We are not trying to save ourselves by "working out our own salvation" Because " it is God who works in us both to will and for His good pleasure".
We are already saved through Christ BUT now we need to choose to walk in the Spirit and lay aside every filthiness of the flesh! That's where the "working out comes in", that's where we are fighting the good fight of faith and laying hold of eternal life.
I will respond to the "working out our own salvation" part a bit later, but first I will reply to your words that I put in red. I think we need to choose to submit to Christ and let
Him clean away all our filthiness; my choosing - my effort of will - doesn't have a lot, if anything, to do with it. I can desire all day long to try to do good (been there, done that, failed miserably) but if I am not anchored on the Rock and submitting to Him I will be the boat tossed about on the sea and the house built on sand.
Without meaning to be sarcastic, if someone is trying to rid persistent sin from his life by striving to be a better person (which is pride-centered and only partly trusting God to do it for you), my question would be, "how's that working out for you"? It works if God is the one who changes you. God took a 30 year addiction I had and ended it instantaneously after I became born-again, it had nothing tod o with me doing anything for Him. The way I look at it is, when God touches you,
things change. Not, when I try to change He will help me to change. Big difference.
And I know it is a permanent change, all glory, honor and praise to the Father. He is the author and finisher/perfecter of my faith. I had nothing to do with it (other than responding to the call that He put in my heart to respond to). So you can see why I can sound a bit weary about all this "I have to get rid of filthiness in my life", and "I need to do this and that" business. I just need to trust God that His changes are effectual and powerful and that He doesn't need my help. In fact, if I try to help Him I'll probably screw it up somehow.
Just as my sins almost knew no bounds when I was apart from Christ, and I was unable to be good (I never even tried to or wanted to), so too, any
good I now do is because of Christ, not me. So I don't worry about trying to get rid of filthiness and wickedness in my life, God has shown me that not only is He more than willing, but he is exceedingly able to do it, and has done it for me. I sit back and say, WOW, what a relief, I couldn't have done it without you!
It's not that I am trying to be lazy about things, or don't try to be good, it's that I had done it my way long enough in my life that I want to do it His way. Many times in scripture God says to the effect : "get out of my way and let me do my thing". That's what I want to do. If I for instance have a tongue that can't stop cursing, I will pray for Him to heal me of this and create a right and new spirit in me so that I won't desire to do that any more. I will not, on my own effort, try to clean up my language, as if I am helping God with this. Is my approach wrong? Am I being irresponsible? I hope not. I just want to rest in the Lord and give Him the right (that's already His) to work out my life for me, on His terms.
Like 1 Cor 5:17 says : "old things have passed away, all things have become new". Old sinful desires pass away, new desires come to life in us. The second I was born-again, things that I used to like started to repulse me, and not because I simply decided I shouldn't like them anymore and should try not to do them (ie: put away sinful behavior through my own effort), but because the new has no part with the old, nor the old with the new. I don't have to strive to put away something (sin) that Christ put away for me. I sin much less than I used to (I am boasting here of God, not myself) because of Him, not me. He is steering the boat and has set the course for me, and if I am doing something wrong He will let me know.
Now about the "working out our own salvation" part : I think when we are told to do this it is so that we can know if we are "in the faith", ie the faith delivered to the saints, as opposed to having a cultic belief, like Mormonism for example. Working out our salvation is not meant to imply that we have a part to play in maintaining our salvation through some effort and works, or change of behavior. Anything other than trusting in God is not faith, so do we trust Him totally for what He can do, or do we think He will only do it if we do something for Him? Does God need anything? Anything He asks us to do, it is because it is for our own well-being, not because we NEED to do it.
Eternal life is a gift of God. If I can liken it to a contract, if it was a gift of man it would come with 50 small-print lines that I would have to sign and agree to,
which is no gift. But God's gift is free and irrevocable, without strings (other than believe and trust). Otherwise if I can alter or give back the gift isn't it then a powerless and insecure one? But there is no insecurity in Christ, on the contrary there is nothing more secure. He loved us first, we didn't love Him. He gave us faith to love Him and reconciled us to Him while we were wicked. He saved us completely because that is His nature, being plenteous in mercy with a long-reaching arm to save. So where do
I fit in that picture??? There is no I. God is not my co-pilot, HE IS THE PILOT. :dirol:
So for that reason I cannot agree with you that : "
we need to lay aside every filthiness of the flesh because that's where the 'working out comes in'.
And regarding the second half of your statement : ''
that's where we are fighting the good fight of faith and laying hold of eternal life", eternal life was given to me and I cannot lay a hold on something I now have forever more. Nor is trying to be good by putting away evil behavior something that keeps me saved. Jesus keeps me saved, always has and always will. God exhorts us to do many things, but not so we can attain something that He already gave us. Just as the parents' love, protection and security for their children is not contingent on the child's behavior, even though the child is exhorted to behave. God bless you sister!