图片发自简书App
“12这样看来，我亲爱的 弟兄 ，你们既是常顺服的，不但我在你们那里，就是我如今不在你们那里，更是顺服的，就当恐惧战兢做成你们得救的工夫。 13因为你们立志行事都是 神在你们心里运行，为要成就他的美意。”腓立比书 2:12-13
“这样看来……你们既是常顺服的……就当恐惧战兢做成你们得救的工夫。因为……是神在你们心里运行。”
保罗在腓立比书2章6-11节中向腓立比教会陈明了“基督耶稣的心”，并且要求他们来效法。“基督耶稣的心”，就是基督顺服父神的旨意而倒空自己，放下创造主的荣耀和权利，来到世间成为奴仆，服侍我们不惜付上生命的代价。现在，使徒保罗进一步挑战他们。“这样看来”表明，保罗接下来的劝勉正是要求腓立比教会对基督的榜样作出回应。对耶稣之顺服的回应有很多种，“以基督耶稣的心为心”只是其一。还有其他多种回应，我们不会不熟悉。比如维持认识主之前的以自我为中心的态度，又比如明明知道要在哪些方面顺服但是总能为不愿意改变而找出一个又一个借口，再比如在服事上尽心竭力在基督品格的造就上却熟视无睹。然而，唯有选择效法基督的谦卑和顺服，神在我们心里所动的善工（1:6）才能持续推进下去。我们可以如何配合这善工的成就？耶稣已经给我们做了榜样，我们要做的就是效法他。保罗向他的读者强调，他们必须一如既往地顺服自己的指教，无论他在场还是不在场。这指教就是“恐惧战兢做成你们得救的功夫”。
“做成得救的功夫”，当怀着“恐惧战兢”的态度。这不是说我们是出于对定罪的惧怕而要通过各种努力来挣得救恩。不是这样的。 这里所说的“恐惧战兢”是指对可畏之主的敬畏，承认他的主权和我们对他的顺服的必要。顺服神的话语并效法耶稣，是我们对自己得救的生命的维护和操练，好使我们的灵命保持健康，成长以至合乎主用。“做成（work out）”就好像去健身房锻炼，一时半会儿你可能看不到自己的改变，但是你知道每一次举重，每一次拉伸，都有看不见的力量使你更加强壮。如若坚持，不假时日，身体会发生明显的变化。灵命的做成（work out, 健身）也是如此。13节让我们看到，每一次操练，神都在我们心里运行。他在我们里面放入从他而来的心志，教导我们讨他喜悦的行事方式，并成就每一个他为我们而定下的美好的旨意。
让我们不要再闲散偷懒，进入属灵的健身房开始 work out 吧！
Therefore...As you have always obeyed,...work out your salvation....for it is God who works.
From the last reading, the Philippians church, knowing the obedience of Jesus who emptied himself, and knowing that they are being asked by Paul to have the same obedience, is given these two verses. 'Therefore' suggests that we are to respond to Christ's example. It is one possible response to see the obedience of Jesus and then choosing as a result to put on the same attitude as Christ, yet there are other possible responses as well like remaining in our own un-Christlike attitudes, and justifying our unwillingness to change with excuse after excuse，or serving others despite being unChrist-like. But Only by choosing to follow Jesus in this area of humility, we get the good work started as suggested in verse 1:6 --by him first showing us the example , and how we participate in its completion: by following his example. Paul stresses to his audience their need to obey his instructions: in his presence and moreso in his absence.
We 'work out' our salvation by practising his obedient attitude towards God and service to others in fear and trembling. It is not doing work to earn our salvation from God and fearing that we would be condemned. NO. This fear and trembling is directed to an awesome God and Recognising his sovereignty and our total need to obey our king. By practising obedience to his Word and following his example, it is our natural exercise for our saved selves to keep spiritually fit for God's service. 'Working out’ is like exercising in a gym, though you cannot see yourself growing, but you know that with each weight you lift, an invisible force is making you stronger. This is the same with our spiritual ‘workout’. Verse 13 confirms that as you work out, God does a work in you. He builds in us a godly will, teaches us to practise godly actions and fulfil every good purpose of God's. So let's stop lazing and start working out.
(图片来自网络)
