What does the Bible mean to work out our own salvation?

There are many Christians who look at Philippians 2:12 and state that we are to earn our salvation through works.  After all, just a simple reading of this verse alludes to that very thing.  However, this is not what Paul is talking about (nor does he ever for that matter).  If we look at verse 13 we see that Paul is stating that as we live our lives we need to allow God to work through us for His pleasure.  We should strive to live our lives faithfully to Him and express our faith outwardly.  While it is faith that saves us, no one will know we are saved if our works do not show it (James 2:17-18).  So let’s exercise (work out) our salvation and show everyone that it is the Lord we worship and love.