian: confession of one’s sins. However, if anyone refuses to confess his sins, or if he returns to a life of sin, then he walks in darkness and has no fellowship with God.

John takes it a step farther saying that anyone who hates (rejects) his brother walks in darkness. The one who hates his brother is “of the evil one” (3:7-10). So, the Christian who hates his brother has returned to a path of darkness. He no longer walks in the light and consequently forfeits his fellowship with God.

For that reason, we must answer, “Absolutely Not!” Salvation is conditional. A Christian must not adopt a casual attitude toward sin and return to his former way of life. In doing so, he will no longer have fellowship with God and will forfeit his salvation. It is important to see that, in this case, God has not abandoned his child. Rather, the child has abandoned his Father.

Conclusion

John’s letter was written to bolster the confidence of Christians. Our confidence is rooted in our salvation through Jesus. However, confidence in one’s salvation is not a license to sin.

Because of our changed nature sin is no longer our way of life. For that reason, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from sin. And yet, the blood of Jesus does not cleanse those who are opposed to God. It does not cleans those who return to their old life in spiritual darkness.

God will keep his promises. The question is whether YOU will faithfully hold to Christ and His promises.

Mark Stinnett

July 7, 2024

Is Faith Really Enough???

People in the world of Christianity throw around the words faith and believe quite a lot. “Believe in Jesus and you’ll be saved,” you’ll hear. Or, “All you need is faith in Christ, and everything will be alright.” Is faith really enough?

Emphatically, “Yes”...and…”Absolutely Not.”

To use the word faith without explaining how it is being used is sure to invite confusion. So, let’s first consider the ‘context’ of faith.

Have you ever heard someone ask, “Do you believe in dinosaurs”? More accurately, the question should be worded, “Do you believe that dinosaurs existed?” That is quite different from asking, “Do you believe in Jesus?” 

On the surface belief in Jesus addresses whether a person believes that Jesus of Nazareth was truly the Son of God, a divine being who was born in the flesh and lived a brief time on this earth. But it goes much deeper than the mere belief of the presence of deity in the flesh; it has everything to do with His purpose and whether He accomplished it.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 
—John 3:16

The purpose of Jesus was not to start an organization or propose a new philosophy of living. Rather, Jesus said that He had “come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:8)

The references to perishing and being lost describe mankind's severed relationship with God. Since God is pure and holy he cannot embrace sinful man; there is no fellowship with man. The Apostle Paul was very blunt:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. 
—Romans 1:18

Faith is a response to the claims of Jesus about salvation, or more specifically, salvation from the wrath of God. Faith is a genuine conviction that Jesus accomplished His purpose; that sinful man does not have to perish; that there is a remedy for sin so that man does not have to experience God’s wrath.

So, faith is first a belief that man exists in a broken relationship with God and is destined to experience God’s wrath, but that Jesus Christ came to mend that broken relationship, and that he succeeded. Faith is about accepting the reality of one’s sin and the need to be saved from the wrath of God. Faith is about the sinner making a faith response to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

A sinner’s initial faith response mends the broken relationship between the him and God. The Apostle Paul reduces all this to one statement:

Having now been justified by His (Jesus) blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. —Romans 5:9

The text following that statement explains that once a sinner’s relationship with God has been mended, he must adopt a lifestyle in harmony with the character of God. After all, the sinner died to sin when baptized into Christ. At the same time the sinner was raised to “walk in newness of life.” (6:3-4)

So, in reality a sinner is cleansed of sin by grace through faith. Then, having been cleansed of sin he must maintain a relationship with God by faith, that is, by ’walking in newness of life.’ A person begins his walk with Christ in faith, and he continues to walk with Christ in faith through holy living and humble obedience to the word of God. Without continued faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). From beginning to end, it is all about faith.

So, 'Yes,' faith is enough. Faith is all there is.

Yet, faith without humble obedience to God's word is really no faith at all.

Mark Stinnett

Why the First Believers Were Baptized (Part 3)

Jesus instructed His apostles to preach the gospel and baptize those who believed. We can read about the spread of the gospel in the Book of Acts where the apostles were doing exactly what Jesus instructed. You might say that these are two witnesses for the relevance for Christian baptism. There is a third.

When the apostles and other inspired writers sent letters to various churches in the first century they encouraged Christians in their faith, reminded them of earlier instruction, applied the teachings of Jesus and provided additional explanation about earlier teachings. The Apostle Paul explained the relevance of baptism into Christ:

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. —Romans 6:3–5

At the core of this passage is a statement that ultimately comes from God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: A believer is literally united with the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. Of course, this is not literal in a physical sense, but that does not mean that it is not literal. The things that Paul wrote about baptism are literal truths set in a spiritual context.

Paul said that the baptized believer is literally united with the death of Jesus. So, it is as if the believer died and was in the tomb with Jesus. Again, this is not a physical truth, but a spiritual truth, one accomplished by God.

In addition, Paul said that the baptized believer is literally united with the resurrection of Jesus. Yet again, this is not a physical truth in the present, but a promise that God will accomplish upon the return of Christ. It can only be understood in a literal spiritual context.

The ‘new life’ that Paul wrote about (v. 4) is the result of the believer having died and then being made alive again (reborn)...not figuratively, but truly. The baptized believer, by faith in the invisible activity of God, understands that he/she has undergone a literal spiritual change, passing from death into life through Jesus Christ.

Baptism is not a mere illustration; it is not some kind of magic ritual; and, according to Scripture, it is not a ‘work.’ Baptism into Christ is an act of faith in the expressed claims of God. It symbolically parallels the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, but literally unites the believer with Christ in His death and in His resurrection by God's power.

Finally, listen to the words of the Apostle Peter:

Baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. —1 Peter 3:21

Of the many things written about this verse one fact is undisputed. Peter wrote that “baptism now saves you.” The Greek text of this statement is unquestioned. Its meaning is obvious...and it parallels the instruction given by Jesus in the Great Commission as well as the examples of the apostles and first believers who followed Jesus' instruction. Baptism is intimately connected to the salvation of the soul. The writers of the New Testament letters to the churches help us to understand how.

The explanations of the inspired New Testament writers stands as a third witness to the vital importance and relevance of Christian baptism.