We don’t work FOR our salvation, we work OUT our salvation. (Philippians 2:12-13)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. We should always work for the Lord and do everything with gladness in our hearts. It is hard to do but it is worth it.

We shouldn’t be working for our salvation. For it isn’t by works that we have been saved. “It is by grace we have been saved through faith. Not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.  We should work out our salvation every single day in order to be the witnesses He has called us to be. God has carved His mission upon our hearts. How can we not listen? The answer is that we can’t afford not to listen to His teachings and His calling for us to minister to other people. We are called to witness to the lost souls and the hurting, the sick and the dying.

We are called to be there for the people that need us. This world needs God and needs Him and His word more than ever before. If we aren’t the first line of defense against God going away and out of our nation, then who is, or who will be? The answer is no one, besides God. God wants us to bring Him back into our nation.  We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about God and to be a witness for Him, especially with how different this nation and how violent this nation has become. We’ve taken Him out of every aspect of our lives and we need to bring Him back into it before its too late.

We need to exercise our faith and work out our faith daily not just by being preachers of the word to others, but by also being readers and learners of the word of God and learning the lessons and exploring the truths that God has placed in front of us. We need to read the Bible daily and soak in His words of truth. We need to head His warning that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We need to head His call that one day every single knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He alone is Christ the Lord. Instead of being afraid to spread the word and instead of being intimidated to spread His good news, we should feel privileged and honored that He chose us to bring others to His table of forgiveness, love, and righteousness.

Let’s face it, this whole nation needs a wake-up call. Whatever happened to the sentiment of “In God we trust”? Instead of pushing others away from the church by saying things such as any certain group shouldn’t belong to a church, we should be inviting everyone and anyone to come to worship Him without fear and without prejudice. He made us all equal in His eyes, and it’s definitely time we start acting like it. It is not a burden to lead others to Christ or to talk to others about Him. Instead, it is a great honor and one of the best privileges He could ever give to us.

We should exercise our faith daily and work out our brains, hearts, and minds to be more like Christ and love others the way He does. It takes time, patience and a lot of discipline to be like Christ. Satan will do everything in his power to have us not be like Christ. In fact, he wants us to turn away from Christ and never look back. He hates it when we turn to Him for comfort and peace and at the mention of His name Satan flees. But we can be like Him and keep our focus on Him throughout our lives and through hardships. Loving others feels a lot better than constantly criticizing or judging others, doesn’t it? Spreading Jesus’ love is way more powerful than spreading hate throughout this world.

We should be united in our faith and stand together as the body of the church, His church. We should be united with others in love, the way He so graciously loves us. We should be quick to listen and slow to speak the way He was. We should also be slow to speak and slow to anger.

Don’t be afraid to model after Christ because you might be afraid of what others may think of you. Being united with Christ as your Lord and Savior and imitating Him is a blessing. You will get many stares and jeers at you for it and people will even call you nasty names for it, but God will allow you to have peace in your heart when you reach others for the goodness of His kingdom and for His glory.

If you are wondering about how to come to know God as your Lord and Savior it is simple. All you have to do is pray. Try praying this prayer: “Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I know I’m not perfect and that I’m in need of saving every day. Please forgive me for my sins. I ask you into my heart as the Lord over my life. Guide me in your ways and teach me your truth, so I can be the light that leads people to you. Amen.”