Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Men and women, without the effectual work of the Spirit of God, moving within them, have neither the desire nor the ability to “work out” their “own salvation”, so as to do those things that are pleasing to God. Without the work of God within a person, there is no interest whatsoever in doing anything that is pleasing to God; there is no love for God, for His Word, for His Church, or for His People. There is only love for oneself and what pleases and promotes themselves. People can be trained and carnally enticed to exercise themselves in carnal worship; for example, there was a great attendance to the worship of Nebuchadnezzar’s image (Daniel 3). And, throughout history, masses of people have been enticed to worship religious figures and human leaders, and have followed them into horrible wars, and even unto death. But, God does not work through carnal means and methods, He “worketh in you”; that is, He gives His Children Spiritual Life that works from the inside out; He does His work in the hearts and minds of His Children. This work of God in the hearts and minds of His Children creates within them an overwhelming “will”, which is a compelling desire to do those things which please Him. Paul phrased it this way, “the love of Christ constraineth us” (II Corinthians 5:14); that is, through “love” He applies a motivating pressure within the hearts and minds of His Children which instills a mighty yearning to do those things that are pleasing to our God. He not only gives us the “will”; but, He also gives us the “to do”; that is, the actual doing of it, the literal actions we take that are pleasing to Him. He guides us in what “to do”, teaches us how “to do”, and gives us the strength “to do” “his good pleasure”. He makes this most precious “to will and to do” an integral part of us that continues to constrain us right up until the moment our spirit departs our bodies.