作成得救的工夫

你有没有想过，为什么去健身房锻炼叫作“workout”? 或许是因为在你里面有一个强大、苗条和训练有素的身体，随时准备迎接激烈的竞争。但那个身体现在还不存在——它需要被做成（work out）!

在农业方面也类似。通过灌溉、施肥和除草，农民才能让有潜力的农作物结出果实。只有当某事物具有潜力时，人们才能获得结果。

在今天的经文中，保罗敦促我们进行属灵的操练，并要认真对待。藉着恩典，神已经透过耶稣基督的工作将最宝贵的礼物：获得新生命的救恩——放进我们的生命里。

我们不是靠自己的努力赚得救恩；相反，我们被呼召去培养和发展神的恩赐，这是以祂儿子的生命作为代价提供给我们的。我们要充分发挥出它的潜力。

圣灵是我们这项操练的私人教练。祂把我们指向耶稣，敦促我们“意念相同，爱心相同，有一样的心思，有一样的意念，凡事不可结党，不可贪图虚浮的荣耀。只要存心谦卑，各人看别人比自己强。各人不要单顾自己的事，也要顾别人的事。”（腓 2:2-4）。这是个很大的挑战，它提醒我们，我们要做的工作还有很多。

主啊，感谢你赐下救恩的礼物。求赦免我们在今天的生命中未能认出它的潜力。圣灵啊，求你训练我们成为完全成熟的基督跟随者。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

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。
14凡所行的，都不要发怨言、起争论，
15使你们无可指摘，诚实无伪，在这弯曲悖谬的世代做神无瑕疵的儿女。你们显在这世代中，好像明光照耀，
16将生命的道表明出来，叫我在基督的日子好夸我没有空跑，也没有徒劳。
17我以你们的信心为供献的祭物，我若被浇奠在其上，也是喜乐，并且与你们众人一同喜乐。
18你们也要照样喜乐，并且与我一同喜乐。

Workout

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” — Philippians 2:12

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Have you ever wondered why a visit to the gym is called a “workout”? Maybe it’s because somewhere deep inside you is a strong, svelte, and trained body ready for rigorous competition. But that body is not present here and now—it needs to be worked out!

It’s similar with farming. Through irrigation, fertilization, and weed control a farmer works out the results of a potential crop. One can only work out results if something already has potential.

In today’s Scripture, Paul is urging us to engage in a spiritual workout and to take it seriously. By grace, God—through the work of Jesus Christ—has placed into our lives the most precious of gifts: salvation to new life!

We do not earn our salvation by our own efforts; rather, we are called to cultivate and develop this gift of God, provided at the cost of his own Son’s life. We are to work it out to its full potential.

The Holy Spirit is our personal trainer for this workout. Pointing us to Jesus, he urges us to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). That’s a big challenge, and it reminds us all that we still have much to work out.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for your gracious gift of salvation. Forgive us for not recognizing its potential in our lives today. Train us, Holy Spirit, to become fully mature followers of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.