Paul continues by saying, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Paul doesn’t say that because the Philippians are justified they should just passively coast along in their Christian journey. He urges them to what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction,” which will be a difficult endeavor in this fallen world (Peterson, A Long Obedience). Paul also doesn’t say (based on v. 13) that once we become Christians, we are left entirely to our own