The Liberty of Obedience

Overview

In Philippians 2:12 Saint Paul says, “Work out your salvation in awe and wonder.” Notice he didn’t say, “Work for your salvation.” He said, “Work out your salvation.” You can only work out something you already have. Whatever salvation is, the spiritual gift of grace is not something you just clutch or hold on to, but it’s something you have to work out into every part of your life. You have to work it out into your identity, into your psychology, your sociology, your relationships, your approach to the world, into everything. That’s how we change. That’s how we become new.

This change is done through disciplines of grace. The discipline that we’re looking at today in Psalm 119 is scriptural application: how Scripture leads us into obeying God’s word. We don’t get changed and we won’t obey God, unless we’re willing to come in under the authority of God. Let’s look at these two things in this psalm: 1) what’s wrong with trying to be your own ultimate spiritual authority and 2) how you can put yourself under God’s authority in a way that’s transforming and not stifling.