To work for salvation means to try and be saved by works. It does not mean we do not do works.
Otherwise Paul contradicts himself when he tells us we were called for good works. We draw near to God by faith, by this we are safe. But to be near to him requires obedience.
1 Corinthians 4:2
Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
Hebrews 5:9
And (Jesus) having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who
obey Him
That is right Prentis. "To work for salvation means to try and be saved by works. It does not mean we do not do works."
Any person that does not think salvation is progressive evidently won't be getting that new robe that we are told we get when we have conquered:
Revelation 3:5 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
Any person that does not think salvation is progressive is evidently not running the same race as Paul:
1 Corinthians 9:24 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Any person that does not think salvation is progressive evidently does not have the same attitude as Paul:
Philippians 3:12 "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
But have ever noticed how no matter how much good clear sound reasoning you do and/or no matter how many clear and reliable scriptures you lay before most people they just will not see that salvation is progressive?
I am not able to get out as much as I used to be, but I copied the example of groups that sent out door to door preachers and for many years I went out into different cities walking house to house and talking with people. I talked to preachers and priests just as I talked to the general home dwellers. And I could not help but notice and learn many things about them all. Of the preachers and the Priests, though it was rare to find two that agreed on anything (even when they both preached under one roof), they all held fast each one to his own belief.
As to the people in general, I got until I could talk to them for just a short spell, and without them ever telling me exactly which church they they attended, I could tell them accurately what church it was they went to regularly because of knowing the personalities and ideas of the cities preachers and priests.
Jesus was exactly right when he said, "... The servant is not greater than his lord.... " (John 15:20)
Still, the door to door work or any way of getting into direct conversation with people is my favorite way to speak the Word of God with people. It is highly rewarding. Challenging, but highly rewarding.
I logged many years and thousands of hour doing that and I sorely miss it now that am limited to so few opportunities to do it.
One thing I like better about it as compared to this mode of communicating is that I found it was frequent that people get anxious whenever anyone does not agree with their point of view. And out of their anxiousness many begin to get angry.
But when you are face to face with them it is easier to gain the conversation back because they cannot falsely accuse you of having an offensive demeanor when they can look at you see that you are very calm and collected and they can hear the sound of your voice and detect nothing in it but love.
In this here mode of communicating our imaginations have complete freedom to run away with us whether it be true or not of the one we are responding back and forth with.
I suppose that there is a certain benefit there we can exploit if we would, though. It makes us think more about how we word ourselves on paper. Yet it still denies us being able to say certain things that would have been no problem face to face.