Work out your salvation

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13
Many people read ‘work out your salvation’ and think this means salvation (or at least sanctification) is by works. If it did, then this would contradict what the rest of the Bible teaches: that every stage of our salvation is by grace alone. If we would only read to verse 13, we would find what Paul means: “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”
Martin Luther said that ‘We are saved by grace alone, but the grace that saves is never alone.’ (See James 2:17.) If we are saved, we will do good works. We aren’t saved because of those works; the works are proof that we are already saved. God places the opportunities in our paths, and the desires in our hearts, to do good works. If we are obedient and submit to Him, He will conform our will to His. We will want to do the things that please Him. This is a never-ending process, while we are in these mortal bodies. We are constantly being purified.