Finish the Work

Aim: To live by grace through faith in Christ.

Doctrine: ''Work out...'' means our faith succeeds, to the very end. All heretical ''work out[s]...'' miscarry and fail; faithful ''work out[s]...'' persevere against all odds.

Exegesis: How to finish the work by grace through faith: do so on the basis of Christ's great example (v. 12a); have absolutely no confidence in the flesh (v. 12b); depend entirely on God's power (v. 13).

Further application: What it looks like to struggle to finish the work: we will strive to love each other sincerely and to shine a lot, before the world.

Key verse: v. 12b ''..work out your own salvation with fear and trembling...''