Am I Going to Heaven? - Part 3

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB)

What is the believer’s role in sanctification, and what is God’s role?
The Christian working out, God working in.

Paul says to these Philippian believers: you’ve got to work out your salvation. You say, “Now, what does this mean?” Lots of people have been very disturbed by that statement. Some people think that means work for your salvation. Some people think it means work at your salvation. Some people might think it means work up your salvation. But salvation is not by works. You can’t work at it. You can’t work for it. You can’t work it up. “For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast,” Ephesians 2:8-9. Romans 3:21-24 is very clear, “The deeds of the law don’t justify anybody but righteousness comes by grace.” No, you don’t work for your salvation. There is no salvation by works. So, he’s not saying, “Work for, work at, work up your salvation.” He’s saying, “Work out.”
And what he is saying is this: the salvation that is in you needs to be brought out all the way to its fulfillment, to its fullness. It really is a command for sustained effort and diligence in working out what has already been planted within. But how wonderful that our God works in us to accomplish His own good pleasure, to effect that which He demands. That’s the glory of Christian living, that God calls us to obey, and then God effects that obedience in us. God calls us to holiness and then effects that holiness in us. God calls us to serve and then mobilizes that service in us by His own power and presence. Your spiritual growth, and your progress toward maturity, and your sanctification, and your moving toward Christ’s likeness demands all that you are, but it also demands all that God is in you. And that is the uniqueness of Christianity, Christ in you: the hope of glory. God taking up residence in the believer. And that is how we live our Christian life. - John MacArthur

Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither you unless you remain in Me. - John 15:4 (NASB)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. - 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NASB)

Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. - 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NASB)

As wonderful as it is to have talents humanly, as great as it is to be a part of the body of Christ and to have angelic assistance, that’s not going to do it. It isn’t that we are dependent on human pastors and teachers who have taught us the Word of God, and fed us like sheep, and led us as shepherds. As wonderful as that is, as blessed as it is to have those kinds of people ministering to us, the key to our spiritual progress is that God is the one at work in us. I’m grateful that there are other believers working on us. I’m grateful that there are angels working for us. I am grateful for pastors and teachers who are working, as it were, to shape us. But the thrill of all thrills is that it is God who is the one at work in us. God Himself is working out our sanctification. That’s why sanctification can’t be deterred. The same God who justifies, who wrought justification, will bring about sanctification. There is an undeniable inevitability there. It is God who is the one at work. The immutable, unchanging glorious, sovereign, majestic, righteous, holy, gracious, merciful God; the God who rules all things and always accomplishes His will is never frustrated, always does what He desires. The God who is never thwarted, He is at work in us. - John MacArthur

Without God, I cannot.
Without me, He will not.

“God is the answer to every question of the mind, to every trembling fear of the heart, to every weakness of appetite and to every strong hurricane of temptation. The soul, the lonely individual soul not knowing whence it has come, knowing almost as little where it’s going, confronting the question of weakness and sin and death and eternity and the deep, deep problems of moral evil can only answer every complaint by the one all sufficient, all comprehending monosyllable, God. This is our anchor. God made us. God knew our constitution. God knew our environment. God knew our temptation, the temptations that would assail us, and yet God redeemed us to Himself and made us His own by the blood of Christ. Now, if God be a being of perfect benevolence, He cannot have done so much without assuming to Himself the responsibility of realizing the object of the tears, longings and prayers which He has put by His own hand within our nature. And therefore, we must throw back on Him the responsibility of making us blameless, harmless and unrebukable before Him.” - WH Griffith Thomas

The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord. - 2 Chronicles 30.12 (NASB)

The king and the princes were commanding the people to return to God because it was the word of the Lord to them. God says command the people to return to Me, then God gave them a heart to do it. Marvelous, isn’t it? God therefore energizes the fulfillment of His own command, what a perfect model. God moves powerfully to produce what He demands. That is the incredible mystery of Christian living: that God is effecting in the believer what He is commanding to the believer. You say, “How do you understand that?” I don’t understand it except that it’s simply stated. I cannot understand it. I cannot make a dividing line between what is God and what is me, and how much God can do if I cooperate, and how much He can’t do if I don’t. It is mystery. But it is clear in Scripture that whatever is to be done in my life in response to God’s command, He must energize. He is strong. He is powerful. And His power works to effect what He commands. - John MacArthur

God is at work in you right now if you’re a Christian.

What is He working to cause you to will and to do?

Have you thought about it?

What does He want you to will?

What does He want you to do?

What habit does He want you to change?

What relationship does He want you to make right?

What relationship does He want you to break?

What relationship does He want you to make?

What attitude does He want you to change?

What desire does He want you to ignore?

What desire does He want you to have?

What ministry does He want you to do?

What spiritual duty does He desire that you will?

What area does He want you to be faithful?

What wrong does He want you to make right?

He’s working in you to cause you to will and to work what will please Him.
Do you know what it is that He wants you to will and to work?

Without God, I cannot.
Without me, He will not.

Be Encouraged to execute His will, His way, in His timing, and all for His glory.

- Jeffrey Thornton