St. Paul in his Letter to the  Philippians makes this statement: "Obedient as always to my urging, work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation...It is God who, in his good will towards you, begets in you any measure of desire or achievement." (2:12)

Jesus has saved us by his death and resurrection, the effect of which we experienced in Baptism. But now we must continue to live in relationship with him, sharing his divine life, our eternal inheritance. We are urged by Paul "to work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation." It is by God's grace that we can respond to the gift of salvation by living a life worthy of our calling. Our response is based on the fulfillment of the Commandment to love God with all our being and to love others as we have been loved by Christ. By doing all in love and out of love we will be embracing the fuller life a follower of Jesus. We read in the Book of Revelations: "I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,” said the Spirit, 'let them find rest from their labors, for their works accompany them.'” (Rev 14:13) These are the works of love that show that we have cooperated with the grace of salvation.