Work out your own salvation

Salvation is not about knowing who God is. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. (Jam 2:19) Just believing that God exists is not enough to save. There’s knowing that God is, and there’s knowing God.

Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  (Mat 7:21) How do your children know it’s time to go to bed? Because they live with you and know your voice, your mannerisms, the consequences of disobedience.

If we expect to live in the kingdom of heaven, then we have to know God well enough to do His will. That comes through prayer, reading His word, and spending time His people. We have to learn to listen as well as ask. We have to “do” as well as believe. A woman is not very impressed by a man who tells everyone that he loves her, but does nothing to show it.

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil 2:12) That means to figure out whether or not what you have is real salvation. Your life depends on it.