For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
For. Encouragement to work: "For it is God which worketh in you," always present, though I be absent. Not, 'work out your own salvation, though it is God,' etc., but 'because it is God which,' etc. The will, and the power to work, being first installments of His grace, encourage us to make full proof of, and carry out to the end, the "salvation" which he has first 'worked,' and is still 'working in' us, enabling us to 'work it out.' 'Our will does nothing thereunto without grace; but grace is inactive without our will' (Bernard). Man is, in different senses, entirely active and entirely passive: God producing all, and we acting all. It is not that God does some, and we the rest. God does all, and we do all. Thus the same things are represented as from God and from us. God makes a new heart, and we are commanded to make us a new heart; not merely because we must use the means in order to the effect, but the effect itself is our act and our duty (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel 36:26) (Edwards). The "FOR" is explained by Wiesinger, as enforcing "Work out your own salvation with fear," etc.: for it is not you, but God who works in you, to will and work, whereby all self glorying is removed (Philippians 2:3-4).
Worketh, х energoon (G1754)] - 'worketh effectually.' We cannot of ourselves embrace the Gospel: the "will" (Psalms 110:3; 2 Corinthians 3:5) comes solely of God's gift to whom He will (John 6:44; John 6:65); so also the power "to do" (rather 'to work effectually' х to (G3588) energein (G1754): the inward ability showing itself in action], the same Greek as that for "worketh in"); i:e., effectual perseverance to the end is wholly of God's gift (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 13:21). Provenient and cooperating grace.
Of his good pleasure, х huper (G5228): 'in behalf of'] - 'FOR His good pleasure:' to carry out His sovereign gracious purpose toward you (Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:9).