Work Out Your Salvation

Work Out Your Salvation

Philippians 2

Cast:  Two people.  One is in workout gear with some small weights and a boom box, but not working out.  The other is dressed in business attire (not workout gear).

Set:  Any stage.  Props added to make it look like a workout area or fitness center.  A single weight set could suffice.

Workout clothes again?

Yep.

Working out?

Nope!

Why not?

I am afraid to.

Really?

It’s in the Bible.

Really?

In his letter to the people living in the Philippines, Paul told them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.  So, I am afraid to work out.

Okaaaay.  I think Paul wrote to the Philippians and he didn’t say to be afraid to work out.  He said work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

I don’t get that part.  Why should I have to be afraid to work out?

Paul said to work out your salvation.  What if you understood that to mean live out your salvation?

That’s better, but the whole fear and trembling stuff has me bummed out.

What if you understood that to mean as the most important thing you did every day.

That adds some gravity to it and maybe takes away the part where I’m afraid to do anything.

Indeed it does. We are not afraid to live but we acknowledge that our every decision is important—the most important one that we will make at that moment.

That is sort of scary. 

It is important.  That’s for sure.

But what if I mess up?  What if I blow it?  What if….

Hold them holy horses.  We don’t live in a what if world.  We live out our salvation.  Jesus not only stepped out of heaven to live and die as a man and be a sacrifice for our sin.

Go on.

He did not orphan us when he went back to heaven.  He gave us the Holy Spirit.

How does that help?

God lives in us.  He is leading us to do the things that he wants us to do.

But sometimes it’s just too hard to listen.

No.  It really isn’t.  If you are having problems listening to God’s own Spirit who lives within you, consider all that Jesus gave up for us.

He set aside living equal to his Father to come live and die as a human.  I know.  It’s almost unbelievable. 

You need to believe it because that’s how much God loves us.

And I want to love him back.

Then quit listening to the world and listen to God’s Spirit that is alive inside of you.  That Spirit will lead you step-by-step in working out your salvation.

That’s a much better workout than I have been trying.

It might give you a better selection of wardrobe choices too.

What?

Both exit.

The end.