[AnAmericanMother]

It is inherently contradictory: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you." Hence the Lewis quote - there's no point in trying to separate out the contradiction between man's temporal life and God's eternal purposes.

As a priest once said to me, "It's not our problem - it's God's problem. And He's got it under control."

[Gamecock]

Philippians 2 12: 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

There is nothing contradictory here. All through the Bible, people trembled when called. The nakedness of our sin is exposed. Verse 13 makes it clear that it is God in control, not I! God, gives me the will. That shows it is not my will.

If we deny God's soverenty, we wrongly perceive we are in control, not God.