[american colleen]

Just out of curiousity, I was wondering how you read St. Paul and his "working out my salvation in trembling and fear" statement.

I don't want to debate (I can't) but I am honestly curious.

[drstevej]

Sure.

Salvation from sin is used in the Bible in three tenses:

PAST: "I have been saved" from the Penalty of sin (justification)

PRESENT: "I am being saved" from the Power of sin (sanctification)

FUTURE: "I shall be saved" from the Presence of sin (glorification)

The passage you cite is a reference to the present tense sense (sanctification).

BTW, it is one of my favorite passages.