Both To Will and To Do Philippians 2:13

Paul the apostle gave commendations and instructions to the church in Philippi, and in doing so he included a tribute to their obedience whether he was present with them or not. He told them to “work out” their “own salvation with fear and trembling”, and in chapter two and verse thirteen he gave them two reasons why they should. We read:

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

The verse begins, “For it is God which works in you...” The church members in Philippi were to understand who the principal was in their lives - “For it is God” or “Because or since it is God” “which works in you”. Because it was God who works within them, they were to “work out” their “own salvation with fear and trembling”. In other words, God was the source of what is within them.

The verse continues, “...both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Paul next mentions the workings of God within the Philippians. First, “both to will” which means “to have in mind, intend, to be resolved or determined, to purpose, to desire, to wish, to love, to like to do a thing, be fond of doing, to take delight in, or have pleasure in” an action or purpose. The idea is “desire”. It is God who first works within a person in the area of “desire”. Secondly, Paul says, “and to do” which means “to be operative, be at work, put forth power, to work for one, aid one, to effect, to display one's activity, or show one's self operative”. In another word, it means “performance”. It is God who worked within the Philippians in the area of not only desire but also performance “of his good pleasure”. Every desire and performance of the same should be recognized and intended for the “good pleasure” or “delight, pleasure, and satisfaction”.

As we think about Paul's words in this verse, what “will” or desire has God put within us? Is there some particular task that we suddenly or over time have within us that will be to “his good pleasure”? Perhaps it is to teach a class or sing on a worship team, or it might be to be a missionary or pastor. It could be to be a cheerful giver or a philanthropist in another way. What is it that God has planted a desire within us to do? There are two keys given to us by Paul the apostle when these desires come. The first is to recognize that God not only is the origin of the desire, but that He will also perform what He put within us. Secondly, we must understand that whatever is performed is “for His good pleasure” and not just that of our own. Too many times we may have desires planted within us and we make the mistake of running off to perform them under our own impudent means. The desire was wonderful, but the execution of it was disastrous. When God plants a desire within our hearts and minds, we cannot improve upon yielding ourselves to Him and asking Him to fulfill the performance of that desire in a manner that is to “His good pleasure”. When we learn to do this, we will truly fulfill the working out of our own salvation for all the world to see.

Next time Paul tells the Philippians how to do all things, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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