Philippians 2:13

“for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for His good pleasure”

“For”: Here is incentive for Christians to "work out their own salvation". “God who worketh”: The present tense is here used. “Because God works and has worked, therefore man must and can work” (Hawthorne p. 100). “Both to will and to work”: “Inspiring your will and your action” (Gspd). The previous verse guards against the interpretation that says that God miraculously or mysteriously overrides the free will of individuals. If God does, then Philippians 2:12 is meaningless, that is, there is no way that Christians could fail to obey it.

God "changes" the will of an individual through His revelation to mankind. It is the word of God that changes the direction of. man's heart and hence the direction of. man's life (Acts 2:37; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17). This verse does not demand that God is "personally" in these believers. We use the same type of language when describing the "influence" for good that. parent has on. child. If. am having. good positive influence on my child, then is could be said that "I am working in them both to will and to work". Jesus pointed out that God is working in the believer only as long as the believer is allowing the word of God to influence their lives (John 8:37; John 15:7). If we listen to the word of God, we will find the strength, the right motives, and the work that we need to be doing for God (2 Timothy 3:16).

“For His good pleasure”: “To execute His gracious will” (Wey). “To do what He wants” (Beck). This verse reveals that we can tell if an individual is allowing God to influence them or not. What "fruit" is seen in their lives? Are they wanting to do God's will? Or are they wanting to do their own will? If one is allowing God to work in them, then one will be doing God's pleasure.