The father wills his works in us

I have been praying and asking the Father what it means to live perfectly according to His will. The scripture says that Jesus lived perfectly according to the will of the Father, and we should desire to be transformed into the image of Christ and be conformed to His word. Jesus said in John 14:10 (AMP), “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not say on My own initiative or authority, but the Father, abiding continually in Me, does His works [His attesting miracles and acts of power].” He also says in John 12:49-50, “For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore, the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” I have been asking Him to help me understand His will when it comes to walking in faith and doing good works for the Lord.

It was during one of these conversations with the Lord that He helped me understand what James meant in James 2:26 when he said, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.” He is not speaking about our works, but rather, the works of the Father in us. If we believe in Jesus and are filled with His Spirit, we should manifest the fruits of His Spirit in our lives. Those fruits of the Spirit are the works of the Father and Son. Galatian 5:22 says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are the works of God. These fruits are manifested in the form of miracles, healings, signs, and wonders.

Jesus said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.” Jesus loved the Father and obeyed His words. He said the words He spoke and the works He did were not His own but the Father’s who lived in Him. If the Father lives in us, we should also show evidence of Him abiding in us by allowing His works to be in us as they were in Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:11, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” Those works are anything the Father wants to do through us in the moment, but they will appear as fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Love is the first fruit, and the Father and Son want to manifest the work of love in us more than any other.

Jesus lived perfectly according to the will of the Father because He loved the Father above all things and obeyed Him in everything. He loved the Father because He knew the Father and was one with Him. We should also desire to know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the same way. If we love God, we will obey Him and allow His works to be in us while speaking His words to others. If we believe in Him, we will show evidence of that faith in the way we allow Him to live through us. If we do not allow the Father to do His works in us, our faith in Him is dead. If we have faith in Him, we believe what He says is true. If we are not manifesting His works, we are not believing and obeying His words. He is life, and without Him in us, we are dead. There are many people in the Church and outside the Church who are the walking dead. There are Christians who live for their own fleshly desires or for themself rather than allowing the Father to do His works in them. That is what Paul meant in Philippians 1:21 when he said, “to live is Christ.” He was emphasizing the relationship between life and having the works of Christ in us. Since the Father, Son, and Spirit are all One, allowing their works, the works of God, to be in us, aligns us with the perfect will of God. The more we allow their works to be in us, the closer we will walk to God’s perfect will.

I have come to realize that His “will” being done in me is the same thing as His “works” being done through me. He does in me what He wills to do when I love Him and obey His word. If I am doing my own works instead of His, I am living according to my own will and the works I do will not survive the purging fire that is to come no matter how spiritual they are or how well intentioned they might be. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 says, “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.” Time is short and I do not want to waste time building anything according to my own works as they will not yield any reward but will be entirely burned up in the fire that is to come. The only works that will survive the fire are the works of God being done through me.

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, He told them in Matthew 6 to say, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” If we are walking in the perfect will of God, His works are being performed through us, and we are speaking the very words of God, our prayers to Him should align according to His will because it is His will that is being lived out on the earth through us. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

Think about the suffering Jesus went through in the desert with Satan. Satan reminded Jesus of His abilities based on the promises of God and based on who Jesus was in Him, but Jesus knew the will of the Father and He stood in that will. When we pray, we should be praying that His will be done in all things, and we should be thanking Him for everything that happens to us according to His will. If we are walking in His will, everything that occurs in our life is being allowed by God for His greater purpose. We should trust in Him and take refuge in His love for us. He is in control, and His actual plan is better than any plan we might have formulated for Him in our minds.

When we pray outside His will, even with good intentions, we are building out of our own will and everything that comes of it will be burned up in the coming fire. We would be better off to pray according to His will and trust Him to fulfill His promises while thanking Him continuously for everything, both good and bad. If we are having trouble praying according to His will, we should ask ourselves why? If we are separated from His will because of sin or fleshly desires, we should repent and allow His Spirit to put us back into alignment with His will. Let His Spirit be our guide and let His works live in us! Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” What better way to serve Him than to allow the works of God to be performed in us while speaking His words to everyone willing to listen. If we can learn to rest in His will while allowing His works to be in us, our prayers will take on a spirit of thanksgiving rather than pleading. When we trust Him to do His works or will in us, we are at peace because we are no longer responsible for making sure the works happen. He is. We get to love Him, praise Him, and glorify Him for the works He is doing in us.

You can read more about this and other truths by obtaining a copy of “Prodigal to Prince” by Beau Walsh at BarnesandNoble.com or Amazon.com.