God works in you

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Philippians 2:13 [KJV]

At some time, we all reach a point in our lives when continuing to do God’s will seems impossible. Circumstances seem hopeless, our labours appear fruitless, disappointment crushes us and we are emotionally and physically exhausted.

“Lord,” we might say, “I can’t do what You want!” But what we’re really saying is, “I don’t want to do what You want.”

Yet Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). We know it’s right and beneficial to do what God says, but what about those times when we either don’t want to do it, or secondly, don’t feel capable of doing it?

The answer to these questions is found in Philippians 2:13, which reads “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” This statement on its own is a great encouragement to all Christians, but the context in which it is found makes it even more valuable. In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul instructs his readers on how Christians should live. He talks about such things as loving one another (v2), being humble (v3), having the mind of Christ (v5), Christ’s example (vs 5-11), and not complaining (v14). Why? So “that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (v15). Seriously Paul? You’re telling us that we must be blameless, harmless, without rebuke, and shining lights – this is impossible!

Exactly. While the surrounding verses focus on our duty to obey God’s commands, Philippians 2:13 is the heart of the passage. We are to allow God to work in us to make us more like Christ, a process we call sanctification. So today, we’re just going to look at these two thoughts, how God works in us so we desire to do His will, and then how He enables us to fulfil it.

God works in us so that we want to obey Him. In Philippians 2:13, “To will” means ‘to determine, to be inclined to do, to desire, or to delight in’ (Strongs). Non-Christians have no desire to do God’s will. They would rather do the works of Satan (John 8:44) and walk “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2b). It’s the Holy Spirit dwelling inside Christians (1 Corinthians 6:19) that makes us want to do God’s will. Who we obey is evidence of whether we are born-again Christians or dead sinners. Matthew 7:20 says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”, and Romans 6:16 says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Therefore, if we have no desire whatsoever to obey God, we first need to ask whether we are saved, because no one who is genuinely born again will continue a lifestyle of sin (1 John 3:4-10).

Having said that, our flawed human nature means that all Christians at times will sin and not want to obey God. John acknowledges this, saying, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). But how do we keep the desire to obey God alight in our lives? Firstly, by doing God’s will, even when we don’t feel like it. Peter didn’t feel like continuing fishing after catching nothing all night, but he said to Jesus, “Nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5b) and caught many fish. When we obey, Jesus promises each one “shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21b). And when Jesus ‘manifests’ or ‘reveals’ Himself to us, we will want to please and obey him, just as Saul did, when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6b). Secondly, we need to read and study Scripture, which will help us understand God’s will, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). Thirdly, by unconditional surrender to all of God’s will – not just what He has already revealed but also all He will show us in the future. (Psalm 40:8, Romans 12:1-2). Fourthly, by seeking God Himself, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). We also need to focus on knowing Christ, not just knowing His will. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Often we claim that this verse says God will give us whatever we want. However, as we delight in the Lord, we’ll find God conforms us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) and changes our desires from earthly to spiritual things (Colossians 3:2).

Not only does God give us the desire to obey, but Philippians 2:13 states that He also enables us to do His will. He gives us the power to do everything He wants us to do. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “And [God] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” These are great truths, probably familiar ones, but how does God’s enabling differ from say, simply being motivated or caffeinated to do something in our own strength? Well, God’s enabling is supernatural, beyond human capacity. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” God’s enabling means the Lord “giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57b). Human efforts can and will fail, but we are reminded, to be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (v58b). God’s enabling frees us from being slaves to sin (Romans 6:22), and liberates us to live a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:7). And when God enables in impossible situations, and makes “a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19b), our hearts will be uplifted to praise the Lord “for his mighty acts… [and] his excellent greatness" (Psalm 150:2).

Let us all look upwards, and remember this wonderful truth, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”