Work out your Salvation (Philippians 2:12–18)

What does it mean to be saved? When one trusts in Jesus for eternal life, one passes from death to life. One is saved from eternal condemnation before the Lord. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Paul tells us that no work of the Law can justify one before God. Rather, one is justified simply by faith (Galatians 3:11–14). So what could Paul mean when he tells the Philippian church to "work out your salvation" (Philippians 2:12)? Is he contradicting himself? The answer is found in understanding this charge within the context of Paul's overall message in this letter.