A prescription of being fearless, arguing less and selflessly shining like stars.
At my last health checkup my doctor challenged me to do three things. Read a specific lifestyle book that had been meaningful to him. Attempt a specific workout to change up my routine. And take a specific amount of weight off my body.
And just to be clear, he said all these things in the kindest possible way.
As a way of staying accountable, I have read the specific book. I did change up my exercise routine. And, I’m descending toward the specific weight.
But enough about me.
Let’s talk about us.
And not so much the working out of our physical bodies, but of the salvation that we have in Christ.
In Philippians 2, after Paul has described the kenosis, or “self-emptying” of Christ Jesus, he calls the church to work out their own salvation.
In one sense, Jesus, in his own self-emptying has worked out salvation for all.
Now, Paul turns to the church in Philippi and calls them to work out that salvation — as their own salvation — by emptying themselves for the salvation of one another.
“Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world…” – Philippians 2:12-16
There are many things to glean from this passage but, like my doctor before me, I kindly prescribe the consideration of three specific things.
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Jason Martin 