The moment we trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord we enter into a life of faith. Salvation is instantaneous. One moment we are aliens and strangers to the Kingdom of God, the next moment we are “a people belonging to God.” [I Peter 2:9]
While salvation is instantaneous, it takes a lifetime to understand and incorporate all that it means in our life. Paul said it this way to his beloved in Philippi: “So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.” [Phil 2:12-13 HCSB]
We have to continue to work out our salvation. The official term is sanctification. God wooed us and brought us to the point of salvation, and He doesn’t stop there. He continues to work in us for His good purpose for our lives. We now must learn to listen and obey (spiritual maturity) – that is what is meant by working out our salvation.
Even with the indwelling Spirit of God, we will still battle our flesh. We will still have to repent following those times when we allowed our flesh to rule instead of God’s Spirit. We still have daily choices that will lead us toward God or away from Him.
Learning to hear and obey God’s voice doesn’t just happen. It takes a fierce determination and persistence to learn the things of God. While salvation is all of God, sanctification is a cooperative effort.