“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13
LIGHT FOR NOW: The divine nature is not merely God’s gift to you; it is God’s activity within you. The Christian life is the continual operation of God in the believer.
One of the greatest comforts in the Christian life is knowing that God never asks us to live for Him without first working within us. Many believers sincerely desire to please God. They want to walk in holiness. They want to love others. They want to obey His Word. Yet they often become discouraged because they rely upon human strength. Paul reminds us that the Christian life is not sustained by human ability but by divine operation. He writes: “For it is God which worketh in you…” What a wonderful truth!
Notice that Paul does not say God merely works for you; he says God works in you. The Christian life is therefore an inside-out life. Before salvation, man tried to change himself from the outside. But after salvation, God begins His work from within. The word “worketh” comes from the Greek word energeō, from which we derive the English word energy. It means to be active, to operate effectively, or to produce power. This tells us that the divine nature is not passive. The life of God within the believer is active. It is constantly producing spiritual desires and spiritual strength. Paul then says that God works in us: “Both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.
Notice these two dimensions. First, God works to will. That is, He produces holy desires. Before the new birth, the natural man had little appetite for the things of God. But after receiving the divine nature, something changes. The believer begins to hunger for righteousness. He desires fellowship with God. He delights in His Word. He longs to please the Father. Where do these desires come from? They are the expression of God’s life within.
Secondly, God works to do. He not only gives the desire; He also supplies the ability. This is why the Christian life is never a partnership between God’s grace and human self-effort. It is the life of God empowering human obedience. The believer cooperates with the Holy Spirit, but the power always comes from God. Consider a branch connected to a vine. The branch does not struggle to produce life. It simply remains connected. The life flowing from the vine naturally produces fruit. Jesus used this very illustration in John 15. He said: “I am the vine, ye are the branches”. The branch bears fruit because it shares the life of the vine. Likewise, believers bear spiritual fruit because they partake of the divine nature.
This truth delivers us from frustration. We no longer strive to manufacture the Christian life. We learn to depend upon the life already working within us. Whenever you find yourself loving what God loves, resisting what dishonours Him, or longing to grow in Christ, remember this: Those desires are evidence that God is at work within you. The divine nature is active; the Holy Spirit is active. The Father is actively shaping you into the image of His Son. Therefore, never underestimate what God is doing in your life. Even when progress seems slow; even when growth appears hidden; the God who began the work in you continues to work faithfully. And because He is the One at work, you can be confident that His purpose will surely be accomplished. Hallelujah!
INSTRUCTION: Instead of depending on your own strength today, consciously depend on the Holy Spirit. Trust God to produce both the desire and the ability to live according to His will.
CONFESSION: Father, thank You for working within me by Your Spirit. Thank You that the divine nature is alive and active in me. I yield myself to Your work today. Produce in me both the desire and the power to live a life that glorifies You, in Jesus’ name, Amen. Glory!
For More Light; get the message, “Now we are in Christ” by Dr. John Linus
QUOTE: The Christian life is not sustained by human determination but by God’s divine operation within the believer.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 15:1-17
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 