Janice:
Then how do you account for St. Paul
saying that he had to strive to finish the race? That he had
to work out his salvation in fear and trembling? If he were
now perfect, why would he be trembling? Wouldn't he be able
to be assured of finishing the race? I really don't
understand.
Patti:
Those are isolated prooftexts, Janice. You
claim you are not familiar with the Scriptures. I say
(please forgive my harshness) that you need to stop making
excuses and get to know them. Otherwise you are dependent
upon hearsay of what others tell you they think they say.
1. "Finishing the race"--
2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out like a
drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.
7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me
the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me,
but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Where in this passage does it say anything about Paul
attaining sinless perfection? On the contrary, he speaks of
"keeping the faith." Faith in what? In the merits of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In His great salvation.
2. That he had to work out his salvation in fear and
trembling? If he were now perfect, why would he be
trembling?
Good question. But, again, the passage is taken out of
context. Here is the context:
Philippians 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being
united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any
fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and
purpose
Paul is not speaking of salvation in this passage.
Clearly he is speakin to those who are already "united with
Christ."
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but
in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but
also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should
be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very
nature God, did not consider equality with God something to
be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And
being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death-- even death on a
cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest
place and gave him the name that is above every
name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always
obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my
absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear
and trembling,
Their salvation was a given. Paul is encouraging them to
continue to keep the faith, to obey the Gospel, and to "work
out" the salvation that they have experienced in loving
deeds to each other.
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act
according to his good purpose.
14 Do everything
without complaining or arguing,
15 so that you may become
blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a
crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like
stars in the universe
16 as you hold out the word of
life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I
did not run or labor for nothing.
17 But even if I am
being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and
service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice
with all of you.
Here is Paul's account of his post-conversion self.
Remember this is God's chosen vessel of the Gospel to the
Gentiles speaking:
Romans 7:9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the
commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
10 I
found that the very commandment that was intended to bring
life actually brought death.
11 For sin, seizing the
opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and
through the commandment put me to death.
12 So then, the
law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and
good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to
me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized
as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so
that through the commandment sin might become utterly
sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am
unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
15 I do not
understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but
what I hate I do.
16 And if I do what I do not want to
do, I agree that the law is good.
17 As it is, it is no
longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in
me.
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that
is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do
what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For
what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do
not want to do--this I keep on doing.
20 Now
if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do
it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find
this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right
there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in
God's law;
23 but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within
my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who
will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks
be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself
in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful
nature a slave to the law of
sin.
