Working it out...

"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 according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13

Recently I heard someone mention the verse about working out your salvation, it was in relation to doubts, and it occurred to me that I had never thought of it that way. I have doubts all the time, not very strong ones, nothing that really shakes my faith... things that still sort of bug me though. And it scares me because I wonder, if I have these doubts does that mean that I'm not really a Christian, and when I die, I'll go to hell?

I'm sure that lots of people think this way, and I wonder how many people give up trying to disprove those doubts because they figure that because they are having them it must mean they are doomed. But when I read a verse like this, its like Paul was speaking directly to me. He was saying that its normal to doubt your own salvation, and how could it not be... I mean its outstanding that our God whom we've all sinned against would come and die for us... we wouldn't do that, and we couldn't do that, so its extremely hard to believe it. Its hard to understand it. So its perfectly natural to be scared, and to have to "work out your salvation through fear and salvation."

God's word continues to speak to me and it amazes me!