Thus, my beloveds, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but more now in my absence, I also work your salvation with fear and trembling; For it is God who works in you both wanting and working, according to his good will (Philippians 2:12, 13).
Jonathan Edwards writes:
- In effective grace.
- We are not simply passive.
- Nor does God play a role and we do the rest.
- But it is God who does everything and we do everything.
- God produces everything.
- We act everything.
- That’s what it produces.
- Which is [knowing] our own actions.
- God is the only author and the source proper.
- We are only the actors of this source.
- We are in different ways.
- Totally passive and totally active.
- (The works of Jonathan Edwards.
- Vol 2.
- P.
- 557).
John Piper writes
It’s a good fight, because we’re not abandoned to our own forces in combat. If we were, as Martin Luther says, “would our efforts be in vain?That is, when a child of God struggles to rejoice in God, it is God Himself who is behind this struggle (effort), giving the will and strength to overcome the enemy of that joy (Philippians 2:12-13) we do not keep our own strength to maintain the joy of faith. for us and us (in us). Therefore, the struggle for faith is a good struggle.
God’s work in us does not eliminate our work; We work because He is the one who works in us, therefore, working with joy is possible because God is fighting for us and through us, all our efforts are due to His deep work within and through our will and our work. . (When I do not desire God, 38, 41)