Lesson 29 March 6, 2002

- The normal Christian life is a SUPERNATURAL LIFE and we are given SUPERNATURAL POWER TO LIVE THIS LIFE.

Ø Phil 2:12-13 speaks to the balance we have of between choice and the strengthening or empowering of the Holy Spirit.

- Our responsibility in 2:12 to work out our salvation, to carry our salvation to its logical goal and objective is linked here by the causal particle -> gar - which introduces the means, the power and ability available to us to fulfill our responsibilities as believer's.

What Paul is saying here is that God is the source of the power, the enablement to fulfill our responsibilities as Bel's, the goal, the objective He has for us.

*** REM: God never demands anything w/o providing the means the power to execute fully those demands.

"...both to will and to work for His good pleasure.."

The result is the bel'r accomplishing "...His good pleasure..."

** Good translation: "..inspiring both the will and the deed for His own purpose."

We see here in these verses the bringing together of man's responsibility and God's enablement in the life of grace with great power.

All volitional choices are then molded by the will of God, DVPT and the resulting actions of the believer then take place out of loving obedience to God.

The only way we will KNOW the WILL of God, and therefore be able to please Him or as Paul is saying here that our will and desires will be the same as those of God, if we know the Word of God because it is through His Word that we learn who He is and what He desires for us.

Lets look at some documentation from other passages dealing with this supernatural enablement of the believer in this age of GRACE, the Church age.

1. 1 Cor 12:4-7

2. 2 Cor 10:3-5

3. Gal 5:16

4. Eph 6:10-11

5. Col. 2:6

Observations

1. In the life of the positive advancing believer God is at work, empowering, enabling them by the Indwelling Holy Spirit.

2. It is God/H-S who will illuminate and reveal to us what the will of God is at any time.

3. God works in us, stirring us through the Word in the new man, the new conscious that we're building to do what we ought.

4. Simply to know what is right and even to desire to do the right thing isn't enough; we must have the empowering, the enabling of the H/S if we're going to be able make the overt application of the truth known and have it be effective in our life.

5. We must make the overt application of the truth that we know.

6. "To work" energew also means to have production, to bear fruit.

7. We are to be like a plant that grows, flowers and sets fruit.

8. Analogy with the believer:

- grows = to grow up spiritually - God will provide the necessary resources for anyone who is positive and desiring to know His word.

- flowers = along with our growth is an increasing desire to do what is right; what is consistent with our new nature in Christ and our developing relationship with Christ.

- fruit = divine good production in the life of the believer, and applying the Word daily and that regardless of the external circumstances.

9. The whole activity of learning what the will of God is and then acting on it fulfills God's purpose/plan for you.

10. God is not pleased and His purpose not fulfilled when negative volition and rejection of truth reigns. 1 Cor 10:5; Why??

Heb. 4:2 Heb. 10:38