THE REVEALING IDENTIFICATION
Who works?
"
It is God which worketh." Nothing is clearer in Scripture than the fact that God is the operator in spiritual accomplishments. "
Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Psalm 127:1).
The Lord made an inspection of men's work and reported, "
Their webs shall not become garments" (Isaiah 59:6).
- Man builds dynasties which disintegrate, civilizations which crumble, principalities which perish.
- Man's wisdom weakens his judgment; his ingenuity inflates his ego; his inventions threaten his ruin.
- Men are more imaginative, but less manageable; more cultured, but more corrupt.
"
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me" (Isaiah 30:1). God with His wisdom and power must work to insure success and permanence in any enterprise.
As the "
goings forth" of the Saviour have been from everlasting (Micah 5:2), even so have been the activities of the Spirit.
He was prominent in the creation of the world: "
The spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).
He was the promoting force in the construction of Solomon's great house of worship: "
The pattern . . . he had by the Spirit" (I Chronicles 28:12).
He is the power in producing the temple of God which is made of living stones: "
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:22).
It is He who works in the believer.
THE REALM OF OPERATION
Where does God work?"
It is God which worketh in you." Of course, this is God the Holy Spirit. He is in the believer, and this is where He works. Since out of the heart, out of the innermost being, are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23), this is the logical province for His operation.
He originates, motivates and consummates.
When we substitute will power for His working, we automatically place ourselves at a disadvantage. Failure becomes inevitable. "
It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). What an abundance of testimony can be adduced to bolster this fact! A man like Napoleon could defeat great armies, but could not control his own wicked cravings which eventually wrought his downfall.
The Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer must be allowed to perform His work. Then the fruit of the Spirit will be evident. "
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22, 23) will abound. He may find it necessary at times to do some pruning (disciplining), but this is ever "
for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). This yields "
the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11).
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