Question:  Hi Greg,

            When listening to sermons or talking to folks, I don’t hear much any more about counting the cost or working out our salvation with fear and trembling.  I understand that salvation does not depend on our works.  It is in this light that I would like you to comment on the following two verses which mention fear:

            There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18 NIV).

            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 you salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 NIV).

            Jim

Answer:  Dear Jim,

            It is not clear to what you mean by “fear.”  What definition are you using?  Fear “of” or “from” what?  The Bible speaks positively of some kinds of fear—that we should fear God, that we should show mercy, mixed with fear, upon some who are scoffers (Jude 23).  The Bible also speaks negatively of other kinds of fear—the fear that God cannot do what he has promised, any kind of fear that we would have of Satan and his demons (1 John 4:4), etc.

            As for the passage in Philippians, the quote you give is exactly the way it is used by those who proof-text the Bible, trying to show that salvation is a combination of what Christ has done and continues to do, PLUS what we do.  Salvation has nothing to do with what we do.

            Please note that you quote does not end with a period, indicating that the sentence is not finished.  If we wish to understand al of what a person says, then we should at the least allow that person to complete the sentence.  Verse 13 of chapter 2 of Philippians finishes this sentence, after the last comma of verse 12, by saying “for it is God who works you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”  God will work out, in us, what he wills.  He will produce in us what he wills.  God will bring forth fruit in our lives, just like he enables a tree to produce fruit, so he enables fruit to be produced in our lives, not because of how hard we work, not because of how good we are, but because of how good he is.

            Hope this helps, Jim.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht