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God Working in You

for it is God working in you, both to will and to work on behalf of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

Really what must I do to be saved? "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved," (Acts 16:30) In John 6 we read Jesus offered the people living bread that gives eternal life and they asked him what must they do to receive this living bread and Jesus said believing is the work of God. And then when Peter confesses later on Jesus says it was the Spirit of God that granted him this or revealed this to him and that he didn't come to this revelation on his own. Let's look at Ephesians 4 because it's a very interesting scripture that begins with talking about church growth, growing in the knowledge of Jesus but also reveals the state we were in before, darkened in our understanding, and that something miraculous happened.

Now, this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:17-18) 

By grace through faith are we saved, and if we put that truth with being born of Spirit, a new creation inward, then we see clearly God made that happen, it is not of our works but it's a gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8) By what power could I accomplish softening of my heart when I am blinded and hardened in the heart as the scriptures say we were. As John Piper pointed out to me, which we find in Ephesians, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, into the heavenlies, seating him, raised us from the dead and seated us in the heavenlies, making us alive. (Ephesians 1:19-20, Ephesians 2:5-6) This involves God's power, a new birth of Spirit, a new heart, enlightenment, and understanding. 

Of course, we do not leave out transformation through the truth and power of God. John writes the one born of God overcomes the world and the young person overcomes as the word of God abides in him. That even if our hearts deceive us God is greater than our hearts. (1 John 3:20) Our hearts can be deceived, so we must realize the importance of faith in victory and God working in us. So there's Faith, did I have faith to believe or did God grant this? Or did something else happen? We see we were in darkness and we see the concept of Jesus as Light in whom we are enlightened to the light of the gospel.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Unbelievers walk in the futility of their minds, darkened in understanding, no knowledge of God, and hardened in heart. Shamefully giving themselves over to lasciviousness, every practice of all impurity and covetousness. (Ephesians 4:17-18) Paul writes this is the way we were but goes on to say this is not how you learn of Christ, enlightened, and this is not the way you were taught of Christ. Thus there's enlightenment that happens and then there's further teaching. “You were taught just as the truth is in Jesus, regarding your former way of life you were taught to put away your old self which is corrupted according to its desires and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and holiness of truth.” (Ephesians 4:20-24) So I was darkened in my mind and hardened in my heart, but something happened, I heard the gospel and I was enlightened to the glorious knowledge of Christ in the Light of the glory of the gospel through the power of God. Then I was taught and God's was power displayed, to put away the old man and put on the new man. 

As believers here is where any concept of surrender would be seen, in the concept of putting off the old and putting on the new. Paul says there is a reasonable service, and he doesn't use the language of  surrendering but a “presenting” of the body a living sacrifice unto holiness, this is the sacrifice acceptable to God and our reasonable service, not being conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2) It is believing, enlightened, God's power working in us, no longer darkened in understanding walking in the futility of my mind and putting off the old man and putting on the new self, created in God's righteousness and holiness. 1st Corinthians chapter 13 tells us of a type of surrender where I could surrender my body to be burned but do it without agape love, which profits me nothing. That should make us think about the kind of sacrifice that God is desiring. 

The scriptures tell us of the power of the carnal mind and how it is hostile to God and how it can create a form of religion that exchanges the true image of God for that created like man. The ultimate form of idolatry, which deceitfully thinks it worships the one true God. When I become a believer God puts His Spirit within me giving me a new heart but as we see in the scriptures believers can be carnal in thinking. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) Here we see Paul wants to talk to the Corinthians as mature believers but they're still children, carnal. So what's the solution? renewing of the mind, through our reasonable service to present the body, a living sacrifice unto holiness. It must happen because in the body sin dwells and evil is near warring against the carnal mind to bring us into captivity to sin. In the body dwells the desires of the flesh as we just read that's why we walked in futility, darkened in our understanding, practicing every kind of impurity, before we were enlightened and taught in Christ.

So I have God’s Spirit within me how do I overcome so that my life aligns with the will of God? I present my body as a living sacrifice unto holiness, transformed by the renewing of my mind so I can discern the will of God what is good acceptable, and perfect. I can't really surrender, because I can't discern God's will if my mind is carnal, nor can I be obedient and accept His will as good? It's presenting my body because I can not accomplish anything without Christ and it is the Holy Spirit’s power at work in me. In Romans 6, in the teachings of baptism, I am crucified with Christ, so I am to reason myself dead to sin so that sin has been rendered powerless in the flesh. (Romans 6:5-11) This is the kind of truth that we abide in and know that sets us free. Also, we are told if the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the flesh then we will live. (Romans 8:13) Any surrender would be in accordance with God working in me and in regard to putting off the old man and putting on the new man created in God's likeness in righteousness and holiness. 

In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

This is how it is, the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of Christ. So what is the answer? “The true light whom enlightens all men exists coming into the world.” (John 1:9) In him was life and the life was the Light of men and the light shone in the darkness and they understood it not, he came among his own but they did not receive him, but to those who did receive him he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:4-5;10-11) How did they receive him, but believing? And how do they believe unless they see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ and the Spirit of God draws them? The gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, but power to us saved. How did we believe?

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

This is what happens, you're blinded by the god of this world and then the light of the Gospel of the Glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ shines in your heart. You hear the gospel and you're enlightened, no longer are you darkened in understanding. And when you believed, God puts his Spirit within you and gives you a new heart that replaces the heart of stone. Now, you're no longer blinded like the unbelievers are but you have the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. Paul writes it this way, you hear the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believe then you are marked with the Holy Spirit of Promise as a guarantee of your inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Jesus said you must be born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. Paul says we were chosen before the creation of the world to exist, holy, in his presence in love. (Ephesians 1:4) He predestined us for adoption through the Spirit who is called the Spirit of adoption crying Abba Father, testifying that we are his children. In Christ, we are blessed, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven.

So what happened? I heard the gospel and believed, it enlightened me, flooded my heart with a glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. I was enlightened and the veil was removed, this blindness was removed like scales falling off my eyes. The darkening of my mind was removed by the Light of the gospel of Christ. Sure, I struggle with the issues of my heart and mind but victory comes through faith. If there is doubt or sin I need to overcome, it will come through the strengthening of faith, through the word and power of God. 

Paul goes on to say we have this treasure in clay pots so that the surpassing power belongs to God. It is all about him, and boasting is in him. We're still in this body in which sin dwells and is perishable but inside of us is a surpassing power that belongs to God, an imperishable seed. We are always carry about in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be displayed in our bodies. This is what it means to glorify God in our bodies, this is the light of the Gospel being displayed in the body. For we live constantly handed over, death is at work in us but life in you, Paul writes. So this is what Paul is saying, everything is as loss in order to gain Christ to know of the fellowship in his suffering, to be conformed to his death, so to be also conformed to his life. 

Paul prays that as believers the eyes of our hearts are enlightened so that we know the hope to which we've been called. Now, he said you've already been blessed, you've received adoption and redemption and forgiveness and favor and you’re sealed with the Holy Spirit, now he's praying that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened. To see the incomparable greatness of his power available, he's telling us we need to be enlightened to this power of God which is available to us, and to the inheritance, we have among the saints. God is making known to us the mystery according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to bring everything together in Christ things of heaven and things on earth. We have an inheritance predestined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all according to the counsel of His will. And we have this hope in Christ that we might be to the praise of his glory. 

So we can tie this language of purpose together with scripture in Romans 8, where he is working out all things according to his purpose for our good. And we see the struggle, we have the first fruit of the Spirit groaning in us eagerly awaiting the Redemption of our bodies and like creation itself, we are waiting to be set free from bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in this weakness, so when we don't know what to pray the Spirit intercedes for us and searches our hearts, knowing the mind of the Spirit. (Romans 8:22-30) The spirit of God is working in us, so he's working toward our good, renewing us in the spirit of our minds, to be conformed to the image of His Son. He's working for us to will and to do according to his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) As we see in these amazing scriptures, that all things work together for good for those loved of God. And we just read about this in Ephesians chapter 1 it is according to what He purposed in Christ. This purpose is being realized, 

for those whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30) 

Glorification is bringing about the glory of God in us, conforming us to the image of Christ. This is why Paul says he is dying always carrying about the death of Christ in his body so that life is in us, through conforming to His death, he has a revelation in the life of Christ and shares with us for our benefit. So is the fellowship in his suffering. As a plan for the fullness of time to bring everything together in Christ. He puts his spirit within us and we're still in this body of death in which the spirit is bringing life to this mortal body so putting on immortality, we're experiencing the glory, he's conforming us because those he foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Think of that, we're being conformed to be like Jesus that's what God purposed in Christ. 

God is working in you. Those he predestined he called, and to those called he justified and those justified, glorified. Glorified, transformed from glory to glory, it's an amazing thing. What can we say in response to these things, if God is for us who can be against us, if he did not spare his own Son but delivered Him up for us all how are we not along with him graciously given all things? Who can bring a charge against God's elect? Christ Jesus is the one who died and more so he is raised at the right hand of God who is also interceding for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ can tribulation, distress, or persecution or nakedness, or danger… we face death all day long like sheep being led to be slaughtered but knowing in all these things we are winning a most glorious Victory in him who loved us. If you struggle with surrendering, it is deception, which the truth that is in Christ will set you free from. Those called, those born of God will overcome the world, and what is the victory that overcomes the world? Our faith. God is working in you, you are an overcomer.

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