God’s Promises Are up to Us to Be Received or Not
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
Many times, we find comfort in the belief that God is in control, as if He is responsible in every detail of our lives. But shouldn’t we considered the biggest part of our decision making? When we are waiting and expecting God’s promises to come to pass in our lives, we sometimes forget that whatever we do in the waiting part contributes to whether we are going to receive the promise or not.
If you remember the book of Exodus, God promised a magnificent land to the Israelites. But because they were disobedient, full of complaints and murmuring, they ate the fruit of their tongue and suffered the consequences of their disobedience. Most of them died in the wilderness and were not able to enter the Promised Land of the Lord.
Another example is the life of King Solomon. He was the wisest and richest king, for God blessed him with wisdom and riches. But he too failed to attain the promise of God’s Kingdom, for he ended up serving other gods when he intermarried women from different nations.
God isn’t in control of everything in our lives. He is sovereign but not in control, for we are taking part every day in this life through our decisions just like the people in the Old Testament. That is why Christians today are encouraged to read their Bible every day in order to hear the Word of God and learn of His ways. Then, we may hear His voice and obey Him.
When the Father sent Jesus Christ to the world to grant us salvation and the promise of an eternal life, God already did His part, but we still have to make our own part in order to obtain this promise. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, 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.”
We are to work out the salvation that we received by faith through Christ Jesus. It means that we are to stay yielded to God’s presence, obedient to His Word, and flee from all temptations when they come. It is the Holy Spirit who will empower you to do so.
God may not be in control for some of the messes we ourselves have made, but He is so good that He is able to work things for our good (Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.). God is so gracious that even when we disobey and mess up at times, He is always right there to make a new path for us so that we may give Him glory and praises.
What if God is waiting for you to read your Bible so that He can speak to you? What if His promises are actually already there, but He is simply waiting for your obedience in whatever He is asking you to do?
