（腓立比書Philippians 2:12-18）
一個人面對壓力和挑戰的態度，往往影響他能否勝過那些壓力和挑戰。保羅面對壓力的態度非常積極和健康，把它們看作是屬靈生活上的操練，讓自己的屬靈生命得著磨練與成長。
保羅知道他坐牢一事，為腓立比信徒帶來了壓力。但他並不埋怨自己的遭遇，反而感謝神讓他可以分享基督的苦難，藉著恩典與基督在苦難中團契。保羅更認為苦難可以讓信徒完成他們因信稱義的生命。
保羅說，我們要學效基督的受苦，專心地在壓力和挑戰中磨練自己的屬靈生命，藉此完成我們已得救的生命。原來我們因信得救了，只是在身份和地位上領受了神的恩賜，成為祂的兒女，但自己的生活習慣、思想和個性等等，都還是那個老我，與新的身份和關係並不相符。因此，保羅在前面便說，要我們「行事為人與基督的福音相稱」；現在又說，「就當恐懼戰兢，作成你們得救的工夫」。
我們日常所遭遇的事情，不論好壞都可以成為生命的祝福，只要我們肯定「萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處，就是按祂旨意被召的人」（羅8:28）。
經文默想
保羅要我們全神貫注（恐懼戰兢），去成就我們已被稱義的生命（作成得救的工夫）。請默想這節經文（腓2:12）對你的屬靈生命有什麼提醒。
The attitude a person takes to face pressure and challenge will determine if he can overcome them or not. The ways Paul reacted to challenge and pressure were very positive and healthy, and he always took challenge and pressure as spiritual disciplines to grow his spiritual life.
Paul knew that his imprisonment would bring pressure to Christians in Philippi. Nevertheless, he did not complain, but took it as an opportunity to share Christ’s suffering, and enjoyed this fellowship of suffering grace with Jesus. Paul recognized suffering as the way to complete his spiritual life in faith and righteousness.
Paul told us to imitate Christ’s suffering, and devote our effort to transform pressure and challenge into spiritual disciplines to complete our redeemed life. For when we were saved through faith by grace, we have only inherited a new status and relationship of God’s children, but our lifestyle, thoughts, and characters are still affected by the old self, and do not comply with the new self. Therefore, Paul urged us to “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” in 1:27, and “ to continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling” in 2:12.
Things that we come across in our daily life, no matter they are good or bad, will become blessings to us if we realize that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).
Meditation on the Scripture
Paul urges us to devote our whole being (with fear and trembling) to work out the status of our life of being claimed righteous. Please meditate on this verse (2:12) to inspire you in working out your spirituality.
