"Wherefore, my beloved, . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12,13).

IT is our desire and purpose in this little treatise, to consider and apply directions drawn from Scripture for the advancement of the Christian whose desire is not to stagnate in a mere easy profession of Christianity, but to make progress in the true knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and so to be His disciple indeed (Jno. IS:8). It was with this very object in view that the apostle Peter in his 2nd epistle, chap. 1:5-9, exhorted his fellow-Christians, dispersed among the Gentiles, not to rest content merely with having escaped the corruption that is in the world through its lusts, but, giving all diligence to "add to their faith, virtue (or courage); and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance (or self-control); and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly love, and to brotherly love, love." .. For, he says, if these things be in you, and abound, they make you to be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge (the practical knowledge) of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."

With this same desire to see development in the practical character of Christianity, I would ask the reader, How are you progressing in your Christian life and experience? And if the answer be (as it doubtless is with some) that there is no sensible progress, that their desire for holiness is continually baffled, let us take this confession as a symptom that something is wrong with them, and seek what that wrong thing is. Let us honestly inquire, What is it that hinders or prevents an effectual "working out of your salvation," as the apostle exhorts us to do; and let God's light fall upon both heart and conscience, to detect what is wrong, and be led into the path of obedience and blessing.

Now, in the passage itself which forms our text, we may find the correction of some error standing in the way of progress. "Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling" writes the apostle. This exhortation implies (whatever Calvin may say to the contrary) that the human will has its part to play in the "salvation" of "which the apostle speaks-a salvation, an escape, or deliverance, from all the evil influences which proceed either from our own flesh, or from the world, or from the devil, which beset our path.

Let us note, here, that there is to be earnestness in this -yea the earnestness of "fear and trembling" in view of the great adversaries and the momentous issues involved. But to this the apostle immediately adds, "for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, of His good pleasure." It intimates, surely (whatever Armenius may say to the contrary) that we have not of ourselves the power or ability for the working out of this salvation, nor to effect that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). The effectual power for this is as truly from the Lord, and of God's grace, as the forgiveness of sins. Keeping these things in mind, then, let us look for what stands in the way of Christian progress, and for its remedy.

It is more than likely, if we are halting, or hanging back, in our Christian course, that either we have not honestly and unreservedly surrendered our will to God; or, on the other hand, that we are depending on our own efforts-virtually saying, It is I who am to work, in and by myself, God's good pleasure. Let us look at both of these.
1st. As to the surrender of ourselves we can but repeat the apostle's words, when writing to the Christians at Rome. After he had fully set before them God's marvelous grace in delivering them from judgment and condemnation through Christ's sacrifice, he says:"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service:and be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1,2).

There is to be, therefore, a willing and hearty surrender of our will and our members to God-not as a round of cold duties performed, but a true self-surrender to Him who loves us and gave Himself for us. Have we done this?-honestly, without reserve, with no dark corner in our heart where some cherished sin may hide? Or, is there a keeping back a part, like Ananias and Sapphira, pretending to give the whole while a part is kept back? Well, He who "searches the hearts and the reins" sees through any disguise to which the natural heart is so prone. For, is it not true, that a worldly mind and unbroken will often hides itself under a supposed assurance of salvation, while the life bears witness that the heart is not surrendered to God?

Faith really embraces obedience to God, as well as trust in His promises. Abraham's faith appeared no less in his obedience to God's commands than in trusting His promises. When God's will takes the form of a precept or command, Abraham does it without hesitation. When it takes the form of a promise, he rests assured that there will be its fulfilment. God bids him leave his country and kindred-he leaves them. He is told that his seed shall be as the stars of heaven for multitude, when not only he had no child, but, humanly speaking, no possibility of any; and Abraham "believed Jehovah, and it was counted to him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3; Gen. 15:6). Then God asks him to surrender that son unto death (oh, the grand reach of faith, even under that twilight dispensation!), and Abraham surrenders that beloved and only son (in whom his seed should be called), ''counting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead." Thus was Abraham justified before men by his works, and obtained the title of "the friend of God." It is this whole-heartedness of faith which God so much values.

On the other hand, resistance to the Lord is seen in various forms. It may be in worldly associations and friendships; in the fear of ridicule by standing openly for the Lord; in love of pleasures and "vanity lighter than air;" in secret sins which struggle against being honestly faced in the presence of God. Or it may even be mere apathy and self-indulgence-too idle to move out of the old ruts of bad habits. O Christian, brother or sister, if any of these or other things have bound you, the Lord our Saviour is able to lift you out of it all! Probe your conscience, and give your Lord an honest answer.

2nd. As we have already pointed out, we cannot of ourselves effect our deliverance from the powers combined against us. It is indeed recognized by those sound in the cardinal truths of our holy faith, that the Atonement is exclusively the work of Christ, and that forgiveness is the free gift of grace on the ground of His atonement. But there is a notion that, after forgiveness, we are left to ourselves to work out our practical sanctification, independently of Christ. Therefore it is sought by good resolutions, self-discipline, self-denials, and cultivation of good habits.

Let us, therefore, turn again to the apostle's words:"Par it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, of His good pleasure;" and let us put along side of this our Lord's own words in the- 15th chapter of St. John:"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me … for apart from Me, ye can do nothing" (vers. 4, 5). Let the reader take in this fundamental truth as to deliverance from the power of evil, within and without, that it is Christ in us by whom we are to overcome and bear fruit to God-for "apart from Me, ye can do nothing."

It is most true indeed that a real surrender of our wills to God involves human effort, in every shape that it can scripturally take; but it is equally true that human effort is no savior, and true also that our Lord will not give the honor to our efforts which is wholly His. Watchfulness, self-discipline, self-denial, etc. are means and channels by which our Lord's power and grace are made effective in us; but let us not magnify them so as to cover His work of grace-nay, they are themselves gifts of grace from the Lord; He is our life, working in us His good pleasure. Mark this, reader, our sanctification is in and of Christ- not independent of Him. Let faith touch His sacred Person like the woman of Luke 8, and abide in Him in simple faith, and the precious fruits of the Spirit will begin to grow; the virtue that is in our Jesus will begin to flow into your soul through the channels which faith has opened. This is His own word and teaching-not ours:"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me … for without Me [separated from Me], ye can do nothing," not advance a step in love, or joy, or peace or holiness. All the power in the branch is from the living energy of the root and stem. So is the Christian's holiness of life. All we have to do is to keep continually open the communication between Christ and the soul by the daily exercise of simple trust in Him, with a surrendered will. May this be the happy and increasing experience of both reader and writer.

-Adapted from "Thoughts on Personal Religion" (1861).