Albert Barnes Commentary Philippians 2:12

"So then, my beloved, even 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 (ASV)

Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed. The Philippians had from the beginning shown a remarkable readiness to respect the apostle and listen to his teaching. He refers to and commends this readiness more than once. He still appeals to them and urges them to follow his counsel, so that they might secure their salvation.

Now much more in my absence. Although they had been obedient when he was with them, circumstances had occurred in his absence that made their obedience more remarkable and more worthy of special commendation.

Work out your own salvation. This important command was first addressed to Christians, but there is no reason why the same command should not be regarded as addressed to all—for it is equally applicable to all. The duty of doing this is commanded here; the reason for making the effort, or the encouragement for the effort, is stated in the next verse. Regarding the command here, it is natural to inquire why it is a duty, and what is necessary to be done to comply with it. On the first of these inquiries, it may be observed that it is a duty to make a personal effort to secure salvation, or to work out our salvation:

1. Because God commands it. There is no command more frequently repeated in the Scriptures than the command to make for ourselves a new heart; to strive to enter in at the strait gate; to break off from sin, and to repent.

2. It is a duty because our own personal interest is at stake. No one else has, or can have, as much interest in our salvation as we have. It is everyone's duty to be as happy as possible here and to be prepared for eternal happiness in the future world. No one has a right either to throw away their life or their soul. They have no more right to do the one than the other; and if it is a person's duty to endeavor to save their life when in danger of drowning, it is no less their duty to endeavor to save their soul when in danger of hell.

3. Our earthly friends cannot save us. No effort of theirs can deliver us from eternal death without our own exertion. Great as their concern for us may be, and much as they may do, there is a point where their efforts must stop—and that point is always short of our salvation, unless we are roused to seek salvation. They may pray, and weep, and plead, but they cannot save us. There is a work to be done on our own hearts that they cannot do.

4. It is a duty because the salvation of the soul will not take care of itself without an effort on our part. There is no more reason to suppose this than that health and life will take care of themselves without our own exertion. And yet many live as if they supposed that somehow all would yet be well; that the matter of salvation need not give them any concern, because things will so arrange themselves that they will be saved. Why should they suppose this any more regarding religion than regarding anything else?

5. It is a duty because there is no reason to expect Divine intervention without our own effort. No such intervention is promised to anyone, and why should they expect it? In the case of all who have been saved, they have made an effort—and why should we expect that God will favor us more than He did them? "God helps them who help themselves;" and what reason has anyone to suppose that He will interfere in their case and save them, if they will put forth no effort to work out their own salvation?

Regarding the other inquiry—What does the command imply, or what is necessary to be done to comply with it?—we may observe that it does not mean:

1. That we are to attempt to deserve salvation on the ground of merit. That is out of the question, for what can a person do that will be an equivalent for eternal happiness in heaven?

2. Nor that we are to endeavor to make atonement for past sins. That would be equally impossible—and it is, besides, unnecessary. That work has been done by the great Redeemer.

But it means:

1. That we are to make an honest effort to be saved in the way that God has appointed;

2. That we are to break off from our sins by true repentance;

3. That we are to believe in the Savior and honestly to put our trust in Him;

4. That we are to give up all that we have to God;

5. That we are to break away from all evil companions and evil plans of life; and

6. That we are to resist all the allurements of the world, and all the temptations that may assault us that would lead us back from God, and are to persevere to the end. The great difficulty in working out salvation is in forming a purpose to begin at once. When that purpose is formed, salvation is easy.

With fear and trembling. That is, with the kind of anxiety a person has who feels that they have an important interest at stake and that they are in danger of losing it. The reason or the ground for "fear" in this case is, in general, this: there is danger of losing the soul.

1. So many persons make shipwreck of all hope and perish, that there is danger that we may also.

2. There are so many temptations and allurements in the world, and so many things that lead us to defer attention to religion, that there is danger that we may be lost.

3. There is danger that if the present opportunity passes, another may not occur. Death may soon overtake us. No one has a moment to lose. No one can designate one single moment of their life and say, "I may safely lose that moment. I may safely spend it in the neglect of my soul."

4. It should be done with the most earnest concern, from the immensity of the interest at stake. If the soul is lost, all is lost. And who is there that can estimate the value of that soul which is thus in danger of being lost forever?