Another variation on the atlas idea

Atlas

alternating function vs using inequalities to choose between functions

Changing IFS functions as you go

Switching between Mandelbrot and Julia every iteration:



Switching between Mandelbrot and Julia halfway through (this is a detail):

Droplet

Click on the image to enlarge:

April 22, 2010

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Wes' questions on Phil. 2:12,13

1. What does it mean to 'work out' our salvation? Isn't salvation a result of an act of faith, a once for all decision?

I think the answer to this one is in the context. Before this verse Paul writes

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

After this verse he writes:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."

These are the examples of how the Philipian chuch and we are to work out our salvation. From that I think a better translation would be "live out". It's like Paul is saying, "Given that you are saved, this then is how you should treat one another." More literally I think it is a reference to working out dough. Again, to paraphrase, "The effects of your salvation should not be confined to you as individuals, but make sure that your salvation effects your whole community...from the inside of you, out to everyone.


2. What does it mean by 'fear and trembling'? Shouldn't our salvation come with joy and peace?

First, I want bring up another passage to talk about the whole "fear" question. Fearing God is a theme throughout the Bible. I've seen a lot of people try to dance around it. I think it is simple. Nothing and nobody can do worse things to you than God, so above all other concerns, make sure you right with Him. More importantly, the flip side of that is that if you have nothing to fear from God, you really have nothing to fear at all. And, guess what: God loves you, and values you, so you have nothing to fear from God. Jesus walks us through this thought process in Matthew 10. He's sending out the twelve and warns them that they will have opposition. He tells them not to be afraid. Why? Because their opposition's father is the devil, but their (our) Father is God. Here's that passage (Matthew 10:22-31):

"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

OK, now that I have that out of my system, let's talk about Philipians. I think I've already established from the context that "working out our salvation with fear and trembling" is done by acting humblly toward one another. This passage give us a hint, but lucky for us Paul uses these same words to talk about humility in more depth in another letter. We don't have to guess from the the brief mention here. See 1 Cor 2:3-5. Again, the context, established in chapter 1, is about divisions in the church and about how humility is the cure:

"I [Paul] came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

3. What does it mean that 'it is God who works' when it just stated that we are to work out our salvation?

Well, there is an element of fearing God. You should act rightly toward one another because, after all we are dealing with God here. However, I think the emphasis is on humility. We have no right to act proudly toward one another. We didn't bring about our salvation. God did. As in the Corinthians passage, we have no reason to boast.

One thing is absolutely clear: "working out our salvation" does not mean "bringing about our salvation". God did it, so in response, let it work it's way out and treat others more highly than ourselves.