Faith's steps

When I re-read Philippians 2:12-13, an unlikely setting comes to mind: the girl’s locker room of my town’s original junior high school. There, about forty years ago as a fresh-from-college newspaper reporter, I joined a young radio reporter in interviewing entertainer Pat Boone—yes, he of the white shoes fame. The celebrity had been invited as speaker for an all-city Easter worship service. But just before he went on stage in the football field adjacent to the junior high, these novice reporters had  a few minutes with him. I think the radio’s reporter asked the question: “What is your favorite Bible verse?” Quickly, Boone quoted these two verses of Philippians 2:
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Here I was, with fear and trembling as a green-behind-the-ears reporter, facing a celebrity musician. Boone’s reply reminded me that no matter our station in life, we stand in humility beneath the Cross..  Our purpose is not to pile up accolades but to live in obedience to Christ.  We’re not to work for our salvation (it’s already been secured through Christ’s death on the cross) but to work out, in steps of obedience that change our behavior to Christlikeness.

These stairs, photographed at a community park, remind me of how the Christian walk is a progression of steps upward as God works in our lives, giving us “the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).  Similarly, Peter added in his second letter, “His [God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness”   (1 Peter 1:3).

Think of “going higher” with God as via Peter’s words on spiritual growth:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

This doesn’t say that you conquer the step of “goodness” and then the step of “knowledge,” and so on.  Rather, in each step of our walk with Christ, all these attributes of godliness should increase.  If they don’t, here’s Peter’s warning:

But anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure (v.9).

Peter’s last phase (“be all the more eager”) seems to echo Paul’s (“work out...with fear and trembling”). Salvation isn’t about plopping down on the first step of “knowing God” through a “spiritual decision,” and leaving it at that. Instead, it’s taking spiritual growth one step at a time, with “fear and trembling,” for we serve a holy God. But we do this with eagerness because of all that He has done for us!