When we employ the grace-Heaven model of salvation, Philippians 2:12 (above) does not make sense. What is there to work out? We "make a decision for Christ," are forgiven our sins, and wait to die to go to Heaven. There is no "working out" of salvation.

When we employ the grace-transformation model of salvation the verse makes perfect sense.

The goal of the grace-transformation model has two sides. The first side is our change into the moral, and eventually bodily, image of Jesus Christ. The second side is our entrance into the rest of God, that is, into untroubled abiding in the Personality of God.

The grace-Heaven model leaves us with nothing substantial to do in the way of affecting our salvation. We just have to make sure we don't lose our "ticket."

The grace-transformation model demands our total attention every day of our discipleship.

We can think of salvation as a continuum. The individual on the one end of the continuum is in the moral image of Satan and has the spirit of Satan in him. The person on the other end of the continuum is in the moral image of Jesus Christ and has the Spirit of Christ in him.

When we first come to Christ, believe, repent, and are baptized in water, we still are in the moral image of Satan. This is extremely important for believers to understand because many of them believe that by accepting Christ they have suddenly become new creations. Your neighbors can tell you better than this! Ask them!

It is a fact that in many instances people do make a great change for the better when they accept Christ. But this is a honeymoon period. After a few months it will become clear that not all the old things have passed away. Right?

But we have made the all-important start. Our sins have been completely forgiven, we have the Spirit of God, and the Divine Nature has been born in us.

Now the journey through the desert begins. The Holy Spirit is in charge of us. We receive a portion of evil each day and a portion of Divine good that is sufficient to enable us to overcome the evil.

The Holy Spirit points out to us what there is to overcome, the immediate challenge. When we are faithful in praying and doing whatever else is necessary to overcome the evil, we move forward toward our goal of change into the image of Christ and union with God.

When we are not faithful in praying, when we become angry with the tools God is using to test us (often other people), or angry with God Himself, we do not move forward on the continuum. Instead we become bitter and full of resentment.

Multitudes of Christians are bitter and full of resentment. This is because they do not understand the program of redemption. They have not been encouraged to take everything to God in prayer. They have not been taught that their goal is change into the image of the Lord and this is why it is absolutely necessary for them to keep gaining the victory over sin.

They have their ticket to Heaven. All this talk about "overcoming" is for religious freaks, so they think.

The believer who understands the grace-transformation model of salvation realizes why it is absolutely necessary he keep on top of the challenges and testings that it is these that are creating his salvation.

As long as we view eternal residence in Heaven as the goal of our salvation we will not understand the New Testament writings and probably will flounder in our discipleship.

When we realize clearly that it is our change into the image of Christ and our rest in God's Person that in fact are our salvation we will cease railing against the tools God uses and get on with the program of confessing our sins and obtaining the Virtue of Christ. In so doing we shall be able to keep singing and dancing in the heights of Zion.

Are you bitter, mean, and unforgiving? You are losing it. You are going to have a rotten resurrection. I'm not kidding!

Turn to Christ and ask Him to remove your filthy garments before it is too late. I am speaking to experienced Christians!