It Is God Who Works In YOU (Not From The Outside In)

Length: 8 Minutes

The Old Testament was people trying to change their lives for God. In the New Testament it’s God that works in us, to change our lives for us! When you learn about this rest, it is an amazing relief, but some may have some misconceptions on how this works.

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith…

The law of Moses proved that people cannot successfully work for God. So in this New Testament, we merely grow in our faith in Jesus and He’s the one that works through us! He does the living! This is what rest from works is like. All of this is true and is amazing to know, but there is a misconception that many may have.

When some people hear that rest is available because Jesus can work through them, many will sit around waiting for God to work their circumstances out, from the outside in. Here’s what I mean:

• If we need money, we’re waiting for a check to come in the mail.

• If we need a particular job opportunity, we’re waiting for someone to come around and offer it to us.

• If we want to minister to people, we’re waiting for someone to come across our path.

• If we need a circumstance changed, we’re waiting on God to change the circumstance outside of us.

I’m not saying that the Holy Spirit can’t cause a check to come in the mail, someone to offer you a job, or work in a circumstance outside of you. The Lord can, and will do, all the above. But we can’t forget this fact: Who is the one believing the Lord here? You are, right? Well, if you are the one believing the Lord, the Lord is working through you! The power, the activity, the miracles are coming from in you. If that’s the case, why should we always be looking for the Lord to work in our lives from the outside in? If God is working within you, why wouldn’t we assume that frequently, if not most of the time, He wants to use your own body and mind to make the change that we’re seeking?

Philippians 2:13 (NKJV) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

This verse says, “It is God who works in you.” We can glean two things from this. On the one hand, we can see that it is God who works, which is where we get our rest from. On the other hand, it says that God works in you. You are the instrument through which He’s working. This will keep us from constantly looking for change to happen from the outside in. 

Many times, we’re looking for the Lord to work in a circumstance or person outside of us to change things for us. We’re waiting for it all to get better, but God works in you! Christ lives in you! Not them. In you! Not in your circumstance, toward you. In you, toward your circumstance! We are the ones believing Him, so we’re the ones God is working through! 

• Since you’re the one believing Him, don’t you think it’s easier for God to work through you to pursue a job opportunity, than to depend on someone, at some company to be Spirit-led enough to pursue you?

• Don’t you think it’s easier for the Lord to bring you to someone who needs to be ministered to than to wait on carnally minded people to be led to you?

• If a circumstance needs changing, don’t you think God would work through your own flesh to roll up your sleeves, take charge, and make the circumstance what it needs to be?

Am I teaching works? Am I teaching effort for God? All the contrary. We merely renew our minds, but if we’re truly doing that, I’m saying that it is God who works in you. It’s the “in you” part that we don’t realize sometimes. The change that God makes in your circumstance is coming from within your own flesh, toward your circumstance. That means there’s going to be visible change that God makes in your own actions, decisions, and thoughts to bring His will to pass on the earth. It’s not happening to you from the outside in. It’s happening from inside of you, out.

None of this is to say that the Holy Spirit cannot, and will not, work in your circumstances without you ever laying a finger on them. God does this all the time. God will work in circumstances before you even get to them. The Bible is full of examples of God working circumstances out for people’s good, without their flesh being directly involved. 

God was striking fear in the Midianites, behind the scenes, without Gideon even knowing (Judges 7:15). God was giving Pharoah dreams, which led to Joseph’s exaltation, even when he was still in prison (Genesis 41). Even this power was coming from within them, but we can see that God will certainly work in other people or circumstances. I’m only correcting the idea that “God working through us” looks like us waiting on circumstances to change, without any movement or initiative through us. 

God will act, desire, and think things through you that will initiate change in this world. You will begin to determine things in your mind that God is determining. You will begin to take initiatives that God is taking. Determination, initiative, and a “go get ‘em” attitude is not contrary to rest from works. That is, when these feelings are from God, in those who are learning Jesus.

• If you need money, rather than simply waiting for God to work through someone else to send a check or to offer you a job, the Lord will use you to go and apply at every possible place of employment in your area. He will give you creative ideas to make your application stand out, He will give you the boldness to be clear and professional at your interview, and He will empower you with His Spirit to succeed at what you do. And yes, God will also give you favor with other people and work in your circumstances, but He’s working from within you!
  
  Even when speaking about wealth in Deuteronomy 8:18 it says that God will give you the power to make wealth. Not someone else. You. That means that God is using you to generate wealth – including, but not limited to, your actions, desires, and decisions.

• When a circumstance is not what it should be, God will give you the words, resources, and actions to raise you up as a leader, to make that circumstance what it needs to be. 

• When people need to be ministered to, the Lord can lead you to those who will be receptive. He can bring you to them for you to initiate the interaction. After all, you’re the one that’s believing Him, so it’s easiest for God to work through your own flesh and mind!

This does not diminish rest from works. This explains it. All these things are enacted through belief, not effort or willpower. These things don’t happen because you go out and try to force them. This transformation only happens when you renew your mind. I’m just showing you what it looks like when you do. 

For those who are truly delighting in the Lord, go with His flow (Psalms 37:4-5). Let the nature of God work in you. God will give you desires in your mind and compelling in your actions. Sometimes, there’s nothing more for you to physically do about the situation. Just don’t limit God by thinking He doesn’t want to use your own body and mind to make change in this world. 

Why is all this important to understand? Because we need to believe correctly, to manifest the Lord correctly. If we don’t understand how the gospel works, we will be lacking in our receiving. We will be waiting around for circumstances to finally line up for us. All the while, if you will take His one easy and light yoke (Matthew 11:29), God will make powerful change through you. Instead of waiting for change to come from the outside in, you’ll recognize that change comes from the One inside of you, out!

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