Understanding the grace of God is to know “. . . it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).
Understanding the grace of God is to know that life is not about you working for God. It is understanding his grace works in and through you to do his will. We can experience God’s good pleasure by letting the free-flow of his grace perform both the desire and the power of doing his will in our life.
Paul stated to the Corinthians,
But by the grace of God I am what I am . . . I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Cor. 15:10).
It is a simple statement by Paul to indicate that the labor seen in his life was not of himself, but it was by the grace of God which was with him. Labor does occur, but understanding the grace of God declares it is a product of grace. God’s grace is his good pleasure for our lives.
Understanding the grace of God is to know that labor in your life is the work of the Holy Spirit.
The same principle is also proclaimed to the Colossians. It is stated, however, in a different way which adds insight to the meaning of understanding God’s grace. Paul wrote,
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily (Col. 1:29).
As indicated, labor is being performed, but, again, it is not Paul’s labor. Understanding the grace of God proclaims that the labor Paul was experiencing was “according to [God’s] working.” It was actually the Holy Spirit working mightily in Paul.
Understanding the grace of God is to know how God’s good pressure is accomplished.
Finally, Paul helps again in understanding the grace of God by making a similar statement to the Philippians. He wrote,
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (2:13).
It can be safely stated that “his good pleasure” can be understood as seeing the will of God being accomplished in your life. Something that would be pleasurable to God would be his will being achieved in your life. Thus, the verse could be interpreted to read “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his will.” Amazingly, understanding the grace of God proclaims that both the willing and the doing of God’s will is by God himself working in and through you.
The answer to all of your struggles in life is not trying to figure out what you think God wants you to do and then attempting to do it. The answer is simply understanding the grace of God by letting Jesus live in and through you. All of your fears, all of your hurts, and all of your pains can be overcome by Jesus. Let him live!
