Work and Rest Out Your Salvation
“I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Notice how the Apostle Paul doesn’t say, “I am confident that you will get your act together, take your salvation seriously, and obey as you have been commanded.” No, when it comes to the sanctification of the Philippian believers, Paul looks to one place for confidence: to the same Lord who chose, called, and justified them.
Yes, we are called to obey. Yes, we are called to take our salvation so seriously that we actively go after every aspect of that salvation, seeking to live it out in every dimension of our lives. But Paul’s confidence is in the surety that God would never abandon the saving work that he began.
It may seem contradictory, but it isn’t. In the Christian life, we are called to work and rest.
We are called to never stop working out our salvation, never allowing ourselves to take it for granted, never permitting ourselves to become spiritually aloof or lazy, and never abandoning the spiritual disciplines to which we have been called.
But we are also invited to the sweetest Sabbath of rest our hearts have ever known. This rest is the result of the completed work of Jesus on our behalf. This one who is almighty in power, who cannot lie, and who will never abandon what he has begun, is at work in us.
He daily does in us and for us what we could never do for ourselves. He battles for us even when we don’t have the sense to do so. He knows exactly what we need and what tools to employ to deliver it.
Start every day praying for sanctifying grace and then, with a heart at rest, give yourself to the spiritual work to which you have been called.
The surety of our
salvation
is one of its chief
glories.
Not dependent on human
obedience,
faithfulness,
love.
Its surety rests on the
unchangeable character and
unalterable purpose of
God.
God worked before time and
in time,
not to make salvation
generally possible,
but to deliver his redeeming
grace to a community
he had chosen before
time began.
Jesus didn’t suffer
die,
rise again,
to purchase save-ability.
No,
Jesus took names to the
cross.
Our salvation is
sure,
because it rests on the firm
foundation of God’s
choice.
The one who chose us
works to bring us to a
knowledge of him,
the conviction of sin,
and the power to
believe.
Yes, we believe,
but our faith is the gift of
God.
The past,
present,
future
of our redemption
is secure.
What was decided in
eternity
can’t be undone in
time.
What wasn’t granted because of our
righteousness
can’t be lost by our
sin.
What was rooted in God’s
faithfulness
can’t be stopped by our
wanderings.
What has been secured by
sovereign grace
can’t be aborted by
temptation’s draw.
What the Father
decreed
can’t be derailed by Satan’s
will.
Your life may seem to be
out of control.
There are moments when
you may feel lost.
You may wonder what God is
doing.
Your weakness may leave you
discouraged.
Your struggle with sin may
leave you weary.
You may lose sight of
who you are and what you’ve
been given.
You may covet the peace of
others.
You will long to be further
along.
You will be plagued by
doubt.
But your salvation isn’t made
secure by you.
It was secured before time
began,
by the Lord of Heaven and
Earth.
No one can stop his hand
or
question what he has
done.
So let your heart rest,
be grateful and be glad.
The most glorious thing
to ever happen to
you
has been signed,
sealed, and
delivered
by the unstoppable
will
of your loving Redeemer.
A Prayer for Today: God, I pray that you would mold and shape me into someone who both works and rests according to your calling in my life. I pray for your sanctifying grace over me and all that I do, say, and think. Help me to be at rest in you, Lord, and then in that spirit of rest, I pray that I would give myself to the work you have called me to do. Help me to trust you in ways that bolster my faith and motivate me to involve myself in the good work you have for me to do. Thank you for giving me the eternal security I want and need in Christ. In his name I pray, amen.
Discussion Prompt for Children
1. How do you think it’s possible to both work and rest at the same time?
2. Why isn’t godly resting the same thing as being lazy?
3. Why do you think it’s a good thing for someone to learn discipline? How can discipline be both a physical and spiritual thing at the same time?
4. What kind of spiritual work do you think God is calling you to do right now? What kind of spiritual work do you think God might be calling me to do right now? How about what he might be calling our family to do right now?
5. Why do we need God’s work in our lives to help us accomplish the work he wants us to do?
Reflection Questions
1. Why do you think godly rest and godly work aren’t at odds with one another? What confuses you about the call to both work and rest at the same time? How do you think human beings have distorted the appropriate approaches to both work and rest? How might you have personally distorted your approaches to both work and rest?
2. Why is it so glorious that salvation doesn’t rest on human effort, obedience, faithfulness, or love? How does it make you feel knowing that if you are in Christ that Jesus took your name to the cross? How does the knowledge that he has chosen you lead you to worship?
3. In what ways are you asking God to employ his grace to specifically sanctify you? Take into careful consideration the areas of your life that need God’s refinement, and ask for his sanctifying grace to change you more and more into the person he wants you to be.
4. How might God be calling you to pursue a healthy balance of godly rest and godly work in your everyday life? Jot down some of the ways that come to mind.