Don’t skip your workout

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Salvation past, present, and future”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t skip your workout”

In my twenties and thirties, I was a big fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not “The Terminator” Arnold, but the “Mr. America” Arnold. Arnold, the bodybuilder. I wanted to be a bodybuilder too. I wanted to have 20-inch biceps and be able to bench press small automobiles.

I had a copy of Arnold’s book, “The Education of a Bodybuilder.” It was filled with suggested workout routines and lots of picture. I had an image in my mind of what I wanted to be like, and I had a plan to follow to help me get there. I never even came close to Arnold’s stature, but for about ten years I was kind of pumped-up and muscular (Linda once told me I was more of a musclehead than a muscleman, but sometimes she got mean like that. Lol)

In Philippians 2:12 the Apostle Paul used the metaphor of working-out and he applied it to the process of sanctification. Paul tells us there that we must work-out our salvation. He does not say we must work for our salvation (we have already addressed that issue and we learned that salvation is by grace not by works.) Paul does say we must work-out our salvation and by that Paul means the same thing Arnold did. If you want big muscles and a big physical stature, you must do exercises to grow those muscles. Likewise, if you want a big spiritual stature, you must do your exercises (the spiritual disciplines that will help you to grow spiritually).

As we learned yesterday, this present state of salvation that we live in during this lifetime is a period of spiritual growth as the Holy Spirit transforms us into the people God wants us to be. It’s the time during which we are supposed to be learning, growing, transforming, and becoming progressively more like Jesus.

Once upon a time, in a different season of life, I wanted to be like Arnold in physical stature. Now I realize it would be much better to become more like Jesus in spiritual stature. Our exercises for this spiritual growth include things like daily prayer and Bible study, worship, full participation in the life of a good church family, acts of service in the name of Jesus, good stewardship, and the other basic disciplines of the Christian life.

When I was trying to grow physically, I relied on Arnold’ book as a guide. If you would like a great book to guide you in learning and applying the basic disciplines required to grow spiritually, I can think of none better (after the Bible itself) than Richard Foster’s classic work “The Celebration of Discipline.” You will find it to be very helpful in guiding and accelerating your spiritual growth.

I encourage you, as part of your daily routine, to work-out your salvation.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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