IntroductionHuman beings love simplicity. The instinct to “keep it simple” can be helpful, but when applied too rigidly to theology, it can flatten realities that Scripture itself presents with depth and tension. This is especially true when thinking about salvation, grace, and the human will. The Canons of Dort push us to look beneath the surface.  We are invited to ask not only what happens in salvation, but how and why it happens. Using Philippians 2:12–13 as a guide, we explore how grace works, how obedience functions, and how God works.  We work in God’s power.  We move forward by God’s grae.Consciously Obeying in My AbsenceThe fundamental distinction between a Reformed understanding of salvation and an Arminian one is not whether grace exists or whether humans possess a will.  The reality is God created human beings with a will.The key difference lies in what grace does. In the Arminian framework, grace persuades the will.  The Arminian believes that grace enables, but does not interefere with the human will.  Our choice for Christ is left to the action of the human choice.In the Reformed view articulated by the Canons of Dort, grace does something far deeper: it renovates and regenerates the heart itself.  Man will never come to Christ with some assistence.  The fall radically impacts man.  Man is not given grace to enable him to turn to Christ.  Sure, God does restrain sin in this age for a time.  However, his restraint keeps man from being as evil as man can be. It does not give the grace to assist.When God regenerates man then man has new desires.  This is why Paul exhorts us the church to obey in his absence.  It is becasue the will has a new bent, new desires, and new affections.Without this internal renewal, no one would truly want Christ. The gospel message may be intellectually understood, but not embraced.  Regeneration transforms Christ from “someone we can talk about” into my Savior and Lord.Thus, the will still acts (obey in my absence), but it acts out of new affections given by God’s grace.Working out Our SalvationPhilippians 2:12 is often misunderstood as teaching that salvation depends on human effort. Paul’s exhortation to “work out your salvation” does not contradict election or sovereign grace. Instead, it assumes them. Paul never apologizes for God’s eternal choosing (Ephesians 1), and he holds that truth seamlessly alongside the call to obedience.Paul writes Philippians under the shadow of possible death. He may never see the church again. His concern is not outward performance in his presence but sincere obedience before Christ.  He is our Savior and our Lord.  The call to obedience is not about earning salvation but about living consistently with who believers already are in Christ.This obedience is conscious, reflective, and active. It involves evaluating one’s life.  It challenges us to reject grumbling against God and distrust. We are challenged to respond to God’s providence with reverence rather than resentment. Obedience flows from assurance, not anxiety of wondering if we really have Christ.God’s people obey the call of the savior. This is not because a pastor is watching.  They obey because their Lord is alive and working in us by His Spirit.  We are joined to our savior.Work Because God is WorkingA critical error addressed by the Canons of Dort is the idea of “concurrent action.”  This means that God does His part and humans do theirs in parallel. Scripture does not describe salvation or sanctification this way. God’s work is not one force working alongside another.  We are not working in parallel with God.  Rather, God’s power is the source and power behind all genuine obedience.  We obey because God is at work in us.Philippians 2:13 makes this explicit: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Our obedience is real.  However, our growth is the fruit of the life at work in us.   We act in Christ, by the Spirit, and through grace. This understanding guards against both hyper-Calvinism (passivity and doubt about election) and moralism (self-driven effort).Rather than asking endlessly, “Am I really elect?” Scripture directs believers to ask, “How do I honor Christ?” Desire for Christ itself is evidence of God’s work. Christian liberty functions within the boundaries of God’s law, not as a license to push boundaries.  Christ liberty is the freedom to work out our salvation before the Lord.  We are called to live wisely and joyfully as members of God’s family. Sanctification involves struggle and suffering.  We should see the dying to self giving way for us living to Christ.ConclusionAt its heart, we are called to live confidently and actively in God’s grace. Grace does not merely invite; it transforms. God does not co-labor with us as equals; He works in us so that we can truly work out our salvation in this age. Obedience is not dreadful obligation but joyful response.Paul reminds us that the Christian life is neither self-salvation nor spiritual inertia. God finishes what He starts. In seasons of discouragement, believers rest in that promise. Our calling is to live for Christ, but more importantly in Christ.God regenerates. God sustains. God completes.  So let us live for him in joy, and not dread.

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