As A Result Of Their Participation With Christ In His Death, Resurrection And Exaltation They Are To Put Every Effort Into Together ‘Working Out' The Salvation That God Was Working Within Them So That, As A Consequence Of Their Resulting Oneness And Unblemished Lives, They Might Be True Lights In The World, Thereby Holding Forth The Word Of Life (Philippians 2:12-18).
What follows here is the fulfilment of all that has been described in Philippians 1:27 to Philippians 2:11. Following the injunction to ‘live as citizens of Heaven' (Philippians 1:27) Paul now seeks to constrain them, as a result of their participation in Christ's self-emptying, death, resurrection and exaltation, to put every effort into ensuring that their salvation (which they have received as a gift from God) is being effective in their lives, knowing all the while that God is working within them to ensure that it will be so (for salvation is of the Lord). They are to put every effort into ensuring that what God is ‘working within them' is ‘worked out', that is, is allowed to spring up from within them and have an important impact on their lives day by day as they respond in faith.
Notice his emphasis on the fact that they are themselves to be a sacrifice and worship offering as a result of their believing response, further indicating that being sacrificed is an essential part of the passage, as we have already seen. He has in mind also what he has already said about the conflict that they are facing in the world which might even lead to martyrdom (Philippians 1:29-30).
We should note that they are to do this together. They are not to be one man bands, but to assist each other as they go forward with Him, although necessarily each is responsible for his own final response. It is therefore not necessary to ask, is this to be seen as for each individual or for the whole? The answer is that it is for both. For the whole is made up of individuals, each of whom is responsible for their own response, while also having responsibility for the whole. And it is as one together that they are to go forward with Him. His desire was that as a whole they would go forward as ‘children of God' (Philippians 2:15), revealing what they are by being without blemish and free from the entanglements of the world (1 John 2:15-16), thus being ‘lights in the world', and holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:15-16). For it was only if this were true that Paul would have something to glory in, in the Day of Jesus Christ (the Day when He comes to reveal all things, and call men to account e.g. Matthew 7:22-23; Matthew 10:26; Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15), in that it would prove that all his activity and efforts had not been in vain. And as long as this was true he was ready, yes, eager, to be poured out as a libation on the sacrifice of themselves that they were offering (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-2), as they offered themselves to God by faith for whatever He had in store for them, rejoicing with them in the privilege that they were both enjoying. Philippians 2:12 ‘So then, my beloved, even 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,'
The words ‘my beloved' soften Paul's injunction from being a harsh command to being a loving requirement. It is a reminder that people are far more likely to respond if they are convinced that we genuinely care, and only seek their good, as Paul did. But there is no softening of the requirements. Just as Jesus was obedient to the Father ‘even unto death' (Philippians 2:8), so were they to be obedient in the working out of their salvation ‘with greatest care' (fear and trembling lest they come short, compare 2 Corinthians 7:15). The injunction was even more important because Paul was now absent from them. While he was present with them he was able to oversee their obedience, but now that he was absent from them they were, humanly speaking, ‘on their own'. Thus it was all the more urgent that together they urged each other on, and so set their minds (Philippians 2:5) on their participation in the crucified and resurrected Christ that they ensured that ‘their salvation', the salvation which was theirs from God through Him, was fully effective in them and through them.
Having once committed himself to the way ahead, Jesus had Himself ‘worked out' His vindication through obedience, suffering, death and resurrection, and they were to do the same. He Who knew no sin but was ‘made sin' (2 Corinthians 5:21) had fulfilled His work of salvation and had borne the sins of others in the way described above (no one who knew Paul's teaching would fail to understand the import of the words). Now they were to lay their sins on Him, partaking in His sacrifice by faith (Philippians 2:17) and ensuring also that the resurrection life of Christ was lived out through them (Philippians 3:10; Romans 6:3-11; Galatians 2:20). They were to ‘continue working out their salvation.' And they were to do it with greatest care, remembering that they had to give account. It was not that they had to save themselves, but that they were to benefit by the salvation that God had given them in Christ, which was therefore now their own, by ensuring that it was allowed to ‘work out' through them. Compare how women were to ‘be saved', that is were to work out their salvation, by bringing up children while continuing in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety (2 Timothy 2:15).
‘With fear and trembling.' That is fearful lest they fall short in any way and thus hinder the work that God is doing (compare Hebrews 12:15; Hebrews 12:25). It is a reminder that ‘it is a fearful thing to fall onto the hands of the living God' (Hebrews 10:31). In the Greek Old Testament (LXX) ‘fear and trembling signifies awe and concern in the face of God's activity (see Exodus 15:16; Isaiah 19:16; Psalms 2:11). The fact of our confidence and boldness in our approach towards God (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:19) must not take away from our recognition that we are dealing with a holy God. But the ‘fear and trembling' is not so much on the individual's behalf, although it is also that, as on behalf of the whole church, being as concerned for the things of others (Philippians 2:4) as they are for their own salvation in the light of what God is. They are to watch for each other with greatest care as in the presence of God, as those who must give account (Hebrews 13:17), for they are involved in the working out of God's eternal purpose (Philippians 2:13). The salvation of God's people (including themselves) is to be their all absorbing interest and their great concern (compare 2 Corinthians 7:15). In Ephesians 6:5 it is paralleled by ‘singleness of heart'.
‘But now much more in my absence.' While he was hoping to be with them shortly (Philippians 2:24), he knew that it could not be guaranteed. He was not absolutely sure which way his trial would go (Philippians 1:20; Philippians 1:22). Thus they were not to allow his absence to prevent them from going forward ‘full steam ahead' with Christ. (It would have been so easy to put the brakes on). He wants them to stand firm and go forward whatever the circumstances, for it is God's work and not his.