September 1 | Philippians 3:12-14

Dave Mann
Sep 1, 2025
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

My Work or God's Gift?

By Dave Mann

Is Christian discipleship hard work or is it a gift?

I think someone must have asked the apostle Paul this question just before he sat down to write the letter to the church in Philippi. “Paul, what happens in discipleship? Are we expected to do the work, or is it the Lord who is the worker for us?

On the one hand, Paul writes,

“I press on to take hold of it.”
“straining toward what is ahead”
I press on toward the goal.”

On the other hand, he writes,

"that for which Christ has taken hold of me.”
"that for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Is Paul writing in a self-contradictory style? Can he not make up his mind? Or is there a wisdom that holds the entirety of the truth in tension, like we are pulling on both ends of a rope at the same time? I think Paul wants us to know that if we let go of one end of the rope, we will fall into error. Or, if we let go of the other end of the rope, we will fall into a different error.

Compare this with the tension that Paul writes earlier in Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” There is some work in our life of discipleship, but it is God who has given a believer the desire and will to act in step with the Lord.

Are we saved by grace, or does God expect us to do good works? Yes and Yes. All that is necessary for our salvation has been won for us by Jesus’ death and resurrection. When we trust in him, we are saved. There is nothing that we need to do to merit God’s forgiveness. Just believe!

And then, because we are so incredibly grateful for this inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8), the Spirit puts in our hearts the desire to live a life that demonstrates our gratitude. Living out the life of a disciple does indeed include our effort. Saying “no” to the sinful self and working against the influence of the world can feel like work. Learning the mind of the Spirit by studying his Word includes the discipline of a life of daily Bible study and prayer. But none of Christian discipleship is possible without the Lord saving us and giving us the power of the Spirit.

PRAYER

Lord God, I long to have the prize of experiencing a close walk with you in Christian discipleship. I know that it is only through your grace that I can be saved and that I can walk in step with the Spirit. Thank you for this gift. Thank you for the desire to know you better, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVE MANN

I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of six. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we continue to enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.