The believer, clad in the armour of God, suffering, enduring, standing, is "working out

his own salvation with fear and trembling."

There can be no greater contrast than that of Ephesians and Philippians in their point

of view. Ephesians teaches "boldness with confidence," because there the question is

entirely to do with being accepted in the Beloved.

Philippians speaks of "fear and trembling," because it has reference to the service, the

running, and the contest of the believer subsequent to his perfect acceptance in Christ.

The teaching of both Ephesians and Philippians is summarized in the second Epistle to

Timothy. Chapter 2: speaks of service and conflict, for the figures used are a soldier, an

athlete, and a husbandman. If anyone contend in the games, he is not crowned unless he

contend lawfully (i.e., keeps the rules, to which Paul alludes in I Cor. 9: when he speaks

of being "disqualified," or as the A.V. has it, "castaway"). A crown is in view, and a

contest is to be won, rules have to be kept. Here is no free grace gift, like salvation, here

is a prize that needs the winning. II Tim. 2: 11-13 gives the two sides of the question.

"If we died with Him, we shall also live with Him." Ephesians established this blessed

fact and nothing can overshadow the "boldness and confidence" that this truth gives. It is

a position so entirely given by grace that it is indefectible. Verse 12, taking this as its

basis, goes further, and introduces the prize, and the crown. "If we endure, we shall also

reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us."

Our living with Him is one thing, our reigning with Him is another. This is related to

our enduring now, and to draw back from this involves loss. Philippians 3: is full of this

thought, and to that chapter we must address ourselves in the next article.

The example of humility, suffering, and of consequent exaltation given in Phil. 2:, is

echoed in the case of the Apostle Paul in chapter 3: The many things that were a gain to

the Apostle are counted loss for Christ. For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ

Jesus his Lord he had suffered the loss of all things, and had counted those highly prized

possessions as so much offal. Why? That, as he says, "I may win Christ." The word

translated "win" is kerdainõ, and means "to gain" (Matt. 16: 26). Kerdos, "gain," occurs

twice in Philippians (1: 21, and 3: 7). "For me to live is Christ, to die gain." "What

things were gain to me." The reference in chapter 3: 7 undoubtedly refers to those

things which were accounted by the Apostle once as actual gains; he now sought to

"gain" Christ. The strangeness of the expression prepares us for the reference that

follows regarding the prize, the uncertainty, and the eager pursuit. In 3: 9 words occur

that must not be lightly passed over. "Not having mine own righteousness which is of the

law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God upon faith."

This passage does not say that the Apostle was seeking justification by faith in Christ (for