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Responsibility is not a popular concept these days, it’s more about “my rights”.
But as Christians, we have responsibilities:

1. We have a responsibility to work out our 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 in order to fulfil his good purpose.” – vv 12-13

We don’t use the word “Salvation” much in everyday language.
We were born into slavery, into sin. We’re not born with God at the centre of our lives, loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
We can’t free ourselves, we need Jesus to do that, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The concept can be thought of like marriage: on the wedding day you fully possess marriage, but it takes a life time to be worked out.

We can’t do it on our own though, we need God to work in us. A gardener has to water and weed a garden, but only God brings the growth.

“Fear and trembling” is a healthy honour and respect in the light of judgement day when we’ll have to stand in front of Jesus and give an account for our lives. Jesus is not just our Saviour, He’s also our judge.

Salvation is past, present and future.
We have been freed through the cross
We are being freed daily
We will be fully freed and made perfect on that final day.

2. We have a responsibility to shine like stars in a dark world.
   “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” – v15b

We live in a crooked and depraved generation. But this has also been true throughout the whole of history!
Fundamentally we live in a world that does not put God in the centre.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing” – v14. We’ve got to get that right.
As we gossip, slander and chatter, the stars go out and we’re left with a black sky.

“hold firmly to the word of life” – v16a. We need to be audio and visual representations for God.

3. We have a responsibility to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.
   “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith” – v17a

Jesus sacrificed Himself for us.

The Philippian church, in sacrificing themselves are like the animal sacrifice, and Paul is like the drinks offering poured over it.

We’re called to be a city on a hill, to live lives of sacrifice, with Kingdom values, committed to Him.