Free The Gospel in Ten Words by Paul Ellis Page B

being left behind, Christians with a lifeboat mentality have opted out of
the game. They want nothing to do with this filthy world lest they end up
entangled in it. “Forget the arts, forget politics, forget science. This world
is destined for the fire anyway, so why bother.”
    Lifeboat
Christians are hands-off Christians. Yet their passivity, which is really
unbelief, means they regularly get steamrolled by the circumstances of life.
When this happens it only confirms their belief that “the ship is sinking—you’d
best get off.” [30]
    Selling
a gospel of salvation- later robs people of the benefits of salvation- now .
The word most commonly translated as “save” in the Bible, sozo ,
literally means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, and make whole. [31] It covers not only salvation in eternity, but healing, deliverance, and
prosperity today.
    When
God created the earth, everything was good. There was no sickness, oppression,
or poverty. All that bad stuff came later as a result of sin. If the Savior’s
sacrifice is the once-and-for-all-time cure for sin, surely his salvation is
the cure for all the effects of sin, otherwise his work remains unfinished.
    During
his time on earth, Jesus revealed the gospel of salvation through signs and
wonders. When he healed the sick, he sozo -ed them; he made them
whole. To be saved literally means to be made whole. Jesus said those who
followed him would do what he did. He said this not to put pressure on you—we’re
under grace, remember—but to call you and me to the abundant life that is ours
by right. We who are saved for eternity have been left in the hospice to
release his salvation power to the sick and dying. Salvation is not for the
distant hereafter; salvation is for now. Today is the day of salvation; now is
the time of God’s favor.
     
    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)
     
    When
you first put your faith in Jesus, you crossed over from death to life. Eternal
life is already yours and you are one with the Lord. But in this life we face
many challenges. Working out your salvation means receiving, by faith, the
grace you need to get through today. God has already given you the gift of
salvation—it is within you—now work it out. Take that gift and use it to bring
change to your circumstances. Instead of living in reaction to doctor’s
reports, bills, and problems at work, learn to live in reaction to what God has
said and done. This is what it means to walk in the spirit. It’s walking by
faith rather than sight. It is trusting in his all-sufficient grace in your
hour of need.
     

Fear and trembling
     
    Why does Paul
encourage us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Because faith
is risky. Faith often runs contrary to what our eyes and ears are telling us,
and this is why we tremble. If the doctor says you have a week to live, your
emotions will react with fear and trembling. You will have to strive to enter
his rest in the midst of your trouble. But Paul says do it anyway—fix your eyes
on Jesus despite the fear—“for it is God who works in you.”
    Paul
knew something about this for he went to Corinth “in weakness and fear and with
much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Paul didn’t know what was going to happen
in that pagan city but he went anyway, despite his fear, because it was his
passion to bring the light of the gospel to the Gentiles. And as he began to
preach Jesus Christ and him crucified, the Holy Spirit showed up with a
demonstration of supernatural power (see 1 Corinthians 2:1–5). This is what it
means to co-labor with the Lord. We work out or express what God has put within
us, and he confirms his word through signs and wonders.
    Why
are fear and trembling involved? Because